Question 63 from UPSC CSE 2025 - Modern History

Question

Consider the following fruits:
I. Papaya
II. Pineapple
III. Guava
How many of the above were introduced in India by the Portuguese in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. All three

Strategy: Focus on the origins of each fruit. All three—Papaya, Pineapple, and Guava—are native to the Americas, not indigenous to India. The entry of these 'New World' crops into India was facilitated by European, particularly Portuguese, traders during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since all options listed are American fruits known to have been brought by the Portuguese, select 'All three'.

Key Info: **Introduction of American crops by the Portuguese**
- The 15th–17th centuries saw significant transfer of plants from the Americas to Asia by European colonial powers. The Portuguese, due to their early arrival and maritime routes, were chief agents in this biological exchange for India. 
- Pineapple (Ananas comosus): Native to South America, first domesticated by indigenous people of Paraguay/Brazil. The Portuguese introduced pineapple to India in the mid-to-late 16th century directly from Brazil. Pineapple is referenced in Ain-i-Akbari (1590s).
- Papaya (Carica papaya): Native to tropical Americas, likely southern Mexico and Central America. Papaya made its way to India via Portuguese trade networks through Goa and ports such as Daman in the early 17th century. It spread rapidly in the subcontinent.
- Guava (Psidium guajava): Originates in Central and South America. Introduction attributed to the Portuguese in the early 17th century; the fruit soon naturalized in Indian agro-climates.
- Other American crops introduced include maize, cashew, chilli, potato, tomato, and sapodilla (chikoo); these contributed to major shifts in Indian dietary diversity and agriculture. Pineapple, papaya, and guava are now widespread and integrated into Indian horticultural systems and diets. 
- There is no evidence of these fruits being present in India prior to the Portuguese era. Their introduction is extensively documented by European travelers and local chronicles of that period.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Only one

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Only two

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: None

Consider the following fruits: I. Papaya II. Pineapple III. Guava How many of the above were introduced in India by the Portuguese in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?

Consider the following fruits:
I. Papaya
II. Pineapple
III. Guava
How many of the above were introduced in India by the Portuguese in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?