With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs: 1. Aurang – In-charge of treasury of the State 2. Banian -Indian agent of the East In

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 2 and 3 only
3. C. 3 only
4. D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: B

Explanation

Aurang – A Persian term for a warehouse –a place where goods are collected before being sold; also refers to a workshop. Hence pair 1 is not correctly matched Banian: In the 18th and 19th centuries, European merchants opened and deepened trade routes throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, in these markets they faced considerable challenges due to linguistic and cultural barriers. This led to difficulties in integrating into indigenous commercial and political systems, which restricted their operations. The use of intermediaries with expertise of the local markets and languages rapidly proliferated. In South-East Asia, this was known as the ‘comprador’ system, whilst in the Anglo-Indian trade individuals carrying out these functions were known as ‘banians’. These intermediaries fulfilled various internal and external roles for trading companies including, managing treasury functions, securing credit, and acting as brokers in the local markets. A contemporary described the banian as an individual, “By whom the English gentlemen in general conduct all their business. He is interpreter, head book-keeper, head secretary, head broker, the supplier of cash and cash-keeper, and in general also secret-keeper. Hence pair 2 is correctly matched. Mirasidars: Under the ryotwari settlement system, the government recognized mirasidars as the sole proprietors of land, dismissing tenants’ rights completely. Only in villages where no mirasidar system existed were those villagers holding permanent occupancy rights recognized as landholders responsible for the payment of land revenue. According to Elphinstone (Governor of Bombay), the two important features of the Maratha government were: 1. the existence of village communities as units of local administration 2. the existence of mirasi tenure Mirasdars were hereditary peasant proprietors who cultivated their own fields and paid land tax at fixed rates to the state. The Mirasdar belonged to the village and could not be dispossessed of it so long as he continued to pay the rent. He could sell and transfer his fields and had the right to sit in the village council. All the land which did not belong to the Mirasdar belonged to government or those to whom government assigned it. His lands were measured out and classified, and the standard demand on them fixed. If, however, the rains failed, if the village suffered from war or pestilence or if a family calamity intervened, he could seek remission.