UPSC Prelims Marathon 12 December – The Advent of Europeans in India – 2025

With reference to the factors that propelled the European Age of Exploration and the subsequent arrival in India, consider the following statements:
1.The primary goal was to bypass the effective trade monopoly held by Arab merchants and the city-states of Venice and Genoa over the Eastern spice trade.
2.The Fall of Constantinople in 1453 completely blocked all pre-existing trade routes, both land and sea, between Europe and Asia, thus mandating the discovery of a new sea route.
3.The Portuguese were driven by a Militant Christianity objective, which included finding the mythical Christian kingdom of ‘Prester John’ in Africa to form an alliance against the Islamic powers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding the economic impetus for the Portuguese push for a direct sea route to India:
1.The immediate financial viability was confirmed when Vasco da Gama’s first voyage returned a profit of approximately sixty times the cost of the entire expedition.
2.The expanding economic growth in Europe created a huge demand for Oriental goods, which exacerbated the problem of bullion drain to the East via the traditional, expensive trade routes.
3.The Portuguese crown reserved the trade of certain high-value commodities like spices, horses, copper, and silver as a ‘royal monopoly’ to control the market and maximize state revenue.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the quest for commercial dominance among the European powers in the Indian Ocean, consider the following statements:
1.The Dutch, through the efficient functioning of the VOC, emerged as the dominant European power in the Indian Ocean region by the mid-17th century, though their focus gradually shifted more towards the Indonesian Archipelago.
2.The English East India Company’s successful defeat of the Portuguese naval squadron in the Battle of Swally (1612) was instrumental in securing a Farman from the Mughal Emperor Jahangir to establish a permanent factory at Surat.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the early European trading system in India, consider the following statements:
1.A ‘factory’ essentially functioned as a heavily fortified warehouse complex managed by a ‘Factor’, which included offices, residential quarters, and storage for goods meant for export.
2.The goods transported from Europe to India often included heavy, low-value items like timber, copper, and building materials, which were essential to serve as ballast for the return journey’s high-value cargo.
3.The establishment of direct trade routes led to the immediate and complete cessation of all long-distance maritime trade previously conducted by Indian and Arab merchants.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Consider the following statements regarding the key features of Portuguese trade in India:
1.The Portuguese attempted to enforce a complete and exclusive royal monopoly on the import of war-horses into India, which was successful throughout the 16th century, crippling the cavalry of the Deccan Sultanates.
2.The most valuable commodity exported from the Malabar Coast to Lisbon was black pepper, followed by other spices like cinnamon and cloves.
3.The Portuguese are responsible for introducing several key commercial crops from the New World, such as tobacco, cashew, and chili peppers, to the Indian subcontinent.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to Francisco De Almeida, the first Viceroy of Portuguese India (1505-1509), consider the following statements:
1.His primary mandate from the Portuguese crown was to consolidate the position of the Portuguese and destroy the naval power of Muslim traders by seizing key choke points like Hormuz, Aden, and Malacca.
2.He advocated for and strictly adhered to the ‘Blue Water Policy’ (Cartaze System), which prioritised naval supremacy in the Indian Ocean over the acquisition of extensive land territories in India.
3.He was defeated and killed in a naval battle off Diu by the combined fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat and the Mameluke Sultan of Egypt.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?