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?
Explanation
– Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: Aurang is a Persian term denoting a warehouse, godown, or workshop where commodities and manufactured goods were collected before marketing and export, not a treasury official.
– Pair 2 is correctly matched: In the commercial operations of 18th-century Bengal, Banians (banias) were Indian commercial agents, brokers, interpreters, and cashiers who managed inland trade networks and private trade for British East India Company servants.
– Pair 3 is correctly matched: Under the Ryotwari and pre-colonial revenue administrations of South India, Mirasidars were recognized hereditary co-proprietors and landholders who held permanent title to land and were directly designated as revenue payers to the State.
Hence, pairs 2 and 3 are correctly matched — Option B.