Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

History

Chapter

Modern India: Colonial cities

Question:

Read the passage and answer the following questions:

The new Black Town resembled traditional Indian towns, with living quarters built across its own temple and bazaar. On the narrow lane that crisscrossed the township, there were distinct caste-specific neighbourhoods. Chintadripet was an area meant for weavers. Washermanpet was a colony of dyers and bleachers of cloth. Royapuram was a settlement for Christian boatmen who worked for the company.

Madras developed by incorporating innumerable surrounding villages and by creating opportunities and spaces for a variety of communities. Several different communities came and settled in Madras, performing a range of economic functions. The 'dubashes' were Indians who could speak two languages- The local language and English. They worked as agents and merchants, acting as intermediaries between Indian society and the British. They used their privileged position in government to acquire wealth. Their powerful position in society was established by their charitable works and patronage of temples in the Black Town.

In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.

Assertion: Dubashes in the 19th century had a powerful position in society in Madras.
Reason: They could speak two languages and one of them was English.

Options:

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct and the Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion.

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.

The Assertion is incorrect but the Reason is correct.

The Assertion is correct but the Reason is incorrect.

Correct Answer:

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.

Explanation:

Several different communities came and settled in Madras, performing a range of economic functions. The 'dubashes' were Indians who could speak two languages- The local language and English.
They worked as agents and merchants, acting as intermediaries between Indian society and the British. They used their privileged position in government to acquire wealth. Their powerful position in society was established by their charitable works and patronage of temples in the Black Town.