Indology

1. INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
BHOPAL (MP)
ASSIGNMENT ON
GS GHURE (INDOLOGY)
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
ROLL NUMBER- 319430
BA 3RD YEAR
SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY
DR.DEEPIKA GUPTA MOHIT LILHARE

2. CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that MOHIT LILHARE of BA 3RD year Sociology Honours (subsidiary-political science)
has successfully completed her Sociology Honors 2 assignment entitled “ G.S. Ghurye (Indology)”
prescribed by Dr. Deepika Gupta (Professor of Sociology) during acedmic session 2021.
Date- 12-09-21 Dr. Deepika Gupta

3. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I express my deep sense of gratitude to Dr. Pragyesh Agrawal ,Director,IEHE,Bhopal. I pay my sincere thanks to
Dr.Shailja Dubey (HOD) and professor of sociology to encourage me to the highest peak and to provide me
the opportunity to be a part of assignment and to prepare this assignment.I am immensly obliged to my
friends for their elevating inspiration,encouraging guidance and kind supervision in the completion of my
assignment.
I feel to acknowledge my indeptness and deep sense of gratitude to my professor Dr. Deepika
Gupta whose valuable guidance and kind supervision shaped the present work as its show.
Last but not the least,I would express my gratitude to my parents.

5. G. S. GHURYE
 Govind Sadashiv Ghurye was born on 12 December 1893, at Malvan, in present-day Maharashtra. died on 28th December, 1983 at the
age of 91 in Bombay. His early schooling was at the Aryan Education Society's High School, Girgaum, in Bombay, and then at Bahadur
Khanji High School, Junagadh, in the princely state of Janugadh.
 Professor G. S. Ghurye (1893-1983) is justifiably considered the doyen of Indian Sociology. On his return from Cambridge, where he
wrote his doctoral dissertation under W.H.R. Rivers and later A.C. Haddon, Ghurye succeeded Sir Patric Geddes as Head of Department
of Sociology in the University of Bombay in 1924.
• He continued to head the Department until his retirement in 1959. After retirement, he was designated the first Emeritus Professor in the
University of Bombay.
• Ghurye's contribution to the development of sociology and anthropology in India is enormous and multi-faceted. A prolific writer, Ghurye
wrote 32 books and scores of papers, which cover such wide-ranging themes as kinship and marriage, urbanization, ascetic traditions,
tribal life, demography, architecture and literature.
• Ghurye played a key role in the professionalisation of sociology by founding the Indian Sociological Society and its journal Sociological
Bulletin. In addition, he encouraged and trained a large number of talented students who, in turn, advanced the frontiers of sociological
and anthropological research in the country. With his own voluminous output and through the researches of his able students Ghurye
embarked on an ambitious project of mapping out the ethnographic landscape of India.

6. The important works of Ghurye are as follows:
1. Caste and Race in India (1932, 1969)
2. Culture and Society (1947)
3. Indian Sadhus (1953)
4. Bharatnatyam and Its Costume (1958)
5. Family and Kin in Indo-European Culture (1955, 1961)
6. Cities and Civilization (1962)
7. Gods and Men (1962)
8. Anatomy of a Rural-Urban Community (1962)
9. Religious Consciousness (1965)
10. Indian Costume (1966)
11. Social Tensions in India (1968)
12. I and Other Explorations (1973)
13. Whither India (1974)
14. Indian Acculturation (1977)
15. Vedic India (1979)
16. Bringing Cauldron of North East India (1980)

7.  GS GHURYE called “doyen of indian sociology”. Nothing disguises the fact that Ghurye was giant” - MN Srinivas.
 3 aspects worth inquiring into
 His own role in promoting sociology as a subject- wrote 32 books ,provided new theoritical perspectives,new researches on diverse
topics,was a nationalist.
 Institution builder- Bombay university sociology department ,Indian sociological society 1952,its mouthpiece ”sociological bulletin”
 Batch of sociologists he mentored- MN Srinivas ,Irawati Karve, AR Desai, KM Kapadia ,IP Desai ,MSA Rao.
 GS Ghurye’s approach distinctive from other indological approaches for the following reasons -
• Sanskrit + vernacular – Ghurye uses sanskrit text exclusively to explain indian society and culture.extensively quoted
from vedas,shastras ,ethics ,poetry of kalidas ,also made uses of vernacular literature- used bankim chandra chatterji’s
literature and other marathi works.
• Diffunist method- being a student of prof. Rivers he used a method of diffusion to understand evolution of caste in India
and cultural synthesis of indian society .Ghurye was initially influenced by the reality of diffunist approach of British social
anthropology but subsequently he switched on to the studies of indian society from indological and anthropological
perspectives.

8. • Methodological pluralism- (a) in the application of theories to empirical exercises or in the use of
methodologies for data collections he was not dogmatic.
(b) he seems to have believed in practising and encouraging disciplined electicism in theory and
methodology.
Example- field survey- sex habits of middile class people in bombay and “mahadev kolis.” also used
historical and comparitive method in studies.
• Theoritical pluralism- (inductive+deductive) ghurye’s flexible approach was born of his faith in intellectual
freedom which is reflected in diverse theoritical and methodological approaches.

9. The Few Broad Areas that have been identified in Ghure’s writtings are -
1. Caste and Kinship - G.S. Ghurye’s Caste and Race in India (1932), which cognitively combined historical,
anthropological and sociological perspectives to understand caste and kinship system in India. He tried to analyse caste
system through textual evidences using ancient texts on the one hand and also from both structural and cultural
perspectives on the other hand. Ghurye studied caste system from a historical, comparative and integrative perspective.
Later on he did comparative study of kinship in Indo-European cultures. In his study of caste and kinship, Ghurye
emphasizes two important points: 1. The kin and caste networks in India had parallels in some other societies also. 2.
The kinship and caste in India served in the past as integrative frameworks.

10. • Ghurye explains caste in India on the basis of six distinctive
characteristics:
1. Segmental division of society;
2. Hierarchy
3. Civil and religious disabilities and privileges;
4. Lack of unrestricted choice of occupation;
5. Restriction on food, drinks and social intercourse;
6. Endogamy.

11. 1. Segmental division of society : Segment is the compartmentalization of the population into groups. It is basically horizontal in character. It
generates social grouping but not labelling. The membership is ascribed in character, i.e. it is based on birth and flows from generation to generation.
Based on the membership every member has fixed status, roles and tasks. According to the roles assigned they have to perform it. There are moral
ethics, obligations and justification value behind these roles.
2. Hierarchy : It is the second major characteristic of caste through which Hindu social organization and Indian Society penetrates. After the segmental
divisions of the society, they are put in a pyramidical structure then it is called as hierarchy. Certain cultural principles like purity and pollution,
prioritization of certain group, preferences of the society, determine the positioning of the social segments in the hierarchy t in layer. The layering of the
segments is basically vertical in nature. This caste hierarchy is responsible for spelling out the access and prevention of caste and it becomes the primary
consideration for role allocation, responsibility sharing and the imposition of restrictive rules. Hierarchy determines caste norms. According to Ghurye
hierarchy becomes the major consideration for deciding all these aforesaid variables. It basically implies the Division of Labour. The entire gamut of
activities in the society is divided into four types like religious, governance, maintenance and menial. Among all these activities the religious activities
are given the highest position in society. Therefore Brahmin are given this responsibility. The second major activity is governance, which implies for
managing the state craft and defending the populee from external aggression. So it is accorded to Khatriyas. The managerial activities are fixed on
Vaishyas, who have to generate sustenance for the society. And the menial activities though an integral part of the society, are given the least priority
and accorded to the shudras. Thus it is the hierarchy that determines the roles. The higher the position in the hierarchy the greater is the role and
higher is the responsibility. Hierarchy also determines the individual‟s access to life chances (education, health, nutrition) and life resources (wealth,
power, property). The higher the position in caste hierarchy the easier becomes the access and vice-versa. The concept of distributing justice was never
prevalent but was ever violated in caste system. It was not the productive contribution but the preferencial caste position that determines the caste
rights. Rights were never demanded in caste society but were preferencially imposed on certain caste.

12. 3. Civil and religious disabilities and privileges : Civil and religious disabilities expressed the rigidity of the caste system. To Ghurye
the general reflection of Hindu social life was observed and felt through such disabilities. The disabilities were common to caste in
different parts of the country but the caste groups included in it were not common, rather there are variations. Civil and religious
disabilities basically came from the concept of purity and pollution. Disabilities were for impure and polluted caste and privileges
were for is for pure/higher castes.
4. Lack of unrestricted choice of occupation : The occupations have been fixed by heredity. Generally they have not been allowed
to change their traditional occupations. Members of a caste maintain their supremacy and secrecy in their jobs and do not allow the
other caste group to join in. The upper caste people like Brahmins are free to opt for study of religious books, while this cannot be
done by other classes. The lower ranking activities like sweeping bathrooms, washing clothes, scavenging etc have been kept in
untouchable category.
5. Restriction on food, drinks and social intercourse : Restriction on food, drinks and social intercourse: Some rules have been
imposed upon all caste people. Restriction on feeding and social intercourse are still prevalent in Indian society. There are two types
of food i.e. Kachha (cooked) food and Pakka (raw) food upon which certain restrictions are imposed with regard to sharing, for
example: Caste groups from whom twice born caste people can accept Kachha food; Caste group from whom twice born caste
people can accept Pakka food; Caste groups from whom twice born caste people can accept water but no food; Caste groups from
whom twice born caste people do not accept water or food and maintain distance.

13. 6. Endogamy : Indian caste system is also polarized due to endogamy being determined primarily by Caste. People can
marry within caste only. To disobey the caste rule is not only treated as a crime but is also condemned as a sin. The
caste panchayat not only denounces inter-caste marriages but also imposes severe punishment upon those who break
these rules.

14. 2. Tribe - Ghurye’s works on the tribes were general as well as specific. He wrote a general book on Scheduled Tribes in
which he dealt with the historical, administrative and social dimensions of Indian tribes. He also wrote on specific tribes such
as the Kolis in Maharashtra. Ghurye presented his thesis on tribes at a time when a majority of the established anthropologists
and administrators were of the opinion that the separate identity of the tribes is to be maintained at any cost. Ghurye, on the
other hand, believes that most of the tribes have been Hinduized after a long period of contact with Hindus. He holds that it is
futile to search for the separate identity of the tribes. They are nothing but the ‘backward caste Hindus’. Their backwardness
was due to their imperfect integration into Hindu society. The Santhals, Bhils, Gonds, etc., who live in SouthCentral India are
its examples (Ghurye, 1963). There has been fierce debate between G.S. Ghurye and Verrier Elwin. Elwin in his book Loss of
Nerve said that tribals should be allowed to live in isolation, whereas Ghurye argued that tribals should be assimilated into
Hindu castes. Thus, Ghurye holds the view that a grand historical process of merger between two communities has almost
been completed. Consequently, tribes, now, may be regarded as ‘backward Hindus’. The incorporation of Hindu values and
norms into tribal life was a positive step in the process of development..

15. • Ghurye writes “Tribalism always contribute towards the construction of
Hindu temple that is yet to be completed”, meaning Hindu culture is evolving
through a series of dialectics addressing to the demand of people in time and
space.
Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism largely embodied Hindu values with new ideas and
doctrines contributing for decline of Hindu culture and tradition. He considers that
Hindu cultural values were shared by tribal communities in mitigating the tribe –
caste differences. Therefore tribes of India are backward Hindus. Backward’
because of epistemology of Hinduism like Sanskar, distinction between Buddhi,
Mana, Ahankar are yet to reach them even though they have already gone for
Hindu life, ritual and way of life.

16. 3. Culture and Civilization - There are two conflicting views about the growth and
accumulation pattern of culture. One theory maintains that in any community culture grows
quite independently of similar events happening elsewhere or predominantly with reference to
local needs and local situation. The other group believes that culture grows by diffusion. A single
invention or discovery is made at one place and ultimately this cultural trait diffuses throughout
the world. Sir G.E. Smith was the most ardent advocate of the diffusion theory

17. 4. Religion - Ghurye thinks that religion is the centre of culture heritage of man.it moulds and
directs the behaviour of man in society.
He wrote six books to bring out the role of religion in society.
1. INDIAN SADHUS
2. GODS AND MEN
3. RELIGIOUS CONSCIOUSNESS
4. INDIAN ACCUMULATION
5. VEDIC INDIA
6. THE LEGACY OF RAMANAYA

18. • Indology does not take into account present contemporary changes highlighted by field
studies.(dominant caste,sanskritization)
• Ghurye's contribution to the development of sociology and anthropology in India is
enormous and multi-faceted. A prolific writer, Ghurye wrote 32 books and scores of
papers, which cover such wide-ranging themes as kinship and marriage, urbanization,
ascetic traditions, tribal life, demography, architecture and literature.
CRiTICISM OF GHURYE
• Ghurye played a key role in the professionalisation of sociology by founding the Indian Sociological Society and its journal
Sociological Bulletin. In addition, he encouraged and trained a large number of talented students who, in turn, advanced
the frontiers of sociological and anthropological research in the country. With his own voluminous output and through the
researches of his able students Ghurye embarked on an ambitious project of mapping out the ethnographic landscape of
India

19. conclusion
• The sweep of Ghurye’s works and the wide range of his intellectual interests have had a profound
influence on the development of the twin disciplines (sociology and social anthropology) in India. Like a
discreet butterfly, Ghurye moved from one theme to another with equal interest, erudition and ability.
• He showed India to an inexhaustible mind where sociologists and social anthropologists could conduct
endless explorations. He indicated innumerable but unexplored dimensions of Indian society, culture and
social institutions, which would occupy social analysis for decades if they had both the desire and the
ability to know.

20. Thank You…