Question

Who has given racial interpretation of origin of caste system ?

• A. Morgan
• B. Risley
• C. Nesfield
• D. Sachchidanand

Hint:

Associate key theories of caste origin with their main proponents: Racial Theory → Herbert Risley; Occupational Theory → Nesfield; Religious/Brahmanical Theory → G.S. Ghurye.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify the scholar who proposed the theory that the caste system in India originated from racial differences between invading Aryans and the indigenous populations.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Sir Herbert Hope Risley, a British colonial administrator and ethnographer, was the foremost proponent of the racial theory of caste.
- In his work, particularly "The People of India" (1908), Risley argued that caste originated from the encounter between the light-skinned, "Aryan" invaders and the dark-skinned, "Dravidian" natives.
- He used anthropometric measurements (like the nasal index) to classify Indian populations into different racial types and tried to correlate these physical features with caste hierarchy.
- Other scholars listed proposed different theories: J. C. Nesfield, for instance, argued for an occupational theory of caste.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Herbert Risley has given the racial interpretation of the origin of the caste system.