Which of the following statements are correct about Al-Biruni’s description of the caste-system:
(A) He tried to explain the caste system by looking for parallels in other societies, such as ancient Persia.
(B) He accepted the Brahmanical description of the caste system and also the notion of pollution.
(C) According to him, the conception of social pollution, intrinsic to the caste system, was contrary to the laws of nature.
(D) He remarked that everything which falls into a state of impurity strives and succeeds in regaining its original condition of purity.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A), (C) and (D) only
(A) He tried to explain the caste system by looking for parallels in other societies, such as ancient Persia. Correct. He noted that ancient Persia recognised four social categories, to show that social divisions were not unique to India.
(B) He accepted the Brahmanical description of the caste system and also the notion of pollution. Incorrect. He accepted the Brahmanical description of the caste system, but he disapproved of the notion of pollution.
(C) According to him, the conception of social pollution, intrinsic to the caste system, was contrary to the laws of nature. Correct. This is the conclusion of his argument against pollution: social pollution was contrary to the laws of nature.
(D) He remarked that everything which falls into a state of impurity strives and succeeds in regaining its original condition of purity. Correct. This was his reason: the sun cleanses the air and the salt in the sea keeps the water from becoming polluted; if it were not so, life on earth would have been impossible.
NCERT (2026-27): “4.2 Al-Biruni’s description of the caste system … Al-Biruni tried to explain the caste system by looking for parallels in other societies. He noted that in ancient Persia, four social categories were recognised: those of knights and princes; monks, fire-priests and lawyers; physicians, astronomers and other scientists; and finally, peasants and artisans. In other words, he attempted to suggest that social divisions were not unique to India. At the same time he pointed out that within Islam all men were considered equal, differing only in their observance of piety. In spite of his acceptance of the Brahmanical description of the caste system, Al-Biruni disapproved of the notion of pollution. He remarked that everything which falls into a state of impurity strives and succeeds in regaining its original condition of purity. The sun cleanses the air, and the salt in the sea prevents the water from becoming polluted. If it were not so, insisted Al-Biruni, life on earth would have been impossible. The conception of social pollution, intrinsic to the caste system, was according to him, contrary to the laws of nature.” |