Q. 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? (UPSC Prelims 2020)
Answer:
2 and 3 only
Notes: The correct answer is
[B] 2 and 3 only. These terms reflect the administrative and commercial transitions during the late medieval and early colonial periods in India.
- Pair 1 (Incorrect): Aurang (or Aurung) is a Persian term for a warehouse or a place where goods are manufactured and collected before being exported. In the context of the East India Company, it referred to centers where textile goods were produced or gathered. The "In-charge of treasury" was typically referred to as a Poddar or Khazandar.
- Pair 2 (Correct): Banians were influential Indian merchants or agents who acted as middlemen, interpreters, and brokers for the British East India Company and its private traders. They managed local commercial transactions and navigated the indigenous market for their European employers, particularly in the Bengal region.
- Pair 3 (Correct): Mirasidars were hereditary holders of land (Miras) who were recognized as the primary designated revenue payers to the State, especially under the Ryotwari system in South India. They held superior land rights and were responsible for ensuring the payment of the land tax.
- Contextual Significance: The rise of Banians marked the shift toward a colonial economy, while the Mirasidar system highlighted the pre-existing agrarian hierarchy that the British later attempted to reform or utilize for revenue collection.