What is the meaning of the term 'jins-i-kamil' in the Indo-Persian sources of Mughal period?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Perfect crops
Option (1) Par excellence — Incorrect. “Par excellence” means the best example of a kind. The sources call cotton and sugarcane jins-i kamil par excellence; the phrase describes these crops, it is not the meaning of the term.
Option (2) Cotton — Incorrect. Cotton was one of the jins-i kamil, grown over a great swathe of central India and the Deccan plateau. It is an example of such crops, not the meaning of the term.
Option (3) Perfect crops — Correct. Jins-i kamil means, literally, perfect crops. The Mughal state encouraged peasants to grow such crops because they brought in more revenue; cotton and sugarcane were jins-i kamil par excellence.
Option (4) Sugar — Incorrect. Sugarcane too was one of the jins-i kamil, and Bengal was famous for its sugar. Like cotton, it is an example, not the meaning.
Note: A same/similar question was asked in CUET (UG) in the papers below.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
| – | – | – | 05-06 S2* 13-06 S3 | – |
* A similar question.
NCERT (2026-27): “1.4 An abundance of crops … However, 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.…” |