Question

Much before M. N. Srinivas’s concept of ‘sanskritisation’, which of the following scholar(s) framed caste as a process of imitation and social closure?

• A. B. R. Ambedkar
• B. Irawati Karve
• C. Radhakamal Mukerjee
• D. Herbert Risley

Hint:

Ambedkar’s approach to caste was based on the view that caste was a system of exclusion, where lower castes imitated higher castes but were still not able to break free from the social constraints imposed by the caste system.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding caste as a process of imitation and social closure. 
Before M. N. Srinivas’s concept of 'sanskritisation', B. R. Ambedkar viewed caste as a system of social oppression and imitation, where lower castes attempted to mimic higher castes in hopes of achieving social mobility, but were still denied true equality due to social closure. 
Step 2: Analyze each option. 
(A) Correct. B. R. Ambedkar critiqued caste as a social system that created barriers to social mobility, including imitation of higher caste practices while maintaining structural inequality.
(B) Incorrect. Irawati Karve, while an important scholar on caste, did not focus on the idea of imitation and social closure in the same way as Ambedkar. 
(C) Incorrect. Radhakamal Mukerjee did not frame caste primarily as a process of imitation.
(D) Incorrect. Herbert Risley studied caste from an anthropological perspective, focusing more on caste classifications and less on imitation as a concept.