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?
Show answer
Answer: C. The Portuguese brought many New World crops to India in the 16th and 17th centuries. Papaya, pineapple and guava all came from tropical America through them. Other examples are cashew, chilli, tobacco and potato.
Watch for: Guava and papaya feel very Indian, but they are New World fruits brought by the Portuguese.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Only one is wrong, because all three fruits came through the Portuguese.
- B. Only two is wrong, because all three fruits came through the Portuguese.
- D. None is wrong, because all three were introduced by the Portuguese.
Source to check: K. T. Achaya, 'Indian Food: A Historical Companion' (Oxford University Press, 1994)
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.