Govind Sadashiv Ghurye (12 December 1893 – 28 December 1983) was an Indian professor of sociology.^[3] In 1924, he became the second person to head the Department of Sociology at the University of Bombay.^[4]

Ghurye was born on 12 December 1893, at Malvan, in present-day Maharashtra.^[2] His early schooling was at the Aryan Education Society's High School, Girgaum, in Bombay, and then at Bahadur Khanji High School, Junagadh, in the princely state of Janugadh.^[2] He joined Bahauddin college at Junagarh, in 1912, but moved on to Elphinstone College, Bombay, after a year, and received his B. A. (Sanskrit) and M. A. (Sanskrit) degrees from there.^[5] He earned the Bhau Daji prize with his B. A., and the Chancellor's gold medal with his M. A. degree.^[5] After completing his M. A., Ghurye received a scholarship for further studies in England, and earned his PhD from Cambridge University in 1922.^[2] Ghurye was deeply influenced by W. H. R. Rivers, who was his PhD guide.^[6] After Rivers' untimely death in 1922, he completed his thesis under A. C. Haddon.^[6]

Ghurye was married to Sajubai of Vengurla, a town near Malwan.^[2] His son, Sudhish Ghurye is a Mathematician and Statistician, and daughter Kumud G. Ghurye was a barrister.^[7]

Ghurye was appointed as Head of Department of the Department of Sociology in Bombay University in 1924, and retired in 1959.^[8] The department was founded by Patrick Geddes in 1919.^[9] However, when Ghurye took it over, it was on the verge of closure. The department came alive once again with Ghurye, and now, Ghurye is regarded as the real founder^[10] and "shaped" the study of sociology there from then on.^[11] He also founded the Indian Sociological Society and its newsletter, Sociological Bulletin, and served as head for both.^[12] He also headed the Bombay Anthropological Society for some years.^[13] After retirement, he served as Professor Emeritus for Bombay University and at least three festschrifts were produced in his honour, of which two were during his lifetime.^[14] He guided a total of 80 research theses and authored 32 books and a number of other papers.^[15] Later, at least two theses were written on him.^[16] Among his students were personalities like noted social reformer and intellectual Dr. Uttamrao K. Jadhav,^[17] A. J. Agarkar, Y. M. Rege, L. N. Chapekar, M. G. Kulkarni, M. S. A. Rao, Iravati Karve, Y. B. Damle, M.N. Srinivas, A. R. Desai, D. Narain, I. P. Desai, M. S. Gore, Suma Chitnis and Victor D'Souza.^[18] He also had the opportunity to see the "Dr. G. S. Ghurye Award" being instituted in his honour.^[19] His book Caste and race in India is regarded as a classic in the field.^[20]