ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the various structures and relationships that must be developed before the game of life actually gets under way. In terms of world view, each jati is thought of as having a distinctive role in social life, and the perfect functioning of a village, region, or nation arises in the fulfillment of such roles. Throughout South India, village houses reflect the available materials and special features of the environment. The hierarchical arrangement of brothers, the division of functions among them, and the balance of power between a headman and a council are characteristic of many other aspects of village organization. The organization of any particular village depends on the kinds of jatis and classes that are present as well as on its unique local ecology. In terms of both dharma and economic reality, the primary ecological relationships of the South Indian village involve the agricultural activities by means of which it supports itself.
