Author: G S Ghurye
Publisher: Popular Prakashan
Year: 1999
Language: English
Pages: 493
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8171542050
Description
An expanded version with five new chapters, this work has been acclaimed by teachers and reviewers as a sociological classic.
Caste is the most dominant single aspect of Indian society and no study of Indian society can be complete without getting into the ramifications of the Hindu caste system, Since its first publication in History of Civilization series, this book has remained a basic work for students of Indian sociology and anthropology.
The chapters retained from the earlier edition discuss the features of the caste system, nature of case groups, caste during the Vedic, post-Vedic and Sutra period, and under the British rule. Other topics that come in for treatment are elements of caste outside India and relationship between caste and race. There is a separate chapter on the history and present position of the scheduled castes.
The relationship between caste and politics is developed into two chapters with a provocative and thorough-going analysis of caste and politics in Tamil Nadu from early times to the present day. The concluding chapter is an incisive analysis of contemporary India: the author ap0prhenbds that India will develop into a plural society and not a casteless one which was the dream of the architects of her Constitution.