The practice of endogamy within certain communities in South India aimed to attain what?

Preserve cultural and social ties within the kin group.

The correct answer is Option 4 - Preserve cultural and social ties within the kin group.

A close examination of the names of women who married Satavahana rulers reveals that many retained their father's gotra names (such as Gotama and Vasistha) instead of adopting names derived from their husband's gotra, as prescribed by Brahmanical rules. Furthermore, some of these women belonged to the same gotra, which deviated from the ideal of exogamy (marrying outside the kin group) advocated in Brahmanical texts. Instead, this practice exemplified endogamy, wherein marriages within the kin group, such as cousins marrying each other, were prevalent among several communities in South India. Such endogamous marriages fostered close-knit communities.