UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 55
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?
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Correct Option: A (1 and 2 only) - SOURCE KEY DISPUTED (see review note)
Explanation: “Aurang” meant a warehouse or manufacturing depot, not a state treasurer. A banian was an Indian commercial agent for Europeans; a mirasidar held hereditary land rights and was liable for land revenue. Thus factual pairs 2 and 3 match, not the supplied key A.
Statement / Pair / Item-wise Analysis:
1. Incorrect - Aurang referred to a warehouse/factory or depot, not the treasury official.
2. Correct - Banian was an Indian broker or agent who handled East India Company commercial business.
3. Correct - Mirasidar was a hereditary land-rights holder liable for land revenue.
Option-wise Analysis:
A. The source marks this option as correct, but it is factually incorrect-includes incorrect item 1 (Aurang referred to a warehouse/factory or depot, not the treasury official); omits correct item 3 (Mirasidar was a hereditary land-rights holder liable for land revenue).
B. Factually correct despite differing from the supplied key; selects precisely items 2, 3.
C. Incorrect-omits correct item 2 (Banian was an Indian broker or agent who handled East India Company commercial business).
D. Incorrect-includes incorrect item 1 (Aurang referred to a warehouse/factory or depot, not the treasury official).
Review note: ANSWER-KEY ERROR: supplied Correctoption=option1 (A: 1 and 2), but verifiable answer is B (2 and 3). Do not publish A as factually correct; correct the source answer key after review.