Which of the following crops were included in the category of 'Jins-i Kamil' in the Mughal Empire?
(A) Rice
(B) Cotton
(C) Sugarcane
(D) Wheat
(E) Lentils
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (B), (C), (E) only
(A) Rice Incorrect. Rice was one of the basic staples, grown above all to feed people; rice, wheat or millets were the most frequently cultivated crops.
(B) Cotton Correct. Cotton and sugarcane were jins-i kamil par excellence. Cotton was grown over a great swathe of territory in central India and the Deccan plateau.
(C) Sugarcane Correct. Sugarcane was the other jins-i kamil par excellence; Bengal was famous for its sugar.
(D) Wheat Incorrect. Wheat, like rice, was a basic staple grown for food, not one of the “perfect crops” grown for the market.
(E) Lentils Correct. Such cash crops would also include various sorts of oilseeds (for example, mustard) and lentils. The Mughal state encouraged peasants to grow these crops because they brought in more revenue.
NCERT (2026-27): “1.3 Irrigation and technology … Since the primary purpose of agriculture is to feed people, basic staples such as rice, wheat or millets were the most frequently cultivated crops.… 1.4 An abundance of crops … the focus on the cultivation of basic staples did not mean that agriculture in medieval India was only for subsistence. We often come across the term jins-i kamil (literally, perfect crops) in our sources. The Mughal state also encouraged peasants to cultivate such crops as they brought in more revenue. Crops such as cotton and sugarcane were jins-i kamil par excellence. Cotton was grown over a great swathe of territory spread over central India and the Deccan plateau, whereas Bengal was famous for its sugar. Such cash crops would also include various sorts of oilseeds (for example, mustard) and lentils. This shows how subsistence and commercial production were closely intertwined in an average peasant’s holding.…” |