A State is an organised political system based on rules and laws . The chapter lists what it includes: well-defined rights and duties of rulers and subjects; mechanisms of governance ; institutions for enforcing law and order. From a historical point of view, such political systems developed gradually as societies became larger and more complex. That is why historians study early sources — to understand how forms of governance and political authority evolved over time. Society State Held together by Shared territory, culture and a sense of belonging Rules and laws Regulated mainly by Customs and practices Formal law , with institutions to enforce it Built from Families, institutions such as marriage, customs Defined rights and duties, governance mechanisms, enforcement institutions Appears Wherever large groups live together Gradually, as societies become larger and more complex Tip: keep the pair straight with one line — society is what people share; the State is what people are governed by. The chapter's whole argument is that in early India the second grew out of the first.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9th Social Science Chapter 5 Understanding Early Indian State and Society — In-text Questions

Book page 97 Updated on2026-09-08

Q1.

Before examining these systems, however, let us first explore a fundamental question—what is society?

Answer

A society is a system of social relationships among individuals who share a common territory, culture, and a shared sense of belonging.

The chapter breaks that definition into three parts:

Structural units — families or households.
Institutions — marriage, for example.
Customs — which provide the framework for individual and social life.

The single most important feature, the chapter says, is that society is primarily regulated by customs and practices rather than formal laws.

Why the definition begins with sharing: whenever large groups of people live together, certain rules and shared norms evolve over time to maintain order and harmony. Those rules bind different social groups into a unified whole — a 'system' that helps organise and govern people effectively. Society is not just a crowd in one place; it is a crowd held together by things its members hold in common.

Q2.

And what is a State?

Answer

A State is an organised political system based on rules and laws.

The chapter lists what it includes:

well-defined rights and duties of rulers and subjects;
mechanisms of governance;
institutions for enforcing law and order.

From a historical point of view, such political systems developed gradually as societies became larger and more complex. That is why historians study early sources — to understand how forms of governance and political authority evolved over time.

	Society	State
Held together by	Shared territory, culture and a sense of belonging	Rules and laws
Regulated mainly by	Customs and practices	Formal law, with institutions to enforce it
Built from	Families, institutions such as marriage, customs	Defined rights and duties, governance mechanisms, enforcement institutions
Appears	Wherever large groups live together	Gradually, as societies become larger and more complex

Tip: keep the pair straight with one line — society is what people share; the State is what people are governed by. The chapter's whole argument is that in early India the second grew out of the first.

Was this helpful? Report an error