GS Ghurye liberated the study of Indian society from the colonial biases and laid the true foundation of the discipline of sociology in India. Substantiate this statement.

• Isolated and self sufficient villages
• No difference between caste and tribes. castes are tribes living in plains only.
• Indian society represents a closed system or hierarchy.

Most of the British scholars even never visited India and had very stereotypical understanding of India. Hence their study was based on colonial biases.

Ghurye refuted the earlier Colonial biased view of Indian society. He combined Indology with field study and came up with his own understanding of society.

He advocated that Indian society is unique; hence methods to study Indian society should be different from western ones. He saw Indian cultures as ingrained in the Hindu culture.

Ghurye advocated that Indian villages are not self sufficient. Villages have connections to wider society of India. MN Srinivas also support this view.

In his book "Schedule Tribes", he said tribes are nothing but underdeveloped Hindus. He also advocated to complete Hinduisation of tribes for their development.

In his book "race and caste in India", 1932, he advocated that caste system is based on values and once values of a caste or individual improved, his mobility was possible. For example - Valmiki achieved status of a Brahmin.

However the views of Ghurye are criticised by many sociologists. (1) MN Srinivas : caste system is more dynamic as considered by Ghurye. (2) Beteille : Ghurye's understanding of Indian society is confusing. (3) His views are textual and from upper caste perspective. (4) He failed to see structural aspects of Indian society and focussed only on cultural aspects.