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U.P.P.C.S. Pre 2011

Agricultural History of India

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

During the 13th and 14th Centuries AD the Indian peasants did not cultivate:

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept Agriculture in the Delhi Sultanate was based on traditional crops. Many staples we see today, like maize, potatoes, and tomatoes, were 'New World' crops introduced centuries later.

Explanation According to agricultural history and NCERT, Maize (corn) is native to Central America. It reached India via the Portuguese in the 15th-16th centuries, following the Columbian Exchange.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Wheat, Barley, and Rice were the primary 'Kharif' and 'Rabi' staples of the Sultanate era mentioned by chroniclers like Ibn Battuta.
Logic 2: Maize was unknown to Indian peasants in the 13th and 14th centuries as the Americas had not yet been reached by Europeans.

Active Recall

Question

Name two other major crops introduced by the Portuguese in India.

Answer

Tobacco and Chilies were introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Core Insight

The absence of Maize in the 14th century illustrates how global trade networks later fundamentally altered the diet and economy of the Indian subcontinent.

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