India: Social Structure
Originally penned as a chapter in the first volume of The Gazetteer of India: Indian Union (1965), this penetrating essay offers readers a window into the complexities of Indian social organisation. Srinivas navigates through the hierarchical dimensions of caste, explores how village communities functioned as vital social units, and examines the role of faith and religious practice in shaping everyday life. The work probes matrimonial customs, the intricate web of familial bonds and property transfer, whilst also capturing the transformative currents rippling through society during that pivotal era. What emerges is a scholarly yet accessible portrait of a civilisation grappling with tradition whilst encountering the pressures of contemporary change. This remains an illuminating resource for anyone seeking to grasp the foundational structures that have long defined Indian life and culture.
- Author: M. N. Srinivas
- Publisher: Hindustan Publishing Corporation (India)
- Genre: Social Sciences
- ISBN: 978-8170750918
- Pages: 97 pages