The correct answer is Option (1) → Achievement and exogamy
- Ascription and endogamy: The caste system assigns social status (ascription) based on birth and restricts marriage within the caste (endogamy), highlighting its rigid and hereditary nature.
- Hierarchy and inequality: The caste system creates a social hierarchy where different castes are ranked based on their perceived purity and pollution, leading to social and economic inequality.
- Purity and Pollution: The concept of purity and pollution plays a significant role in the caste system, with upper castes considered "pure" and lower castes deemed "polluted," justifying discrimination and social exclusion.
Achievement and exogamy contradict the core principles of the caste system. |