20 multiple-choice (MCQ / objective) questions from this chapter, in the common exam-style shapes. Every question comes with an explanation along with the answer, so you remember why the option is correct, not just which one it is.
Syllabus note
CBSE 2026-27: Unit 10 (this chapter) carries 12 marks; UP Board 10, Rajasthan Board 10, MP Board 8. Answers follow CBSE word limits: 2 marks up to 30 words, 4 marks up to 80, 6 marks up to 200.
1 Direct Questions
Direct Questions
- 1 markFormal university teaching of sociology in India began in 1919 at the
(A) University of Calcutta(B) University of Bombay(C) University of Lucknow(D) University of Madras - 1 markSarat Chandra Roy became deeply interested in tribal society because
(A) he was born in a tribal family(B) the Dewan of Cochin sent him on a survey(C) as a court interpreter he had to interpret tribal customs and laws to the court(D) he studied anthropology at Oxford - 1 markGhurye first became known outside sociology through his debate on tribes with
(A) Herbert Risley(B) Louis Dumont(C) Radhakamal Mukerjee(D) Verrier Elwin - 1 markWho was the main proponent of the then dominant view that caste originated in race?
(A) G.S. Ghurye(B) Verrier Elwin(C) Louis Dumont(D) Herbert Risley - 1 markAccording to Ghurye, Risley’s thesis (upper castes Aryan, lower castes non-Aryan) was broadly true only for
(A) northern India(B) southern India(C) the whole of India(D) the tribal areas - 1 markIn Ghurye’s definition, rules about the sharing of food between castes are governed by ideas of
(A) profit and loss(B) reason and science(C) purity and pollution(D) law and order - 1 markD.P. Mukerji had more faith in Marxism as
(A) a political programme than as a method(B) a religion than as a science(C) a method of social analysis than as a political programme(D) a theory of the village - 1 markA.R. Desai’s Ph.D. dissertation was published in 1948 as
(A) State and Society in India(B) The Social Background of Indian Nationalism(C) Rural Transition in India(D) Peasant Struggles in India - 1 markWhich states did Desai examine as those most often described as welfare states?
(A) Britain, the USA and much of Europe(B) India, China and Russia(C) Japan and Australia(D) The communist states - 1 markWhich social anthropologist argued against village studies, holding caste more important than the village?
(A) M.N. Srinivas(B) S.C. Dube(C) Louis Dumont(D) Herbert Risley
2 Assertion-Reason
Assertion-Reason
- 1 markAssertion (A): Risley believed India was a unique ‘laboratory’ for studying the evolution of racial types.
Reason (R): Caste had strictly prohibited marriage between different groups for centuries.
(A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A(B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A(C) A is true, but R is false(D) A is false, but R is true - 1 markAssertion (A): Liberal thinkers excluded socialist and communist states from their definition of the welfare state.
Reason (R): Formal democratic institutions, specially multi-party elections, were thought to be a defining feature of the welfare state.
(A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A(B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A(C) A is true, but R is false(D) A is false, but R is true
3 Match the Following
Match the Following
- 1 markMatch the sociologist (List I) with the CBSE topic on which he is studied (List II).
List I: (i) G.S. Ghurye (ii) D.P. Mukerji (iii) A.R. Desai (iv) M.N. Srinivas
List II: (1) The village (2) The state (3) Caste and race (4) Tradition and change
(A) i-4, ii-3, iii-1, iv-2(B) i-3, ii-4, iii-2, iv-1(C) i-3, ii-2, iii-4, iv-1(D) i-1, ii-4, iii-2, iv-3 - 1 markMatch the sociologist (List I) with how, according to the conclusion, he ‘Indianised’ sociology (List II).
List I: (i) G.S. Ghurye (ii) D.P. Mukerji (iii) A.R. Desai (iv) M.N. Srinivas
List II: (1) Brought his knowledge of classical texts to questions defined by western anthropologists (2) Offered a critical view of the Indian state when such criticism was rare (3) A westernised intellectual who rediscovered Indian tradition (4) Adapted his training in western centres of social anthropology to the Indian context
(A) i-1, ii-3, iii-2, iv-4(B) i-3, ii-1, iii-2, iv-4(C) i-1, ii-2, iii-3, iv-4(D) i-4, ii-3, iii-2, iv-1
4 Statement-Based Questions
Statement-Based Questions
- 1 markConsider these statements on Ghurye and Risley.
(i) Ghurye did not disagree with Risley’s basic argument but believed it to be only partially correct.
(ii) Ghurye held that the racial theory of caste was true for the whole of India.
(A) Both are true(B) Only (i) is true(C) Only (ii) is true(D) Both are false - 1 markConsider these statements on D.P. Mukerji.
(i) D.P. Mukerji held that Indian culture and society are individualistic in the western sense.
(ii) D.P. Mukerji held that Indian sociologists need to know only Sanskrit texts.
(A) Both are true(B) Only (i) is true(C) Only (ii) is true(D) Both are false
5 Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the Blanks
- 1 markD.P. Mukerji wrote: “…it is not enough for the Indian sociologist to be a sociologist. He must be an ______ first.”
(A) economist(B) Indian(C) historian(D) anthropologist
6 Odd One Out
Odd One Out
- 1 markWhich one is NOT a feature of caste in Ghurye’s definition?
(A) Segmental division(B) Hierarchical division(C) Restrictions on marriage(D) Free choice of occupation
7 Passage-Based Questions
Passage-Based Questions
Passage
The ‘protectionists’ believed that assimilation would result in the severe exploitation and cultural extinction of the tribals. Ghurye and the nationalists, on the other hand, argued that these ill-effects were not specific to tribal cultures, but were common to all the backward and downtrodden sections of Indian society. These were the inevitable difficulties on the road to development.
- 1 markAccording to the passage, what did the ‘protectionists’ fear assimilation would bring?
(A) Faster development of the tribals(B) The unity of India(C) Severe exploitation and cultural extinction of the tribals(D) Better schools for the tribals
8 True / False
True / False
- 1 markWhich of these statements on the pioneers are true?
(i) Ananthakrishna Iyer began his career as a clerk.
(ii) Sarat Chandra Roy founded the journal Man in India.
(iii) Both Iyer and Roy lived to see India become independent.
(A) Only (i) and (iii) are true(B) Only (ii) is true(C) (i), (ii) and (iii) are all true(D) Only (i) and (ii) are true
Answer Key and Explanations
Direct Questions
- (b) The book: formal university teaching of sociology only began in 1919 at the University of Bombay.
- (c) The book: he became interested in tribal society as a byproduct of his professional need to interpret tribal customs and laws to the court.
- (d) The book: his writings on tribes, and specially his debate with Verrier Elwin, first made him known outside sociology.
- (d) The book: Herbert Risley, a British colonial official, was the main proponent of the dominant view.
- (a) The book: Ghurye believed Risley’s thesis was broadly true only for northern India.
- (c) The book: these rules are governed by ideas of purity and pollution.
- (c) The book: he had more faith in it as a method of social analysis than as a political programme for action.
- (b) Desai’s box: 1948, his Ph.D. dissertation is published as Social Background of Indian Nationalism.
- (a) The book: he examines states such as Britain, the USA and much of Europe, and finds their claims to be greatly exaggerated.
- (c) The book: arguing against village studies, some social anthropologists like Louis Dumont thought institutions like caste were more important.
Assertion-Reason
- (a) Both true, and R explains A: Risley thought India a ‘laboratory’ because caste had prohibited marriage between groups for centuries.
- (a) Both true, and R explains A: the book says ‘This is why liberal thinkers excluded socialist and communist states from this definition’.
Match the Following
- (b) Ghurye: caste and race (3); D.P. Mukerji: tradition and change (4); Desai: the state (2); Srinivas: the village (1).
- (a) Conclusion: Ghurye (1), D.P. Mukerji (3), Desai (2), Srinivas (4).
Statement-Based Questions
- (b) (i) is true. (ii) is false: Ghurye held it broadly true only for northern India.
- (d) Both false: he said Indian society is not individualistic in the western sense, and that sociologists should know ‘high’ and ‘low’ languages and cultures, including local dialects.
Fill in the Blanks
- (b) The quotation continues: ‘He must be an Indian first, that is, he is to share in the folk-ways, mores, customs and traditions’.
Odd One Out
- (d) Ghurye: caste restricts the choice of occupation, which is hereditary. The other three are among his six features.
Passage-Based Questions
- (c) The passage: assimilation would result in the severe exploitation and cultural extinction of the tribals.
True / False
- (d) (i) and (ii) are true. (iii) is false: both were born, lived and died in an India ruled by the British (Iyer died 1937, Roy 1942).
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