Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization

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1.1 Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization—Prehistoric (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Neolithic-Chalcolithic), Protohistoric (Indus Civilization). Pre-Harappan, Harappan and post-Harappan cultures. Contributions of the tribal cultures to Indian civilization.

2025

Section a · 1. · Paper Q1(a) · 2025 · 10 marks · Solution

'Soanian cultural' tradition

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Section b · 2. · Paper Q1(b) · 2025 · 10 marks · Solution

Caste domination, factionalism and political power

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Section d · 3. · Paper Q1(d) · 2025 · 10 marks · Solution

Verrier Elwin's philosophy with respect to Arunachal Pradesh

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Section b · 4. · Paper Q2(b) · 2025 · 15 marks · Solution

Delineate the major features of S. S. Sarkar's classification of Indian populations. Was his classification better than Risley? Explain

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Section a · 5. · Paper Q3(a) · 2025 · 20 marks · Solution

Describe the distinctive features and distribution of Upper Palaeolithic of India

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Section c · 6. · Paper Q4(c) · 2025 · 15 marks · Solution

Critically examine the concept of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and mention the limitations of administrator's criteria

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Section c · 7. · Paper Q5(c) · 2025 · 10 marks · Solution

Tribalism and Pseudotribalism

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Section d · 8. · Paper Q5(d) · 2025 · 10 marks · Solution

Varnashrama and its contemporary relevance

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Section e · 9. · Paper Q5(e) · 2025 · 10 marks · Solution

Lothal dockyard and international trade relations.

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Section a · 10. · Paper Q6(a) · 2025 · 20 marks · Solution

"The village was not merely a place where people lived; it had a design in which were reflected the basic values of Indian civilization." Who said this? Elaborate

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Section c · 11. · Paper Q6(c) · 2025 · 15 marks · Solution

Trace the history and describe the methods of formulating the lists of OBCs, both at the State and National levels

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2024

Section a · 12. · Paper Q1(a) · 2024 · 10 marks · Solution

Digitisation of rural economy

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Section b · 13. · Paper Q1(b) · 2024 · 10 marks · Solution

Origin of State Societies

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Section c · 14. · Paper Q1(c) · 2024 · 10 marks · Solution

Syro-Malabar Christians

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Section d · 15. · Paper Q1(d) · 2024 · 10 marks · Solution

Artisan tribes of Jharkhand

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Section e · 16. · Paper Q1(e) · 2024 · 10 marks · Solution

Causes of stunting and wasting among tribal children.

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Section b · 17. · Paper Q2(b) · 2024 · 15 marks · Solution

How is PESA Act empowering local self-governance and impacting women's political participation?

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Section a · 18. · Paper Q3(a) · 2024 · 20 marks · Solution

Critically describe evidences from Rakhi Garhi and its linkages to Harappan civilization.

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Section a · 19. · Paper Q5(a) · 2024 · 10 marks · Solution

B.K. Roy Burman's concept of 'Buffer Zone'

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Section c · 20. · Paper Q5(c) · 2024 · 10 marks · Solution

Agricultural practices of the Apatani

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Section d · 21. · Paper Q5(d) · 2024 · 10 marks · Solution

Status of Sixth Schedule Areas

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Section b · 22. · Paper Q6(b) · 2024 · 15 marks · Solution

Elucidate the difference between secularism, religiosity, religious fundamentalism, and spiritualism from an anthropological perspective.

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Section c · 23. · Paper Q6(c) · 2024 · 15 marks · Solution

Discuss the contribution of P.K. Bhowmick in decriminalising the status of the Lodha tribe.

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Section a · 24. · Paper Q7(a) · 2024 · 20 marks · Solution

Critically examine existing paradigms of holistic health for the marginalized sections of society drawing inferences from COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section c · 25. · Paper Q7(c) · 2024 · 15 marks · Solution

Elucidate the resurgence of ethno-nationalism from an anthropological lens.

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2023

Section a · 26. · Paper Q1(a) · 2023 · 10 marks · Solution

Material culture and archaeology

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Section b · 27. · Paper Q1(b) · 2023 · 10 marks · Solution

Interface between Purushartha and Ashrama

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Section d · 28. · Paper Q1(d) · 2023 · 10 marks · Solution

Prehistoric rock arts from Uttarakhand

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Section b · 29. · Paper Q2(b) · 2023 · 15 marks · Solution

"Indus Valley was the first settlement of the big civilization." Comment critically.

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Section b · 30. · Paper Q3(b) · 2023 · 15 marks · Solution

Was Mesolithic culture the first step towards a sedentary way of life? Illustrate your answer by citing suitable examples.

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Section b · 31. · Paper Q4(b) · 2023 · 15 marks · Solution

Critically compare Risley's and Sarkar's approaches to the classification of peoples of India.

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Section a · 32. · Paper Q5(a) · 2023 · 10 marks · Solution

Scheduled areas

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Section c · 33. · Paper Q5(c) · 2023 · 10 marks · Solution

Village as little republic

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Section d · 34. · Paper Q5(d) · 2023 · 10 marks · Solution

Dravidian language and their subgroups

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Section c · 35. · Paper Q6(c) · 2023 · 15 marks · Solution

"Siwalik deposits show a variety of Neogene fossil primates." Critically examine.

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2022

Section a · 36. · Paper Q1(a) · 2022 · 10 marks · Solution

Pit-dwellers of Kashmir

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Section b · 37. · Paper Q1(b) · 2022 · 10 marks · Solution

Varna and Buddhism

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Section c · 38. · Paper Q1(c) · 2022 · 10 marks · Solution

Dharma versus Religion

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Section e · 39. · Paper Q1(e) · 2022 · 10 marks · Solution

Westernisation and Modernisation.

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Section c · 40. · Paper Q3(c) · 2022 · 15 marks · Solution

Describe the methods adopted by Sir Herbert Hope Risley in classifying Indian populations. What are the criticisms against Risley's classification?

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Section b · 41. · Paper Q4(b) · 2022 · 15 marks · Solution

Describe briefly the proto-history of Gujarat. Discuss the significance of Gujarat's proto-history in international trade

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Section c · 42. · Paper Q4(c) · 2022 · 15 marks · Solution

Critically examine Indigenisation of Christianity in India

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Section a · 43. · Paper Q5(a) · 2022 · 10 marks · Solution

Regionalism as an opportunity and threat to national integration

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Section b · 44. · Paper Q5(b) · 2022 · 10 marks · Solution

Issues of tribal agricultural labourers

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Section c · 45. · Paper Q5(c) · 2022 · 10 marks · Solution

Major problems of nomadic and semi-nomadic groups

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Section e · 46. · Paper Q5(e) · 2022 · 10 marks · Solution

Austroasiatic languages.

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Section b · 47. · Paper Q6(b) · 2022 · 15 marks · Solution

Compare the functioning of traditional Tribal Council with that of Gram Sabha under PESA

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Section c · 48. · Paper Q6(c) · 2022 · 15 marks · Solution

Explain how British policies impacted the major resources of the tribals

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Section c · 49. · Paper Q8(c) · 2022 · 15 marks · Solution

How can a balance be struck between livelihood concern and environmental degradation in the context of shifting cultivation?

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2021

Section a · 50. · Paper Q1(a) · 2021 · 10 marks · Solution

Purushartha and righteous living today

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Section c · 51. · Paper Q1(c) · 2021 · 10 marks · Solution

Harappan seals

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Section e · 52. · Paper Q1(e) · 2021 · 10 marks · Solution

Factionalism and politics in rural India.

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Section a · 53. · Paper Q2(a) · 2021 · 20 marks · Solution

Critically discuss the origin of Indus Valley Civilization. Mention the evidences of its endogenous origin from the pre-Harappan sites

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Section b · 54. · Paper Q3(b) · 2021 · 15 marks · Solution

Examine the contributions of S. C. Roy in highlighting the role of customary laws in tribal life

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Section a · 55. · Paper Q4(a) · 2021 · 20 marks · Solution

Discuss the contributions of N. K. Bose in understanding tribal communities and their place in Indian civilization

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Section c · 56. · Paper Q5(c) · 2021 · 10 marks · Solution

Cultural diversity and multiculturalism

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Section d · 57. · Paper Q5(d) · 2021 · 10 marks · Solution

Concept of tribe and Indian census

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Section e · 58. · Paper Q5(e) · 2021 · 10 marks · Solution

Politics of recognition and deprivation.

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Section c · 59. · Paper Q7(c) · 2021 · 15 marks · Solution

Discuss the interventions made by the Non-Governmental Organizations for empowering tribal women

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2016

Section a · 60. · Paper Q1(a) · 2016 · 10 marks · Solution

Significance of Mesolithic findings from Belan Valley

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Section b · 61. · Paper Q3(b) · 2016 · 15 marks · Solution

Give a critical assessment of 'Negrito Problem' in India

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Section a · 62. · Paper Q4(a) · 2016 · 20 marks · Solution

Give a detailed appraisal of skeletal remains from Chalcolithic culture of undivided Punjab

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Section c · 63. · Paper Q5(c) · 2016 · 10 marks · Solution

Impact of industrialization on scheduled tribe population of Jharkhand

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Section d · 64. · Paper Q5(d) · 2016 · 10 marks · Solution

Tribe as a colonial construct

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2015

Section a · 65. · Paper Q1(a) · 2015 · 10 marks · Solution

Relevance of tribal Panchsheel today

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Section b · 66. · Paper Q1(b) · 2015 · 10 marks · Solution

Sacred complex as a dimension of Indian civilization

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Section c · 67. · Paper Q1(c) · 2015 · 10 marks · Solution

South Indian Paleoliths

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Section c · 68. · Paper Q3(c) · 2015 · 15 marks · Solution

Describe the paleoanthropological fossil finds from Siwalik hills. Examine the contribution of Siwalik fossils to paleoanthropological knowledge

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Section a · 69. · Paper Q5(a) · 2015 · 10 marks · Solution

Prehistoric Rock Art of Central India

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Section b · 70. · Paper Q5(b) · 2015 · 10 marks · Solution

Islam and Matriliny

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Section c · 71. · Paper Q5(c) · 2015 · 10 marks · Solution

Socioeconomic characteristics of shifting cultivators

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Section d · 72. · Paper Q5(d) · 2015 · 10 marks · Solution

Elwin-Ghurye Debate on Tribes

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Section c · 73. · Paper Q6(c) · 2015 · 15 marks · Solution

Discuss the significance of Harappan Civilization sites from India

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Short notes

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Evolution Of The Indian Culture And Civilization

Definition

Culture refers to the intangible aspects of life such as values, beliefs, norms, and ways of thinking.
Thinkers

Bronislaw Malinowski | Fieldwork; Cultural Anthropology Franz Boas | Cultural Anthropology; Historical Particularism Benjamin Lee Whorf | Linguistic Relativity
Definition

Culture refers to the intangible aspects of life such as values, beliefs, norms, and ways of thinking.
Definition

The primary limitation of this method is its material specificity; it can only be applied to the limited number of minerals and volcanic glasses that contain Uranium-238 and have the structural integrity to maintain tracks over millions of years. Additionally, because it is an absolute method, it requires sophisticated laboratory equipment and nuclear irradiation to be carried out effectively.
Example / case study

Obsidian glass used by Neolithic Mexico.
Definition

Culture refers to the intangible aspects of life such as values, beliefs, norms, and ways of thinking.
Thinkers

Bronislaw Malinowski | Fieldwork; Cultural Anthropology Franz Boas | Cultural Anthropology; Historical Particularism Benjamin Lee Whorf | Linguistic Relativity
Definition

The primary limitation of this method is its material specificity; it can only be applied to the limited number of minerals and volcanic glasses that contain Uranium-238 and have the structural integrity to maintain tracks over millions of years. Additionally, because it is an absolute method, it requires sophisticated laboratory equipment and nuclear irradiation to be carried out effectively.
Example / case study

Obsidian glass used by Neolithic Mexico.
Definition

Culture refers to the intangible aspects of life such as values, beliefs, norms, and ways of thinking.
Thinkers

Bronislaw Malinowski | Fieldwork; Cultural Anthropology Franz Boas | Cultural Anthropology; Historical Particularism Benjamin Lee Whorf | Linguistic Relativity
Definition

Culture refers to the intangible aspects of life such as values, beliefs, norms, and ways of thinking.
Thinkers

Bronislaw Malinowski | Fieldwork; Cultural Anthropology Franz Boas | Cultural Anthropology; Historical Particularism Benjamin Lee Whorf | Linguistic Relativity

Short notes for this Anthropology syllabus heading.