Social Science ยท History

Indian Social Structure

1,894 Questions

Prepare for competitive exams by answering questions on the diverse Indian social structure. Topics include the historical caste system, Vedic political units, and various social reform movements. This hub offers valuable insights into the sociological framework of India.

Caste system dynamicsVedic societySocial reform movementsIndian family structure

Indian Social Structure Questions

Multiple choice

What specific interpretation has been given by T. Beidelman in respect of the jajmani system of Indian traditional society?

  1. Jajmani system provides socioreligious interdependence among the castes

  2. Jajmani system provides interchange of good and services among the castes

  3. Jajmani system provides welfare and economic interdependence among the castes

  4. Jajmani system provides exploitative mechanism whereby upper castes exploit lower castes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Thomas Beidelman provided a conflict-theory critique of the Jajmani system, arguing that it was not a system of benevolent interdependence but an exploitative mechanism used by dominant castes to control and exploit the labor of lower castes.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements :

  1. Enslavement in lieu of uncleared debt was unknown from Vedic times to the time of Buddha.
  2. In Vedic times, women of higher castes could neither hold property nor remarry after husband's death. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only

  2. 2 only

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect because debt bondage and enslavement for uncleared debts did exist in ancient India from Vedic times through the Buddhist period. Statement 2 is incorrect because in the early Vedic period, women enjoyed high status, could own property, and remarriage of widows (levirate/niyoga) was practiced; restrictions grew more rigid in later periods.

Multiple choice

Who were the Vellelas of the Sangam period?

  1. The ruling class

  2. The rich peasants who held civil and military offices.

  3. The feudatories of Cheras

  4. The lowest class which carried out agricultural operations.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Vellalas were the wealthy landowning class in Sangam society, often holding significant civil and military positions.

Multiple choice

To remove casteism from society you will

  1. highlight its bad effects

  2. do your work only

  3. try to remove it by consulting others

  4. try to know its reasons
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Education is a primary tool for social change. By highlighting the negative consequences of casteism, a teacher can foster critical thinking and help students move past discriminatory attitudes.

Multiple choice

The word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit term for

  1. a language

  2. a river

  3. a religion

  4. a caste
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The term Hindu is historically derived from the Indo-Aryan word 'Sindhu', which refers to the Indus River. Persians and Greeks used the word to designate the region and people living across the Indus River.

Multiple choice

Reservation in the educational institution should be based on

  1. caste

  2. sex

  3. religion

  4. poverty or economic backwardness
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Educational equity aims to support those who lack resources, making poverty or economic status the most equitable basis for reservation. Relying on factors like caste or religion can perpetuate social divisions rather than addressing systemic disadvantage.

Multiple choice

Joint family came into being in

  1. an industrial society

  2. an agricultural society

  3. a modern society

  4. a feudal society
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The joint family system is traditionally associated with agrarian or feudal societies where land ownership and agricultural labor were collective family efforts. Industrial and modern societies tend to favor nuclear family structures due to increased mobility.

Multiple choice

The earliest tribal assembly was

  1. Vidhata

  2. Samiti

  3. Ganga

  4. Samrath
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In early Vedic literature, Vidhata is considered the earliest tribal assembly of the Aryans, pre-dating assemblies like Sabha and Samiti and having both economic and military functions.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements about the Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka is correct?

  1. Indian Tamils are concentrated in the north and east of the country.

  2. Most Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka are Christians.

  3. The forefathers of the Indian Tamils had gone to Sri Lanka as plantation workers.

  4. The Indian Tamils are the political refugees from India.

  5. 13 percent of the total population of Sri Lanka constitutes Indian Tamils.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct statement and hence, the correct answer.