This insightful statement, "The village was not merely a place where people lived; it had a design in which were reflected the basic values of Indian civilization," was made by the American anthropologist McKim Marriott. He, along with other anthropologists like Oscar Lewis and M.N. Srinivas, significantly contributed to the understanding of Indian villages as self-contained, yet interconnected, social units.

Marriott's statement emphasizes that the Indian village was not just an arbitrary collection of dwellings but a structured entity, embodying the very essence of Indian civilization. This "design" manifested in several ways. Firstly, the caste system was intricately woven into the village layout and social interactions. Different castes often resided in segregated localities within the village, reflecting their hierarchical positioning. The daily lives, occupations, and social distance between groups were all dictated by caste norms, illustrating the pervasive nature of this social stratification, a core value of traditional Indian society.

Secondly, the jajmani system, a reciprocal exchange of goods and services between different caste groups (jajman and kamin), underscored the economic interdependence and functional specialization. This system, though exploitative at times, reflected a deep-seated value of organic solidarity, where each group performed a specific role essential for the functioning of the whole village, emphasizing a holistic, rather than individualistic, social order.

Furthermore, religious practices, festivals, and rituals were community-centric, reinforcing shared beliefs and values. The presence of temples, sacred groves, and village deities often served as focal points for collective identity and moral codes. Even the architecture, farming practices, and management of common resources like water bodies reflected a design shaped by generations of shared wisdom and cultural practices. Thus, for Marriott, the village was a microcosm, a living blueprint, where the fundamental values concerning hierarchy, interdependence, spirituality, and community, central to Indian civilization, were not just theoretically held but tangibly practiced and visibly organized.