Assignment (Edu-01)

1. PHILOSOPHY ASSIGNMENT
Topic: Characteristics of Indian society-class,
religion, ethnicity and language.
Submitted by,
Anuja Roy. J.R
Physical science
Roll no:27

2. Characteristics of Indian society
Introduction
India is a diverse Country. Indian society has its
own uniqueness in terms of beliefs, traditions,
customs, constitutional right, norms, religion,
Casts diverse region, languages, etc.
Every society has its own
history. It inherits something from its past and
that influencers its present the same as Indian
society has its own history. In order to
understand Indian society we should a
comprehend every aspects of Indian society
including its social structure, caste structure,
economic stratification, etc.
1) Social structure:
The social structure of
traditional society was based mainly on
the hereditary principle. The members

3. were divided into hereditary caste groups
each with its traditional occupation.
People were living together under some
roof that means there were living in joint
family system. In the ancient period of
Indian history, people wanted to attain
self realisation it was their spiritual goal
and the Indian society is an Agricultural
society. Agriculture was the main
profession in ancient Indian society.
Religion has been playing an important
role in Indian society. In the democratic
Indian society, secularism also become an
important part where in we everyone is
free to follow his own religion. The forces
of modernisations have tended to break
the traditional Indian joint family and
today we can not find the orthodox
nature of Indian society excepting few
villages.

4. 2) Caste based structure:
The Indian society has
differentiated in to hierarchical social
order of several castes. The classification
of caste in Hinduism mainly based on the
hierarchical social order of castesBrahmin,
Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra arranged in
descending order of status. Members in
each cast-group followed the same
heredity occupation and the members of
each caste should marry in their own
caste. Even though there was caste
stratification people took education from
different schools. The class stratification is
found even now in almost every Indian
community but the rigidity varies from
community. The decreasing rigidity in
terms of caste everybody’s upliftment
only because of education. Today no
doubt caste inherit in community though

5. people are living together and develop
themselves.
3) Multi religious:
India is a secular country. Indian society is
a multi religious society and every religion
has its own importance in Indian
society.lndian society is an amalgam of
different religious including Hindu,
Muslim, Christians, Buddhist, Jains and
Parsi, etc…and all these religious are tied
by the thread of democracy and all are
living together in harmony and enrich the
Indian society.
4) Unilingual Or Multilingual society
Indian society is multicultural
society because Indian society accepted
every religions and their culture, so

6. people have different languages as per
their culture. The Indian society became
multilingual society but there is a
common language for mutual
communication between all, that is, Hindi
which is the national language of Indian
society. Now English language becomes a
link language which joins the people of
different states.
5) Multi-Cultural Society
In Indian society different
religious, linguistic, caste, and class
groups have their own
culture.example:along with the Indian
culture, Gujarati Marathi cultures, Hindu
and Muslim cultures ,Urban and rural
cultures ,upper and Middle Class
cultures,etc.exist in Indian society is
multicultural society. Although all are
living with the harmony and peace.

7. 6) Democratic society:
Indian society is
Democratic society where in everyone has
an equal right to live in society. Everyone
is free to follow any religion she or he
likes. The system of Government of India
is Democratic in which all the people of a
country can vote to elect their
representatives. Though Indian society is
multicultural all are following the rules
and regulations of Indian society and live
together. Justice, equality, Brotherhood
and liberty are the four pillars of Indian
constitution and one should know these
four values in order to understand Indian
democracy.
7) Developing Economy
In the ancient time, the

8. economy of Indian society was a simple
and subsistence economy, because it was
agricultural society, so everyone's earning
was mainly based on agricultural,
Handicrafts, and small trade. The
production of the goods and services was
mainly for the consumption and not for
the market. The modern Indian society is
a developing society with the help of
developed Science and Technology,
economy has become a large-scale
economy with rural-urban and national as
well as International lineages. Today we
see the impact of liberalisation,
privatisation and globalisation of Indian
economy and because of this we find the
expansion in trade and Commerce and
business.
8) Status of women

9. In ancient Indian society
women were considered as second sex
and their status was lower than that of
man. Women only played a role of a
housewife and took care of their children,
husband and the other family members in
family. parents gave more importance to
males and gave them better Education. In
modern Indian society a good deal of
change occurred. Now women are as
equal as males. In family women have
given important place as a mother and as
a daughter. She gets higher education and
she has been able to enter into spheres
occupational activities, and in many field
women play a role as a role model for all.
9) Educational heritage:

10. In ancient Indian society,
there was Guru Kula system of education.
Students got education in ashrams and
they lived in huts along with their guru.
Guru was considered as their teacher and
they were called as shishyas, four or five
years of their age they went to take
education in Ashrams and they got
education almost 19 or 20 years then they
returned to their home. This was the main
system of Ancient India but after the
arrival of Britishers and under their
authority the ancient ashrams and under
their authority the ancient Ashrams
turned into open schools and students got
the formal education in schools.
• Social Classes in lndia
Caste, if it functions as social
class, in modern India is just a form of social

11. order based on wealth, which may be acquired
through education, trade ,profession or
business or on hereditary wealth.
Mobility is represented by the
fact that instead of a rigid caste system upon
which the whole of society and its functions are
based,it functions at an individual, domestic or
family level now. This is particularly so in urban
areas and in large cities.
As in other societies and
countries of the world, industrialisation,
Technology, education and urbanization are
causing at impact, however, gradual ,on the
ancient caste system . we see the gradual
dissolution of the former role of the caste
system and the emergence of a new Class
system whose basis may or may not be the
caste.

12. 1) The upper classes:
These represent the aristocracy of
wealthy families of former rulers, large
land owners and jagirdars and the owners
of the largest business interests and their
magnates also belong to this category.
Their wealth may be in the form of
ancient palaces,fortresses, estates,
farmlands, homes, jewels, cash balances,
mills, large Industries,film ownership and
foreign investments. According to recent
laws they are expected to pay heavy taxes
on their wealth,in addition to Income tax .
Their children go to the most expensive
and exclusive schools and colleges, they
engage tutors to teach academic,skills,
physical and artistic activities. Many of
them send their children abroad for
education. Social ease, culture and
confidence characterise their children's

13. ways, in many instances. Snobbery also
futures in their attitudes and their
relationship with people outside their
class. Not more than four or five percent
of people in India belong to this category
2) The Upper Middle Class:
These are represented by businessmen,
bankers, top government officials,
landlords and zamindars. Top ranking
University officials and executives may be
included in this category, as also Directors
of businesses film and industries. Their
wealth is acquired primarily through their
salaries, and they may own some lands
and houses, and partnership in
undertaking. Their children may also go to
exclusive and expensive schools, and later
to Universities, entering professional
colleges such as law, engineering,
medical, commerce and other in search of

14. a career. Parents set goals before their
children, and try to steer them in to a
proper career through their studies.
Handwork and persistence in education
are emphasised, the families travel and
sightsee together. Summers are spent at
hill station and in sight seeing. They live
comfortably, eat and dress well,
approximately ten to fifteen percent of
the population may be found in this
category.
3) The Lower Middle Class
Schoolteachers, shopkeepers, nurses,
clerks, government subordinates and
salesmen and other belong to this
category. The source of income is a salary
which is hardly sufficient to pay the house
rent and pay the cost of food. The
members of this class have to work very

15. hard to support their families. A few take
on extra part time work in the evenings.
However, in this class of
people, there is generally a great desire
for education. The children generally
strive very hard at school. Their industry
and persistence stand out in their school
performance. The children of teachers
strive particularly hard, and often to very
well at school and college, and later
succeed in getting good jobs. The child of
a hard worked clerk or teacher tries best
to work his way up to becoming a doctor
or an engineer and in many cases this has
actually happened. Thus there are quite a
few chances for the child of the lower
middle class to rise into the category of
the upper middle class after succeeding in
his struggle to get a good education and
professional training.

16. In many cases, however the
children are frustrated and become
rebellious and join factions in schools and
colleges. The strain or poverty, when
viewed in right of what they see and learn
at school or college is too much to bear
and causes dissatisfaction and
resentment, and they facing
unemployment. It is estimated that there
are 30-40% of people in India in this
category.
4) The Lower Classes
It is estimated that over of the people in
India belong to this class of people. They
may again be of two types. Those
employed, such as peons, domestic
workers, sweepers, farmers,washermen,
petty craftsmen or labourers. Or they may
be the unemployed, those who have no
skills, and can not find any work. Some of

17. these may be landless, farmers, they may
be wandering gypsies or blacksmiths,
jugglers, water carriers, who have no
steady work. The conditions of the lower
classes are appalling and arouse
indignation. The parents of the employed
lower class category dress neatly when
they go to work, and their children often
go to school.
They are ambitious and hard
working, and finish high school, a few
have gone to the University also, and
succeeded in getting good jobs, thus
changing into the next higher class of
society. However, by and large, a few of
them complete high school. As for those
who are in the unemployed category, life
is a series of misfortunes for them. There
children like them, remain illiterate, their
children do odd jobs, and earn a little

18. money, or became delinquents and join
gangs, which are anti-social. Only an
economic revolution can change the
plight of this category of people.
• Religious diversity
Religion is a major concern of man. Religion
is universal, permanent, pervasive and
perennial interests of man. The institution
of religion is universal. It is found in all the
societies, past and present. Religions beliefs
and practices are, however, for from being
uniform. Religious dogmas have influenced
and conditioned economic endeavours,
political movements, and educational tasks.
The major religions in India are Hinduism,
Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Christianity,
Islam, Parsi, etc. The basic ideas and faith of
the each religions differs. But they
coexistently stood Indian society.

19. The preamble of the Constitution
of India proclaims India to be a secular
republic where citizens may freely worship
and propagate any religion of their choice.
The right to freedom of religion is also
declared as a fundamental right by the
Constitution of India. Indian religions have
exerted significant influence all over the
World. The major negative impact of
religions is follows,
1) Groupism
Religion divides people such divisions
may come in the way of development
of the country.
2) Frequent conflicts
People belonging to different religions
fell that their religions is superior.
They even try to reach impose their
religions practice on others which

20. would be lead to conflict situations. In
India communal conflict has become a
common feature.
3) Dogmatism
Every religion has a set of beliefs,
which may be superstitions quite
often, such ideas block the
development of society and the
progress of individuals.
4) Block Social Change
It is challenging to transform the
attitude. Unity and diversity of India is
unique. It presents endless varieties of
physical, social and cultural patterns.
• Language diversity
The highly degree of large diversity found in
India is due to the existence of diverse
population groups. The greatest variety in
languages can be found in the one of the

21. biggest democracies in the World. Most of
these languages are distinct and have their own
distinct form of writing and speech.
India is one of the most linguistically diverse
countries, ranking fourth in terms of the
number of languages spoken, according to the
Ethnologue language catalogue of the World.
Although linguistic diversity increases the
regionalism feeling it is not a threat to national
unity. Linguistic diversity increases the beauty
of cultural richness. Language was one of the
major problems in post-Independence and still
there is much friction in India, because of
language. Like bio-diversity, linguistic diversity
should also need to maintain.
• Ethnicity
India is ethnically diverse with more than
2,000 different ethnic groups. There is also
significant diversity within regions, and

22. almost every province has it’s own distinct
mixture of ethnicities, traditions and
culture.
Unity holds tightly together the various
relationships of ethnic groups or institution in a
detailed manner, through the bonds of
contrived structures, norms and values. It has
also been described as a social psychological
condition. However, unity does not mean
uniformity which implies similarity unity may
be born out of similarity.
Macionis John, define as “ethnos in the narrow
meaning of the world in the most general form
can be defined as a historically formed
community of the people possessing common
relatively stable, specific features of culture as
well being aware of their unity and difference
from their communities”.

23. Ethnic group is a social category of people
who shared common culture, common
languages or dialect, a common religion, a
common norm, practices, customs and history.
Ethnic group have a consciousness of their own
culture bound. India is an ethnological
museum. The waves of immigration have
drawn the ancestors of the majority of present
population into India form the surrounding
territories across the Himalayas.
References
• https:/www.acubeias.com>article
• https:/www.theindiaforum.in>article
• https:/www.onlyiasexam.com>linguistic
diversity>article
• PN publications sure success series