European imperial rule reinforced Muslim expectations of communal legal autonomy

Evidence

This expectation was not weakened but confirmed by their recent experience in their home countries under European imperial rulers, who were generally rather cautious and conservative in matters of education, personal status and law. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 709

Categorization

• QUESTION: Which specific imperial policies (e.g., millet systems, indirect rule) preserved communal law and by what mechanisms?