Question 66 from UPSC CSE 2020 - MODERN INDIA

Question

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 India Company
3. Mirasidar - Designated revenue payer to the State
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. 2 and 3 only

Strategy: - Focus on matching terms with their contextual roles.
- 'Aurang' refers to warehouses or workshops, not treasury, making pair 1 incorrect.
- 'Banian' refers to Indian intermediaries for European traders (East India Company), making pair 2 correct.
- 'Mirasidar' denotes hereditary landholders responsible for revenue payment, making pair 3 correct.
- Eliminate options containing pair 1; this narrows down to option B.

Key Info: ## Aurang
The term 'Aurang' originates from Persian and was used in Mughal India to describe a warehouse, especially in the context of royal karkhanas or workshops, where goods--textiles, artifacts, arms, etc.--were stored or manufactured for the state or nobility. It did not indicate responsibility for treasury or finance.

## Banian
During the colonial period, particularly the 17th to 19th centuries, a 'Banian' was a local Indian merchant or agent employed by European trading companies, notably the British East India Company. Banians facilitated trade by acting as brokers, interpreters, financial intermediaries, and personal agents for Europeans, helping navigate local markets, customs, languages, and credit systems. Their functions paralleled the 'comprador' system in other colonies.

## Mirasidar
A Mirasidar was a hereditary landholder under the mirasi tenure system prevalent in South India, especially under the Marathas and in Madras Presidency. Mirasidars held perpetual rights to land, could sell or transfer land, and were recognized by the colonial and pre-colonial governments as the primary revenue payers. This system formed the basis of the ryotwari settlement, in which the government directly collected land revenue from such proprietors.

## Related Concepts
The 'Ryotwari System' was introduced by the British, primarily in Madras and Bombay Presidencies, where revenue was collected directly from cultivators or mirasidars. These systems played a crucial role in shaping agrarian relations and rural administration during the colonial period.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: 1 and 2 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: 3 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: 1, 2, and 3

With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs: Aurang - In-charge of treasury of the State Banian - Indian agent of the East India Company Mirasidar - Designated revenue payer to the State Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs:

Aurang - In-charge of treasury of the State

Banian - Indian agent of the East India Company

Mirasidar - Designated revenue payer to the State
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?