Social Science · History

Indian Social Structure

1,850 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

The Nagara, the Dravida and the Vesara are the

  1. three main racial groups of the Indian subcontinent

  2. three main linguistic divisions into which the languages of India can be classified

  3. three main styles of Indian temple architecture

  4. three main musical Gharanas prevalent in India
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Nagara, Dravida and Vesara are three main styles of Indian temple architecture.

Multiple choice

With reference to the guilds (Shreni) of ancient India that played a very important role in the country's economy, which of the following statements is/are correct?

  1. Every guild was registered with the central authority of the State and the king was the chief administrative authority on them.
  2. The wages, rules of work, standards and prices were fixed by the guild.
  3. The guild had judicial powers over its own members.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. 1 and 2 only

  2. 3 only

  3. 2 and 3 only

  4. 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The wages, rules of work, standards and prices were fixed by the guild and the guild had judicial powers over its own members.

Multiple choice

Which of the following was not a duty of the 'chandalas' laid down by the 'Manusmriti'?

  1. The 'chandalas' were to use discarded utensils.

  2. They were to live outside the village.

  3. The 'chandalas' were not to walk about in villages and cities at night.

  4. They were to wear the clothes of the dead.

  5. They were not to 'touch' the dead animals and corpses.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this was not a duty laid down by the 'Manusmriti'.

Multiple choice

Different strategies were evolved by the Brahmanas to enforce the social order norms. Which of the following was/were among these strategies?

a. They asserted that 'varna' order was of divine origin. b. The kings were advised by them to ensure that these norms were followed within their kingdom. c. They attempted to persuade people that their status was determined by birth.

  1. only a

  2. only a and b

  3. only b

  4. only b and c

  5. a, b and c
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as all of the above were the strategies evolved by the Brahmanas to enforce the social order norms.

Multiple choice

What term was used to describe the person, who is a barbarian or out caste?

  1. Nambardar

  2. Mlechchhas

  3. Tehsildar

  4. Subedar

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The term "Mlechchha" (or Mleccha) was used in ancient and medieval India to describe foreigners, barbarians, or people considered outside the traditional caste system. This Sanskrit term was applied to those who did not follow Hindu social and religious norms. Other options like Nambardar (village headman), Tehsildar (revenue officer), and Subedar (administrative head) are official administrative positions within the social hierarchy.

Multiple choice

What was the main base of physical division of India, done by the geographers and the geologists?

  1. Economic development

  2. Social structure

  3. Physical features

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Geographers and geologists primarily used physical features such as mountains, plains, plateaus, rivers, and coastal areas as the basis for physically dividing India into regions. This geomorphological approach focuses on the natural landscape characteristics rather than human or economic factors.

Multiple choice

Which of the following were the paid servants of the British East India Company in India, who supervised weavers, collected supplies, and examined the quality of cloth?

  1. Sepoys

  2. Koshtis

  3. Jobbers

  4. Gomasthas

  5. Seths
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct answer as gomastha was an Indian agent of the British East India Company and signed bonds, usually compellingly, by local weavers and artisans to deliver goods to the Company. The prices of the goods were fixed by the gomasthas.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is true?

  1. Over 50 per cent workers in the Kanpur cotton industries, in 1911, came from Ratnagiri.

  2. The jobbers were responsible for the quality control over the final finished product.

  3. Getting work in mills became easier as mills multiplied and the demand increased.

  4. Workers in the textile mills of Bombay and the jute mills of Calcutta came from the United Provinces.

  5. Most mill workers migrated permanently to the cities as indentured labour and were not allowed home.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct answer as this statement is correct. Workers in the textile mills of Bombay and the jute mills of Calcutta came from the United Provinces.

Multiple choice

Directions: Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (111).

Almost everyone who knows anything at all about India has heard of the caste system; almost every outsider and many people in India (111)__ and criticize it as a whole. People now believe that rather it _(112)_ the value system of India but there are undoubtedly many who still accept its basic theory. There is a strong need to (113)people about the __(114) effects it has on the working of the society as a whole. This system has withstood the strenuous efforts of innumerable Hindu reformers who raised their votes against it. The very thought of raising a revolt against this practice, fills the heart of the masses with the feelings of (115) and make them (116). It is only in the present that it is seriously threatened and its very basis has been attacked.

  1. debunk

  2. stint

  3. bog

  4. proffer

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

 When you criticize something you generally debunk it.

Multiple choice

Directions: Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (112).

Almost everyone who knows anything at all about India has heard of the caste system; almost every outsider and many people in India (111)__ and criticize it as a whole. People now believe that rather it _(112)_ the value system of India but there are undoubtedly many who still accept its basic theory. There is a strong need to (113)people about the __(114) effects it has on the working of the society as a whole. This system has withstood the strenuous efforts of innumerable Hindu reformers who raised their votes against it. The very thought of raising a revolt against this practice, fills the heart of the masses with the feelings of (115) and make them (116). It is only in the present that it is seriously threatened and its very basis has been attacked.

  1. secession

  2. gleans

  3. desecrates

  4. extorts

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The correct answer is 'desecrates' which means to violate or treat something sacred with disrespect. In the context, the sentence suggests that the caste system violates or defiles the value system of India, creating a contrast between those who criticize it and those who still accept its basic theory. The other options (secession, gleans, extorts) do not fit the context of violating a value system.

Multiple choice

Directions: Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (116).

Almost everyone who knows anything at all about India has heard of the caste system; almost every outsider and many people in India (111)__ and criticize it as a whole. People now believe that rather it _(112)_ the value system of India but there are undoubtedly many who still accept its basic theory. There is a strong need to (113)people about the __(114) effects it has on the working of the society as a whole. This system has withstood the strenuous efforts of innumerable Hindu reformers who raised their votes against it. The very thought of raising a revolt against this practice, fills the heart of the masses with the feelings of (115) and make them (116). It is only in the present that it is seriously threatened and its very basis has been attacked.

  1. dither

  2. dangle

  3. subsume

  4. defame

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The correct answer is 'dither' which means to be hesitant or undecided. In context, the passage suggests that the very thought of revolt makes people hesitate, feel unsure, or become indecisive (dither). The other options are less appropriate: dangle means to hang loosely, subsume means to include or absorb, and defame means to damage someone's reputation.