Observation

This was a fairly popular question and was attempted by many candidates. A number of the candidates were able to answer and score good marks while few of them advanced irrelevant points. In order to get good grade, candidates were expected to highlight the following points.

(i)         Age grades were organized from boyhood to adulthood who shared the same age bracket.
(ii)        They were gender segregated.           
(iii)       They were organized on village basis.
(iv)       They had leaders.
(v)        Age grades carried out initiation ceremonies.
(vi)       They engaged in communal services.
(vii)      They also served as community police/ vigilante in their various villages.

(viii)      The senior age grades enforced the elders’ decisions.

(ix)        They defended the communities against internal and external aggression.