M. N. Srinivas

M. N. Srinivas was a prominent Indian anthropologist known for his work on the caste system and social change in India. He introduced the concept of "Sanskritization," which describes the process by which lower-caste groups adopt the customs, rituals, and beliefs of higher castes, particularly Brahmins, in an effort to improve their social status.12

Srinivas's research also highlighted the complexities of the caste system, which is characterized by hereditary, endogamous social groups often linked to occupation. While the traditional four-tiered varna system provides an ideological framework, the reality of caste in India is more accurately represented by numerous local jatis. His work has been instrumental in understanding the dynamics of social mobility and cultural assimilation within traditional Indian societies.3