Solution : During the colonial period, the institution of caste underwent significant changes.
Caste’s current standing in India is a result of colonization rather than traditional Indian culture.
The British authorities attempted to comprehend the nuances of caste in order to better grasp how to manage the country.
The census was the most important official endeavor to collect caste information. It all started in the 1860s.
The 1901 census, directed by Herbert Risley, was particularly significant since it intended to collect information on the social hierarchy of caste, i.e. the social order of precedence in certain regions, as well as the rank order of each caste.
In India, the counting of caste and the formal recording of caste made the caste identity institution more strict.
The upper caste’s caste-based rights were given legal status through land revenue settlements and regulations.
Large-scale irrigation schemes were complemented by population settlement operations, which included a caste component.
As a result of colonialism, the institution of caste underwent significant alterations. In summary, the British took the lead in the following areas:
(i) Census—to ensure that the number and sizes of castes and sub-castes are accurate.
(ii) To comprehend the values, beliefs, and customs of various social groups.
(iii) Land settlement.