GROWTH OF SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN INDIA- THE COLONIAL HERITAGE
Relevant for Sociology Paper-I: Modernity & Social changes in Europe and Emergence of Sociology
The expansion of western capitalism and imperialism together with its attendant ideas and concepts faced a setback in the traditional societies which they colonized. The confrontation between the two types of societies, their institutions and values were most intense in colonies like India having a strong sense of cultural identity. The encounter eventually led to the fruitful exchanges but of unequal type and these finally resulted into the decolonization and after independence India embarked on the road of modernization through planned development. The encounter between the tradition and modernity in the Indian setting was mediated by the civil servants in the colonial administration.
Indian society and culture were totally unfamiliar to the colonial authorities. The structural aspects of castes, religious sects and their practices, the tribal world, linguistic diversities, the village communities and land tenure systems in India, all presented bewildering diversity. They were too complex to be comprehended by using the relatively simpler concepts and analytical tools drawn from the historical experiences of the Western European societies. The colonial administration faced – severe problems in such situation. Inadequate and inaccurate understanding of local customs and traditions, misjudgement about different institutional arrangements were sufficient to disturb peace and order. For example; failure to fully appreciate the traditional social system of land tenure resulted in a number of agrarian disturbances and revolts. Placed in such a situation, the colonial administration found sociology and social anthropology very useful instruments of colonial dominance. Thus sociology and social anthropology found much of their impetus in the contribution they could make to the smooth running of colonial administration in India.
Indigenous Social Thought and Renaissance
This is not to suggest that there were no Indian attempts to understand and interpret the complexities of the Indian tradition. The western contacts and the exposure of Indian society to the forces of modernization resulted in what may be said Indian renaissance in the 19th century. Religious and social reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy, K.C. Sen, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Ramkrishna Paramhansa and Vivekananda, Dada Bhai Naoroji, B.G., Tilak, M.G. Ranade etc. endeavoured to understand systematically different structural and cultural peculiarities of Indian society and tried to solve the problems Indian society faced within the framework of the British rule. Ramkrishna Mukherjee has characterised them as pre-sociological reference groups of Indian sociology and social anthropology.
However, the indigenous pre-socio-logical, intellectual tradition influenced the later development of Indian sociology and social anthropology only marginally. The twin disciplines were greatly influenced by the pioneering works of scholar administrators. Their studies on Indian society and culture focussed more on cultural diversities than on its unity. This conceptual framework was emulated by pioneers of Indian sociology consciously or unconsciously.
However, the common struggle against the British rule served to unite the many diversities of India. The Indian national movement helped to develop a sense of national identity and self-consciousness among laymen and intellectuals alike. The scholars and political leaders and reformers used western idioms and concepts. Such an approach created difficulties in understanding different structural and cultural features of Indian society. Modern sociology and social anthropology came to India as a complete package with a firm commitment to positivism which was not a part of Indian tradition. The tension generated by the adoption of western ideas and concepts later turned out to be a demand for Indian zing social sciences in general and sociology/social anthropology in particular.
Institutionalization: Pre-1950 phase
The institutionalization and professionalization of sociology and social anthropology in India have two clearly identifiable phases before 1950 and after. The pre-1950 phase was essentially a phase of multi-level synthesis. The twin-disciplines started their journey in Bombay, Calcutta and Lucknow Universities. Initially they were associated with economics, philosophy, political science or social work. In the University of Bombay they formed an integral part of the Bombay School of Economics and Sociology and in Delhi in late 1950s it was located in the Delhi School of Economics.
Depending upon their association with other disciplines, sociology and social anthropology enriched themselves by borrowing concepts, research tools, methodologies and themes of other social sciences.
The real phase of expansion of sociology and social anthropology began in 1952. Several factors account for a phenomenal expansion and growth of the twin disciplines in this phase. The policy makers of independent India pursued objectives of economic regeneration and social development, and they recognised the role of the social sciences in attaining the objectives of national reconstruction and development. Since the policy makers viewed education and development as interrelated, different branches of social sciences assumed importance and received impetus after 1950. The Government of India had officially undertaken programmes of planned development and sociology and social anthropology were seen as sources of possible expertise on ‘social aspects of development-its determinants and consequences’.
The growth in general awareness of the relevance of the twin disciplines for development and planning activities was reflected in the development grants for starting new departments or expanding existing university departments given by the University Grants Commission (UGC). This euphoria of development explains to a larger extent the institutionalization and expansion of sociology and social anthropology in Indian Universities after 1950.
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