In a village in the early twentieth century, a low-caste community of farm labourers earned money from a new trade. Its members began to wear the sacred thread, gave up meat and invited a priest to their weddings, as the landowning upper caste of the village did. The elders of the landowning caste then called a meeting about these changes. Many years later, a woman from a Dalit family in the same region chose to study Sanskrit at school and went on to a university degree. Along the way she met with mixed reactions from teachers and fellow students.
According to the book, how did the dominant caste traditionally respond to moves like that of the farm labourers in the passage?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → It punished those who dared to take up its customs.
Option (1) It took to Western ways to keep its social distance. — Incorrect. Taking to Western ways is Westernisation, which Srinivas defines as the changes brought by over 150 years of British rule in technology, institutions, ideology and values. It is a separate process of change and does not describe how the dominant caste treated lower castes who copied its customs.
Option (2) It accepted them once their wealth matched its own. — Incorrect. A better economic position usually comes before a group tries Sanskritisation. Even so, in a highly unequal society lower castes met obstacles in taking over higher caste customs, and wealth did not buy acceptance.
Option (3) It referred the matter to the colonial courts for a ruling. — Incorrect. The traditional response came from the dominant caste itself, within the village, and it took the form of punishment. Colonial courts have no part in this account of Sanskritisation.
Option (4) It punished those who dared to take up its customs. — Correct. Traditionally the dominant caste punished low castes bold enough to copy its customs. The farm labourers wearing the sacred thread and giving up meat is such an attempt, and the elders' meeting points to this response.
NCERT (2026-27): “Sanskritisation … |