Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is a factual question asking to identify the sociologist who coined and developed the concept of 'Sanskritization'.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The concept of Sanskritization was propounded by the eminent Indian sociologist M. N. Srinivas.
- He introduced this concept to describe the process by which a 'low' Hindu caste or tribal group changes its customs, rituals, ideology, and way of life in the direction of a high, and frequently, 'twice-born' caste.
- It is a form of cultural mobility aimed at achieving a higher status in the local caste hierarchy. Srinivas developed this concept through his intensive fieldwork in villages in South India.
Step 3: Final Answer:
M. N. Srinivas propounded the concept of Sanskritization.