18 MCQs on Rural Social Structure: Family, Caste, Class & Dominant Caste in India

1. What is the primary unit of social organization in rural India?

a) Village council
b) Joint family
c) Political party
d) Industrial workforce

✅ Answer: b) Joint family
💡 Explanation: The joint family system is the traditional and dominant form of family structure in rural India, where multiple generations live together under one roof.

2. What is a key feature of caste in rural India?

a) Based on individual achievement
b) Flexible and constantly changing
c) Hierarchical and hereditary
d) Irrelevant in social organization

✅ Answer: c) Hierarchical and hereditary
💡 Explanation: Caste in rural India follows a strict hierarchical order and is ascribed by birth, affecting occupation, marriage, and social interactions.

3. Who introduced the concept of ‘Dominant Caste’ in Indian sociology?

a) G.S. Ghurye
b) M.N. Srinivas
c) A.R. Desai
d) B.R. Ambedkar

✅ Answer: b) M.N. Srinivas
💡 Explanation: M.N. Srinivas coined the term Dominant Caste to describe castes that hold power in rural areas due to numerical strength, landownership, and political influence.

4. Which of the following factors contributes to a caste being dominant in a village?

a) Large population size
b) Economic and political power
c) Access to education
d) All of the above

✅ Answer: d) All of the above
💡 Explanation: A caste becomes dominant due to numerical strength, land control, education, and political power, as per M.N. Srinivas.

5. What is the primary function of the caste system in rural areas?

a) Promoting social equality
b) Defining social roles and occupation
c) Encouraging class mobility
d) Increasing economic growth

✅ Answer: b) Defining social roles and occupation
💡 Explanation: The caste system traditionally determined occupation, marriage alliances, and social interactions, reinforcing social hierarchy.

6. In rural India, which system traditionally governs inter-caste relations?

a) Jajmani system
b) Guild system
c) Industrial labor system
d) Capitalist market

✅ Answer: a) Jajmani system
💡 Explanation: The Jajmani system is a traditional economic and social exchange system, where upper castes provide land, while lower castes provide services.

7. What type of family is most common in Indian villages?

a) Nuclear family
b) Joint family
c) Matriarchal family
d) Extended family

✅ Answer: b) Joint family
💡 Explanation: Rural India is characterized by the joint family system, where multiple generations live and work together.

8. Which social structure primarily dictates marriage patterns in rural India?

a) Class
b) Caste
c) Education level
d) Political affiliation

✅ Answer: b) Caste
💡 Explanation: Marriage in rural India follows endogamy, where individuals marry within their caste to maintain purity and hierarchy.

9. What is a major impact of the dominant caste in rural society?

a) Economic exploitation of lower castes
b) Strengthening of democratic principles
c) Elimination of caste hierarchy
d) Promotion of industrialization

✅ Answer: a) Economic exploitation of lower castes
💡 Explanation: Dominant castes control land, politics, and resources, often leading to marginalization of lower castes in villages.

10. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of caste?

a) Endogamy
b) Social mobility
c) Hereditary status
d) Occupational specialization

✅ Answer: b) Social mobility
💡 Explanation: Caste is ascribed by birth and rigid, making social mobility difficult in traditional rural settings.

11. Which factor has contributed to the decline of caste rigidity in rural areas?

a) Urbanization and economic development
b) Revival of feudal practices
c) Decline in agricultural productivity
d) Strengthening of traditional beliefs

✅ Answer: a) Urbanization and economic development
💡 Explanation: Modernization, education, and economic change have weakened traditional caste-based occupations and hierarchies.

12. What does Sanskritization refer to?

a) Learning the Sanskrit language
b) Lower castes imitating upper caste customs
c) Abolishing caste discrimination
d) Establishing a new social order

✅ Answer: b) Lower castes imitating upper caste customs
💡 Explanation: Sanskritization is a process where lower castes adopt the customs, rituals, and lifestyle of higher castes to improve their social status.

13. What role does the Gram Sabha play in rural society?

a) Governs caste relations
b) Manages local self-governance
c) Controls land ownership
d) Enforces religious laws

✅ Answer: b) Manages local self-governance
💡 Explanation: Gram Sabha is the village assembly that plays a crucial role in decision-making and governance under the Panchayati Raj System.

14. In which state is the concept of Dominant Caste most commonly studied?

a) West Bengal
b) Karnataka
c) Punjab
d) Tamil Nadu

✅ Answer: b) Karnataka
💡 Explanation: M.N. Srinivas studied the Dominant Caste concept extensively in Mysore (now Karnataka).

15. What is the primary reason for inter-caste conflicts in rural areas?

a) Religious differences
b) Land disputes and economic inequalities
c) Lack of education
d) Urban migration

✅ Answer: b) Land disputes and economic inequalities
💡 Explanation: Land control and economic dominance by upper castes often lead to tensions and conflicts between different caste groups.

16. Which occupation is traditionally associated with Scheduled Castes in rural India?

a) Land ownership
b) Agricultural labor and sanitation work
c) Priesthood
d) Teaching and government jobs

✅ Answer: b) Agricultural labor and sanitation work
💡 Explanation: Scheduled Castes (Dalits) have historically been assigned menial and manual labor under the caste system.

17. What has weakened caste-based occupational divisions in recent years?

a) Economic liberalization and education
b) Revival of village industries
c) Stronger caste-based laws
d) Increased influence of religious institutions

✅ Answer: a) Economic liberalization and education
💡 Explanation: Education and market economy have allowed occupational mobility, reducing rigid caste-based work.

18. Which government policy aims at empowering lower castes in rural India?

a) Panchayati Raj Act
b) Land Ceiling Act
c) Reservation in education and jobs
d) Forest Conservation Act

✅ Answer: c) Reservation in education and jobs
💡 Explanation: Affirmative action policies provide education and employment quotas to uplift lower castes.