International Journal of Advance and Applied Research

www.ijaar.co.in
ISSN – 2347-7075 Impact Factor – 7.328
Peer Reviewed Bi-Monthly
Vol.11 No.4 March – April 2024
Role of Humanities in Indian Society: Contemporary Issues and
Challenges
Mr. Prithviraj Rajendra Kadam
M.A. (Economics), Smt. K.W. College, Sangli.
Corresponding Author - Mr. Prithviraj Rajendra Kadam
DOI - 10.5281/zenodo.10872418

Abstract:
India offers astounding variety in every aspect of Social life. With ethnic, linguistic,
regional, economic, religious, class, and caste diversity, Indian Society is also permeated
with immense urban-rural differences and gender distinctions. Differences between north
India and south India are significant. It is more like an area as varied as Europe than any
other single nation-state. Adding further variety to Contemporary Indian Culture are rapidly
occurring changes affecting various regions and Socio-economic groups in disparate ways.
Despite these complexities of Indian Society, there is co-existence with harmony and order.
Intention of this paper is to highlight different stages of Indian Society throughout the History
of India and how it has been shaped by major events.
Keywords: Social Life, Diversity, Socioeconomic Change, Co-existence, Harmony and
Order.

Introduction: History of Indian Society:

When studying the History of While studying the History of
Indian Society, we need to refer to Indian Society we will look at it in three
documents such as government different phases. They are Ancient,
documents, archaeological surveys, and Medieval and Modern.
accounts of ancient traveler’s and the
culture of the Society. And if you wonder Ancient India:
why you should study the History of The study of Ancient India History
Indian Society, the answer is simple. To is important for several reasons. It tells us
know where we came from so that we can how, when and where people developed
figure out where we went to go. That is earliest culture in out country. It indicates
how challenges and issues that are present how they started agriculture which made
for a long time and those that are life secured and settled. It shows hold the
contemporary can be mitigated. Indian Ancient Indians discovered and utilized
Society is result of different cultures and natural resources and how they created the
religions which makes it complex yet means for their livelihood.
divers.

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The food gathering society of increasingly paid not in cash but by
Paleolithic age was succeeded by the food assigning to them revenue-bearing
producing society of Neolithic and villages. Others were defeated rajas and
Chalcolithic communities. Eventually the their supporters, who continued to enjoy
Peasant communities developed into the the revenue of limited areas. Sti others
Harappan urban societies. Then we have a were local hereditary chiefs or military
break followed by a society of horse users adventurers who had carved out a sphere
and cattle-herders. The Rig Vedia of authority with the help of armed
indicates a social formation which was supporters. Still others were tribal or clan
largely pastoral and tribal. The pastoral leaders. The actual position of these
society became agricultural in later Vedic sections varied. Some of them where only
times, but it's primitive agriculture did not the village chiefs, some of them dominated
yield much, and so the rulers could not get a tract comprising a number of villages,
much at the cost of the peasant. The class- while a few dominated an entire region.
divided society comes into full view in They constantly contended against each
post-Vedic times. It came to be known as other, and tried to enhance their sphere of
varna system. This social organization authority and privileges.
rested on the producing activities of the In the field of social life, the cast
vaishyas supplemented by those of the system continued to dominate, despite the
shudras. By and large, the social system challenges posted to it by Islam and loss of
worked well from the age of the Buddha to political power by the Rajput rulers who
Gupta times. Then it underwent a change were duty bound to protect dharma, which
on account of internal upheavals. Priests implied among other things, the upholding
and officials began to be granted lands for of the four fold division of society.
maintenance, and gradually there emerged Although the Nath Panti Jogis and the
a class of landlords between the peasants Bhakti saints vehemently criticized the
and the state. This undermined the position caste system, they could hardly make a
of the vaishyas and caused modification in dent in it. A tacit agreement was arrived at
the varna system. in course of time. The criticism of the
caste system by saints did not, with some
Medieval India: notable exceptions, extend to day-to-day
A number of important changes or secular life. While the Brahmans
took place in Indian Society during this acquisition in the advocacy of the path of
period. One of these was the growing devotion as the way for salvation for all
Power of a class of people who were casts, especially for the shorts. However,
variously called samanta, ranak, rautta the Brahmans continue to claim a
(rajput), etc., by the contemporary writers. privileged position for themselves,
Their origin were very different. Some including the exclusive right to break an
were government officers who were educate.

Mr. Prithviraj Rajendra Kadam

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Modern India:  Illiteracy presents another
The presence of a colonial challenge. Although free education
government on Indian soil was a complex for all is offered, not everyone is
yet decisive phase in Modern Indian able to free themselves from the
History. Indian Society was caught in a jaws of Illiteracy because of
vicious entanglement of religious structural and social conditions.
superstition and social obscurantism. The  Infrastructure is being developed at
position of women was distressing. a rapid rate but has not reached
Casteism sought to maintain a system of every corner of the country yet.
segregation, hierarchically ordained on the  Healthcare is being made
basis of ritual status. During this time, affordable by the government for
there was a section enlightened Indians all. But not every component of
started to come forth for the betterment of Society is being benefited by it.
Society due to spread of education and Healthcare still remains a challenge
increased awareness of the world. The for different parts of the country.
middle class and western educated  Sanitation is a basic necessity of
intellectuals started chain of Social human life. Having a clean living
Reforms. environment is essential for healthy
Contemporary Issues and Challenges: population. But the issue of
We have seen how today's Indian cleanliness, even in large cities,
Society has been shaped throughout the remains a challenge to be dealt
History. Now we will take a look at some with.
Issues and Challenges faced by Indian  •Agricultural Distress refers to
Society. the economic and social challenges
 Unemployment is a major problem faced by farmers and rural
for a Society of this scale. India has communities due to factors such
the largest number of youth but as low crop yields, fluctuating
lacks sufficient jobs for the prices of agricultural produce, high
workable population. input costs, and indebtedness.
 Education System has not changed  Environmental Issues such as air
in decades. A wide gap between pollution, water pollution, food and
academic education and practical water shortage, waste management
education exists that leads to and bio diversity loss pose a major
educated yet unqualified challenge to the Society.
candidates. The New Education  Digital Divide between urban and
Policy 2020 is an attempt by the rural ares is a major issue for a
government to change this Society that aims towards a digital
scenario. world.

Mr. Prithviraj Rajendra Kadam

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 Cast System presents a challenge References:
that has plagued Indian Society 1. K.Sharma.(2015).,History and
since the ancient times that devices Culture of India, Ritu Publication,
people on the basis of their cast for Jaipur,
the sake of hierarchy in the Social 2. Patel Mukesh. (2018), Ancient
structure. India, Paradise Publication, New
Delhi,
Conclusion: 3. Patel Mukesh.(2019), Medieval
Being one of the oldest Societies in India, Paradise Publication, New
human History, Indian Society has come Delhi,
far. Yet it faces many challenges and 4. Kapoor Shobha.(2020),History of
issues that are needed to be fixed. Some India and Contemporary World,
challenges have been there for millennia Arise Publication, New Delhi,
and some are contemporary, that come 5. https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php
forth with increasing need to mitigate 6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histo
them. The part of the humanities with ry_of_India
respect to social legacy is additionally 7. Kothari C.R., Research
exceptionally important, but it ought to be Methodology: Methods and
dealt with care. As has long been the case, Techniques, New Age International
political weights can lead to mishandle of Pub Ltd, New Delhi
scholarly benchmarks in this space 8. Gopikuttan A and Vijay Kumar,
Research @ Library and
Information Science, Ess Ess Pub,
New Delhi

Mr. Prithviraj Rajendra Kadam

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