UPSC CSE Prelims
English East India Company Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

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.