Law, Power, Belief, and Governance: An Anthropological Analysis of Legal Systems, Political Organization, Religion, and Social Change in Contemporary Societies-This research article is authored by Ganesh Shrirang Nale Satarkar, Department of Sociolog

Title Law, Power, Belief, and Governance: An Anthropological Analysis of Legal Systems, Political Organization, Religion, and Social Change in Contemporary Societies Description (Author + Affiliation + Discipline) This research article is authored by Ganesh Shrirang Nale Satarkar, Department of Sociology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, Haryana, India, and Dr. Priyanka Sambhaji Jadhavar, Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Situated within the interdisciplinary domains of Social Anthropology, Legal Anthropology, Political Anthropology, Sociology of Law, and Governance Studies, the article offers a comprehensive anthropological examination of law, political organization, religion, and social change. It integrates classical and contemporary theoretical perspectives to analyze how legal systems, belief structures, and governance mechanisms interact within diverse socio-cultural contexts, with particular reference to developing societies and India. Keywords and Subjects (in Paragraph Form) The study engages with key concepts such as legal anthropology, political organization, law and society, social sanctions, religion and belief systems, magic and ritual, social change, nation and nation-state, governance, public policy, political culture, grassroots democracy, gender and development, corruption, and international development organizations. The article contributes to broader subject areas including Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Legal Studies, Governance and Development Studies, and Interdisciplinary Social Research, highlighting the cultural foundations of law, power, and policy in contemporary societies. Publishing Information Details Journal Name: International Journal of Social Research and Development Publisher: Royal Publications, Delhi, India Journal Type: Indexed, Refereed, Peer-Reviewed Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Page Numbers: 1–5 Date of Publication: 02 January 2026 Online ISSN: 2664-8709 Print ISSN: 2664-8695 Impact Factor: RJIF – 8 Reference Number: 7065 Journal Website: www.socialsciencejournal.net