📘 IAS Prelims 2025 — GS-I | Q.75 | Classroom Explanation
(Modern Indian History | Colonial Economy & Cultural Exchange)

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📌 Question

Q.75)
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?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None

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✅ Correct Answer: (c) All the three

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🧑‍🏫 Classroom Explanation

The arrival of Europeans in India was not just a political or commercial event. It also triggered a biological and cultural exchange, often called the Columbian Exchange.

Among Europeans, the Portuguese were the earliest maritime power to establish a sustained presence in India (from the late 15th century). Acting as global intermediaries, they introduced several New World crops and fruits from the Americas into the Indian subcontinent.

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🍍 Fruit-wise Analysis (High-Yield for Prelims)

🔹 I. Papaya ✅

• Native to Central America
• Introduced into India by the Portuguese via:
  • Philippines
  • Malacca
• Not mentioned in Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari (1590s)
  → Indicates absence in North India in late 16th century
• First noted in western coastal regions like Portuguese Daman

📌 UPSC Clue: Absence in Ain-i-Akbari = later introduction

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🔹 II. Pineapple ✅

• Native to Brazil and tropical Americas
• Introduced to India by Portuguese in the 16th century
• Mentioned by:
  • Jan Huyghen van Linschoten (Dutch traveller, 1580s)
  • Abul Fazl in Ain-i-Akbari
• Known as:
  • Kathal-i-Safari (Jackfruit for travellers)

📌 Why important: Pineapple appears in Mughal records → confirms early spread

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🔹 III. Guava ✅

• Native to Central America
• Introduced to India by Portuguese traders in the early 17th century
• Rapidly adapted to Indian climate
• Became a staple fruit across regions

📌 UPSC Favorite: Guava = New World fruit + Portuguese route

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🌍 Big Picture Insight (Why UPSC Loves This Topic)

The Portuguese introduced multiple American crops into India, including:

• Fruits: Papaya, Pineapple, Guava, Sapodilla
• Crops: Maize, Sweet Potato, Chillies (Capsicum)

These reshaped:

• Indian agriculture
• Food habits
• Regional cuisines

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🧠 One-Line Memory Hook (Prelims Gold)

“If it’s a New World fruit in India, suspect the Portuguese first.”

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📍 GS Mapping

Economic & cultural impact of colonial contact

GS Paper I

Modern Indian History

Europeans in India

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