Question

The institution of gotra appeared in the ______________
a. Rig Vedic period
b. Later Vedic period
c. Period of the Manava Dharma Shastra
d. Period of the consolidation of the text of the Mahabharata.

Answer 1

Hint: This applies to persons on the side of their father that are children of a shared ancestor. It means belonging to the same family or family group.

Complete step by step answer:
The beginnings of Gotra lie in the Rigvedic period.
Gotra could be translated as the lineage or the clan to which an individual belongs in the Hindu tradition. Gotra could be translated as the lineage or the clan to which an individual belongs in the Hindu tradition. Girls belong to their father's gotra, as long as they stay in their father's house. They join their husband's gotra upon marriage. Thus in the case of the male head of the household, gotra is generally the lineage related to that is successively passed on through the male heirs.
Originally, Gotra applied to the Brahmans' (priests') seven lineage divisions, which trace their derivation from seven ancient seers: Atri, Bharadvaja, Bhrigu, Gotama, Kashyapa, Vasishtha, and Vishvamitra. Later on, an eighth gotra was introduced, the Agastya, named after the seer closely identified with the propagation of Southern India's Vedic Hinduism.
In general, the gotra forms an exogamous unit, with marriage being forbidden by the tradition within the same gotra, known as incest. The gotra name can be used as a surname, but it varies from a surname and is specifically held because of its meaning for Hindu marriages. By nature or occupation, all members of a given gotra are assumed to possess some similar characteristics. To clarify this method, several hypotheses have been propounded. In line with Vedic concepts.

So, the correct answer is Option :

Note: The origin of Gotra lies in the Rigvedic period. Cow-pen, or the place to house the animals, is its literal sense. The cow was considered the most valuable wealth during the Vedic period and people closely linked to each other used to hold them in the same place. These individuals founded the same Gotra and they followed stringent rules concerning marriages between them. People who belonged to the same Gotra were not allowed to marry each other.