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

Assertion: From 1598, the Portuguese became important players in the politics of India.

Reason: Their superior military technology, especially the use of muskets, enabled them to become important players.

The Assertion is incorrect but the Reason is correct.

From 1498 other actors appeared on the scene. These were the Portuguese, who arrived on the west coast of the subcontinent and attempted to establish trading and military stations. Their superior military technology, especially the use of muskets, enabled them to become important players in the tangled politics of the period.