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

Directions: Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (114).

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. dour

  2. desultory

  3. clumsy

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

The correct answer is 'dour' which means stern, gloomy, or severe in appearance or manner. In context, the blank describes the negative effects of the caste system on society - 'dour effects' suggests harsh, grim, or severe consequences. The other options are incorrect: desultory means lacking a plan or enthusiasm, clumsy means awkward, and breaching refers to breaking through something.

Multiple choice

Directions: Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (115).

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. clapper

  2. denotation

  3. wane

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

The correct answer is 'trepidation' which means a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen. In context, the thought of raising a revolt fills people's hearts with fear and anxiety - trepidation captures this emotion perfectly. The other options are incorrect: clapper refers to a striking mechanism, denotation is dictionary meaning, and wane means to decrease or diminish.

Multiple choice

Directions: Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (113).

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. glut

  2. edify

  3. embellish

  4. throttle

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

 "Edify" is the correct option. It means to educate or instruct.

Multiple choice

The concept of creamy layer is associated with

  1. Scheduled castes

  2. Scheduled Tribes

  3. Other backward classes

  4. All the above

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

The creamy layer concept was introduced by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney case (1992) and applies specifically to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). It excludes the more affluent and advanced sections within OBCs from reservation benefits. This concept does not apply to Scheduled Castes (SCs) or Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Multiple choice

In the Indian context the term 'De-notified tribes' refers to

  1. aboriginal tribes

  2. nomadic tribes

  3. tribes living in the Himalayan region

  4. tribes which were earlier classified as criminal tribes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

De-notified tribes are communities that were formerly labeled 'criminal tribes' under the British Colonial Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. After independence, India denotified them in 1952, removing the stigma, though many still face social and economic marginalization.

Multiple choice

The prevalence of village exogamy in North India arises from which of the following highly interrelated factors?

  1. Caste endogamy
  2. Local fictive kinship
  3. Territorial stabilization of kin groups
  4. Gotra Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 and 3 only

  2. 1, 2 and 4 only

  3. 2 and 4 only

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

Village exogamy in North India is primarily driven by gotra exogamy rules (2) and local fictive kinship structures (4) that define marriageable partners. While caste endogamy (1) and territorial stabilization (3) are related concepts, they are not the primary factors. Option C correctly identifies the core factors.

Multiple choice

Gujarat Kshtriya Saba is an example of which one of the following?

  1. Caste Panchayat

  2. Caste association

  3. Caste federation

  4. Caste system

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

Gujarat Kshtriya Saba is a caste association because it is an organized body formed by Kshatriya caste members to pursue their collective social, political, and economic interests. Unlike caste panchayats (which focus on local dispute resolution within a caste) or caste federation (which would coordinate multiple caste bodies), a caste association represents the mobilization of caste identity for broader objectives.

Multiple choice

Which one of the following is an example of a society of intermediate complexity, in which family arrangements of other types are common?

  1. Trobriand Islanders

  2. Todas

  3. Nadars

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

The Nairs of Kerala represent intermediate complexity with diverse family forms including matrilineal joint households (taravad), polyandry, and flexible marriage practices. Trobrianders have complex kinship but less structural diversity; Todas and Nadars have specific but less varied family arrangements.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. Sir Henry James Sumner did not subscribe to the view that legal basis of primitive societies lay in ties of blood and kinship.
  2. Kinship classification system developed by Lewis Henry ultimately led to Fredrich Engel's work on the origins of the family and the state. 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
B Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect - Sumner DID subscribe to the view that primitive societies were based on ties of blood and kinship (he coined 'folkways'). Statement 2 is correct - Lewis Henry Morgan's kinship classification system directly influenced Friedrich Engels' work 'The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State'.

Multiple choice

In which one of the following types of societies, the status of women is relatively better?

  1. Industrial society

  2. Tribal society

  3. Agrarian society

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

Tribal societies generally have relatively better status for women compared to agrarian and industrial societies. Women often have economic independence, participation in decision-making, and relative autonomy in tribal settings, whereas patriarchal structures are more rigid in agrarian societies and persist in modified forms in industrial societies. Note: Options C and D are identical (both 'Agrarian society').