Q: Critically examine GS Ghurye’s Indological approach to the understanding of Indian society.

Model Answer:

GS Ghurye: Indological Approach to Indian Society

G.S. Ghurye’s Indological approach to understanding Indian society involved extensively analyzing classical literature, such as the Vedas, Shastras, epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the poetry of Kalidasa or Bhavabhuti, to gain insights into social and cultural life. He quoted from these works to illuminate social institutions, values, norms, and practices.

The strengths of this approach include:

1. Providing a rich historical and cultural context to understand the origins and evolution of various social institutions and practices, like the caste system and gotra exogamy in Hindu marriage.
2. Uncovering the ideals, values, and moral codes that shaped Indian society over centuries, as depicted in the detailed descriptions of social roles, familial duties, and ethical guidelines in the epics.
3. Enabling a comparative analysis of social life across different periods of Indian history by tracing continuities and changes in the portrayal of social institutions from ancient to later texts.

However, there are limitations and potential issues with an over-reliance on the Indological approach:

1. Ancient and classical literature may not accurately represent the lived reality and actual practices in society, as there can be gaps between scriptural ideals and how society actually functioned on the ground in different regions or periods.

2. Focusing primarily on Sanskrit literature risks neglecting the diversity of regional, vernacular, and folk traditions, such as Tamil Sangam literature or regional folk tales, which might provide different perspectives on social life.

3. An Indological approach needs to be complemented with field-based empirical studies to validate textual insights against ground realities. Ghurye himself conducted a survey on the sex habits of middle-class people in Bombay and studied the Mahadev Kolis tribe, indicating he saw this need.

4. Literature analysis requires carefully considering the social context and biases of the authors, often upper-caste men, to avoid uncritically accepting their worldview, especially on sensitive topics like caste, which risks justifying traditional hierarchies and inequities.

In conclusion, while Ghurye’s Indological approach provided valuable insights, it has limitations that necessitate combining it with other sociological and anthropological methods for a holistic understanding.