UPSC CSE Prelims
Advent of Europeans in India Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

The Portuguese played an important role in introducing several New World crops and fruits to India during the 16th and 17th centuries.

• I. Papaya ✅ – Native to Central America; introduced by the Portuguese.

• II. Pineapple ✅ – Native to South America; brought to India by the Portuguese.

• III. Guava ✅ – Native to Central America; introduced by the Portuguese.

• Therefore, all three fruits were introduced into India by the Portuguese, making Option C the correct answer.\

📝 Short Notes: Portuguese Contributions to Indian Agriculture

Major Crops/Fruits Introduced by the Portuguese

• Papaya

• Pineapple

• Guava

• Cashew

• Tobacco

• Maize

• Tomato

• Potato

• Chilli

Why is it Important?

• These crops originated in the Americas and reached India through the Columbian Exchange.

• Many of them later became an integral part of Indian agriculture and cuisine.

Important Fact

• Among all introduced crops, chilli had the most significant impact on Indian food habits.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2 and 3 only

This question tests knowledge of European trading companies' establishment in India during the medieval and early modern period. Statements 2 and 3 are historically accurate, while Statement 1 contains a chronological impossibility.

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was formed in 1602, while the Gajapati dynasty of Odisha had already declined by 1541. The Dutch acquired land grants from other rulers like the Golconda Sultanate and local Nayakas, not from Gajapati rulers.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa in 1510 from Yusuf Adil Shah of the Bijapur Sultanate, establishing Portuguese dominance in the region for over 450 years.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: In 1639, Francis Day obtained a lease for land in Madras (Madraspatnam) from Damarla Venkatapathy Nayaka of Chandragiri, who was a representative of the declining Vijayanagara Empire. Fort St. George was subsequently built here.

📝 Short Notes: European Trading Companies in India

• Gajapati Dynasty: Ruled Odisha and parts of Andhra Pradesh; declined by mid-16th century (last ruler Kakharua Deva, 1541).
• Vijayanagara Empire: After the Battle of Talikota (1565), fragmented into Nayaka kingdoms including Chandragiri, Madurai, and Thanjavur.
• Alfonso de Albuquerque: Portuguese Governor in India (1509-1515); strategic mastermind who captured Goa, Malacca, and Hormuz.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1 Only

This question tests knowledge of the early English East India Company factories established in the first quarter of the 17th century (1600-1625). Of the three locations mentioned, only Broach had an operational English factory during this period.

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Broach (Bharuch, Gujarat) was established as an English factory in 1616-1617, soon after the establishment of the Surat factory (1613), making it one of the early trading posts on the western coast.

❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Chicacole (Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh) was not an English factory in the first quarter of the 17th century; the English presence on the eastern coast was primarily at Masulipatnam (established 1611).

❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu) did not have an English factory in the early 17th century; it gained strategic importance only during the mid-18th century Carnatic Wars between the English and French.

📝 Short Notes: Early English East India Company Factories (17th Century)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2 and 3 only

This question tests knowledge of specific historical terms used during the colonial and pre-colonial periods in India. Only pairs 2 and 3 are correctly matched, while pair 1 incorrectly describes Aurang.

❌ Pair 1 – Incorrect: Aurang was not in-charge of the treasury; it was a Persian term for a warehouse or workshop where goods were collected and processed before sale.

✅ Pair 2 – Correct: Banian (or Baniya) refers to Indian agents employed by the East India Company who managed business transactions, served as interpreters, brokers, and cash-keepers, often functioning as trading partners rather than mere servants.

✅ Pair 3 – Correct: Mirasidar (from Persian 'miras' meaning inheritance) was a hereditary landowner and co-proprietor who was designated as a revenue payer to the state.

📝 Short Notes: Colonial Administrative and Commercial Terms

Detailed Explanation:

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Assessment of land revenue based on nature of soil and quality of crops was introduced by Sher Shah Suri and later refined by Akbar's Ain-i-Dahsala system under Todar Mal, not by the English.

❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Use of mobile cannons in warfare was introduced to India by the Mughals, particularly Babur at the First Battle of Panipat (1526), not by the English.

❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: Cultivation of tobacco and red chillies was introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th–17th centuries as these crops came from the Americas (New World), not by the English.