Unit 1 OVERVIEW OF INDIAN SOCIETY

INDIAN CULTURE – generous concept –

Vasudhaiva Kutumbham (The World is One Family)

India – atmosphere for no. of religions.

Religious ideas to flourish, different religions to flourish and

diverse culture.

Culture, Multiculturalism and India

Culture : state of intellectual development / manner.

Indian culture – long history, unique geography & diverse

demography.
 Multi-
Ethnic

Plura- Multi-
listic INDIAN Cultural
SOCIETY

Multi-
Multi- Lingual
Religious
 Characteristics of Indian culture :
1) Multi Lingual – 1652 languages & dialects in India.
Constitution has recognized 22 major languages.
Hindi - most widely spoken language.
Followed by Bengali & Telgu.
National language – Hindi
English – spoken by 3% India’s population.

2) Multi Religion – no official religion.

Major religions of the world exists in India.
4 major religions – originated in India – Hinduism, Buddhism,
Jainism & Sikhism.
80.5 % - Hindus, 13.4% - Islam, 6.1% - other religions.
3) Caste System: the Indian Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order 1950,
list 1108 caste.

Traditional Hindu Society is divided into 4 ‘Varnas’ –

Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra.

Each caste – own rules & regulations, values, institutions, festivals etc.

Slowly caste system – changes – birth replaced occupation –

determined one’s caste.

4) Intra group Cultural Differences: each caste has sub castes with sub
cultures.

Each religion – intra group cultural differences.

5) Western culture influence: Portuguese arrival in Goa – 16th Century,
later British, French & Dutch – 17th century.
Indian culture – several changes – food habits, music & dance,
clothing, life style, education.

6) Contribution from various races: Indian culture – grown –

contribution from various ethnic races –
 Proto-Austroloids - Made contributions to the art of
pottery,cultivation of fruits and vegetation
 Dravidians - Black / Dark complexion - Dravidian language is
the mother of south indan languages i.e. Telugu,Tamil, Kannada
and Malayalam.
 Indo-Aryans - Contributed to vedic literature
The bases of our present socio economic, cultural and religious ideas
and institutions are greatly influenced by vedic literature of the
aryans.
 Islamic Culture – influenced – architecture, dress (salwar,
kameez, dupatta), food, cuisine etc.
 Proto-
Austroloids

Dravidians

Indo-Aryans
 Demographic Composition
Demography - characteristic of human population –
study of size, growth, age & geographical distribution ,
birth, death, marriage & migrations of population.

Demographic data is used - formulating policies in the

field of sociology, public policy & marketing.

Seen in – Census survey – every 10 years.

Observe changes in demographic trends in composition

of population – based on – religion, caste, gender &
language.
2.4% (32.9 lakh sq km ) land area

17.5% of world population

60% lives in UP, Maharashtra, Bihar, West bengal, MP and

Tamilnadu.

50% is below 25years and 65% is below 35 years

UP tops with 199.6 million

Maharashtra with 112.4 million

Bihar 103.8 million

zoroastrainism
 Religion wise composition of population:
4 major religion emerged from India – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism &
Sikhism.
Other religions – Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism & Judaism.

No official / State religion.

Constitution granted – freedom to religion – follow & practice religion.

1) Hinduism: majority follow Hinduism.

Bhagvad – Gita – holy book.

4 main values – Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha.

Values based on human needs –

Four main values:

1.Dharma

2.Artha

3.Kama

4.Moksha
Dharma – duties we need to fulfill. Dharma includes virtues –
he performs duty with discipline & dedication.
Virtue reflects – right over wrong.

Artha - desire for power over nature and man, desire for
wealth.

Kama – desire for pleasure through 5 senses – sight, hearing,

touch, taste & smell – under the control of mind.

Moksha – state of liberation. Hindu culture – 2 stages of

attaining Moksha –

a) Pravritti Marg – satisfaction of bodily needs & enjoyment

of desirable objects of the world.
B) Nivrtti Marg – developing detachment from materialistic
things of the world.
• 2) Islam: do not believe in idol worship.
Prophet Mohammed – greatest prophet.
sacred book- Koran
5 primary duties of a devout
Muslim are:-
• 1.Belief in Allah
• 2.Pray five times a day
• 3.Giving alms
• 4.Ramzan fasting
• 5.Pilgrimage to mecca
3) CHRISTIANITY:
IN India – after Portuguese invaded Goa in 16th
century, British in 17th Century.

Ten commandments of there lord –

1) You shall gave no other God before me.
2) You shall not take the name of God in vain.
3) Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep holy.
4) Honour your father and your mother.
5) You shall not murder.
6) You shall not commit adultery.
7) You shall not steal.
8) You shall not bear false witness
against your neighbour.
9) You shall not covet your neighbours wife.
10) You shall not covet anything that belongs to
your neighbour.
Sikhism: Founder Guru Nanak.

Later 9 Gurus – preached against hypocrisy

in religion.

Holy book Guru Granth Sahib.

Religious symbols - 5 K’s:

1.Kesh
2.Kangha
3.Kara
4.Kirpan
5.Kaccha
5) Buddhism:
Follow teachings – Lord Gautam Buddha.
85% Buddhist in India – Maharashtra.
Hinayan, Mahayana – 2 major schools of
thoughts in Buddhism.
Aim – attain Nirvana – enlightenment by overcoming the rounds of
rebirth & experiencing bliss.

Four noble truths –

1.All existence is dukkha-life is full of struggle

2.The cause of dukkha is craving - desire

3.The cessation of dukkha comes with cessation of craving – removal

of desire leads to removal of sorrow.

4.There is a path that leads from dukkha – 8 fold path to remove

sorrow & attain Nirvana
The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path -

1) Right path

2) Right intention

3) Right speech

4) Right action

5) Right livelihood

6) Right effort

7) Right mindfulness

8) Right concentration
6) Jainism:
Followers in Maharashtra, Gujarat & Rajasthan.
Follow- teaching of Lord Mahavira – 24th Tirthankar
Book – agamas.
2 sects – Digambar & Shvetambar.
3 guiding principles – 3 Jewels.
• Right Perception (Samyak Darshan)
• Right Knowledge (Samyak Jnana)
• Right Conduct (Samyak Chitra)

For spiritual development – 5 main vows.

Five vows:
1.Ahimsa
2.Asteya
3.Satya
4.Brahamcharya
5.Aparigraha
7) Judaism :

It is the religion, philosophy is a way of life.

Based on laws & commandments that God

revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Holy book – Torah (5 sets of books of Moses)

Jews are Religious minority – 50 % live

Manipur and Mizoram & 25% in Mumbai.

1st foreign religion to arrive in India.

8) Zoroastrianism / Parsees:
Follow teachings of Zoroaster.
Holy book- Zend Avesta
Belief – afterlife & Continuous struggle of the universal spirit of good
versus evil.
Parsees – minority – located in Mumbai.
 CASTE WISE COMPOSITION OF POPULATION
Caste – social stratification
Integral part of hindu social organization.
Features found in other religious groups – Christianity,
Muslim & Sikhs.

Caste system based on original old Varna System – 4 groups

Bramhins, Kshastriyas, Vaishyas & Shudras.

Indian Constitution (Scheduled Caste) order 1950 lists 1108

castes.
Census – 16.6% - Scheduled Caste &
8.6% - Scheduled Tribe.
• Reasons for growth of caste system in India:
1) Influence of religion: Hindu Caste System – looked
upon as Divine Ordained Institution.
Belief in reincarnation & doctrine of Karma.
2) Static rural social structure: strengthened growth
of caste system.
3) Lack of education: in rural areas- growth of caste
system. Illiteracy – orthodox thinking & blindly
accept caste rules & restrictions.
4) Existence of many races – formation of strict laws regarding
discrimination.
Races made efforts to preserve its purity.

5) Rulers did not enforce uniform customs – recognised various

customs of different groups of people – encouraged caste system.

6) Hereditary occupations – in rural areas kept caste system alive.

7) Desire to dominate – upper caste – Brahmins over lower caste –

growth of caste system.

8) Other factors – desire of Brahmins to keep them pure, ancestor

worship, idea of exclusive family etc.
 GENDER WISE COMPOSITION OF POPULATION
Gender ratio – ratio of females to males in the country.
To understand the situation of women in the country.
In India – gender ration is skewed- male population is more.

2011Census report.

Male 623.7 million

Females 586.5 million
Total 1210.2 million
Analysis – 940 females to 1000 males.

Kerala highest gender ration – 1084 females to 1000 males

Haryana – lowest gender ratio 877 females to 1000 males.]
Reasons for skewed gender ratio:

• Preference for male child

• Practice of female feticide

• High infant mortality rate of females

• Malnutrition of females, especially among poor families.

• 1652 Languages Are There But Constitution
Recognised 22 Major Languages.
• Indo- Aryan Family : North And Western India-
Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati,punjabi, Sindhi
• Dravidian Family: Southern India- Kannada,
Malayalam, Tamil, Telgu
• Sino- Tibetan: North Bihar, North Bengal, And North
Assam- Sikkimese, Ladakhi, Sherpa, Bodo, Manipuri,
Tipra
• Austric: Munda Or Kol Group- Central, Eastern And
North- Eastern India- Khasi, Nicobarese, Santhali,
Mundari
States based on language basis:
States formed on basis of languages.
After independence – some states created on basis of
language –
Eg. Punjab – divided into Punjab and Haryana.
Maharashtra divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Official language of India:
Hindi official language English associate language – Official
Language Bill passed in Lok Sabha – 1963.
Hindi – principal official language – 1965.
Led to Anti – Hindi riot – Southern India – (Tamil Nadu)&
West Bengal – 1967
Official Languge of the States: Indian Constitution – allowed
State Legislature to recognize some language / s for intra
state official transactions.
• 29 States, 7 Union Territories.

• States differ – quality of people, culture &

resources.

• Some regions developed – Western &Southern

states – economic & social development

• Some regions backward – North – east regions

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES ARE :

1) LITERACY- High In Kerala(94%) Mizoram, Tripura And Goa

Low In Bihar(64%) Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan And
Jharkhand.

Female literacy - low – backward states – among poor –

reason – high birth rate

2) BIRTH RATE AND DEATH RATE- High Birth Rate In highly

populated & backward regions – Bihar, MP, Rajasthan & UP.

Southern States – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, AP – death

rate is high.
3) URBANIZATION- imbalance of urbanization of population.
Recent - urban population increased
Backward regions – slow growth of urban population.
Goa, Mizoram – high concentration of urban population
MP, Bihar – Low concentration of Urban population

4) POPULATON- 37% population – below poverty line.

Highest poverty – Orissa, Bihar & MP.
Low poverty – Goa, J&K & Punjab.
• 5) – low infrastructural
development - Transport, Banking, Communication Etc . –
Norther & Eastern States.
• 50% villages in India - BIMARU States (Bihar, MP, Rajasthan &
UP) – no proper roads.

– in all States.
• Over 10% In Most Literate States Of Kerala , Goa, and
Tamil Nadu.
• Poor States – Orrisa, Bihar, MP & UP – unemployment rates –
lower – labourers are exploited.

7) INDUSTRIALISATION – regional imbalance.

Good Progress - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu And
Karnataka.
Weak - Kerala And Andhra Pradesh & North eastern States.
8) INCOME INEQUALITIES- huge inequality – highly
populated States - Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and
UP – low wages in unorganized sector.

9) GENDER RATIO- In Favour Of Males.

Kerala - Females Out Number Males.
Haryana – worst State – gender ratio.
South States better in female-male ratio

10) LIFE EXPECTANCY- Biologically females live longer than

males.
Some states – female life expectancy – less than males -
Bihar, MP And UP.
Southern States – Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu &
Karnataka - high life expectancy for females.
 1) Social
12) Work heterogenity 2) Secondary
Participation relations
Rate

3) Social
11) Poverty
mobility

10) Media 4) Size of

Exposure population

9) Media 5) Location
Exposure Pattern

8) un-
7) 6) Literacy
employment
Occupation
 Common
territory
Status of Common
women name

Caste system Common

language
TRIBAL
Common
Occupation
culture

Religion Endogamous
group
Regional
concentration
 Pride in cultural heritage
Inter- culture influence
Communal harmony
Rich taste of diverse cultures
Promotes humanistic values at workplace
Exchange of innovative ideas