APPSC GROUP II (MAINS EXAM.)2026 PAPER – I (150M) Northern Circars in 18th Century (Economic activities i.e., Administrative and Agriculture etc.)

 

Notes for APPSC GROUP II (MAINS EXAM.)2026

PAPER – I (150M)

SECTION- A

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF ANDHRA PRADESH (75M)

(3)Advent of Europeans - Trade centers - Andhra under the Company

Northern Circars in 18^th Century (Economic activities i.e., Administrative and Agriculture etc.)

(Set 9)

Notes prepared by : Praturi Potayya Sarma

 

Please Note: The following notes is for only guidance purpose. For clarification of any doubt, please refer to any standard text book.

 

 

1)Prior to the organization of the Northern Circars into revenue districts in 1794 AD, there existed Provincil Chiefs and Councils at which of the following ?

a)Masulipatnam ; Visakhapatnam and

b)a Residency at Ganjam

c)Both (a) (b)

d) None of these

Ans : c

 

2)In 1794 AD, four divisions were created and Collectors were put in charge of management and superintendence of revenue. These four divisions were :

a)1^st division of Rajamandry circar;  2^nd division of Eluru and Rajamandry circar

b)3^rd division of Eluru and Rajamandry circar  ;  4^th Division of Kondapalli and Mustafanagar circar

 c)A Collector was appointed separately in the Guntur Circar

d)All the abvove

Ans : d   (Source: Letter form Lord Hobert, Governor – in- Council, Fort St.George, December,1794)

 

3)What are ‘Haveli lands’?

Ans : The lands that were under the immediate management of the previous government without the intervention of Zamindars or Jagirdars (holders of land given by government as reward for services) were called haveli lands and these became direct posseion of the Company

 

AGRARIAN ECONOMY :

 

4)The zamindars of large estates appropriated a substantial part of the surplus produced by the peasantry and remitted the remaining portion to the state.  Which of the following is corrct ?

Ans:Their rights were so absolute that they not only levied land and sayer (transit) duties but also collected moturpha (tax levided on artisans, traders and other mercantile groups ) and other informal taxes from the various social groups of the region.

 

 

 

5)Land holdings in Godavari district : (I)Mirasidars : For them hereditary privileges (rights appeared to have been the prerogative of hereditary land holders called viz.,Kadeems (tenant cultivators) (at the village level.) Which of the following is correct ?

a) Ekabhogam : sole proprietorship

b)Palabhogam : joint proprietorship

c)Samudayam : Communal ownership

d)All the above

Ans : d  ( Source : A.D.Campbel, Acting Collector, Rajahmundry  around 1807 AD )

 

6) Under the right of possession of land claimed by mirasidars, there existed the right to cultivation often claimed by the people called ‘Payakaris’. They comprised two groups :

a)Ulparakudi payakaris (or ulkudi payakaris) or resident cultivators (permanent tenants of the mirasidar resding in the same village )

b)Ururkudi payakaris or non-resident cultivators

c)Urukudi payakaris were normally tenants at will, working under contract, who would have no proprietary rights .

d) All the above

Ans: d

 

7)In the pre-colonial village economy, there were three groups of cultivators (in Andhra)?

a)Kadeems

b)Ulkudi payakaris

c)Urukudi payakaris

d)All the above 

 

8) In the case of alienated lands of all types, which of the following is correct (in Andhra)?

a)’inam’ lands and ‘manium’ lands (land held rent free and in hereditary and perpetual occupation)

b)Lands assigned for the purpose of temples and  mosques or other endowed institutions

c)Both (a) & (b)

d)All the above

Ans : d

 

 

9)Prior to the introduction of the Permanent Land Settlement in 1802 AD, in Northern Circars,  the principal modes of revenue collection in zamindari areas were those from

a) ‘asara’ lands (wet lands dependent only on tank or canal irrigation )

b) ‘visabadi’  system (lands or profits allotted among hereditary owners) and renting systems  

c)The division of the surplus produce among the different cultivators was based on share cropping

d) All the above

Ans : d

 

10) Which of the following is correct (in Andhra)?

a)Wet grains or nunjah crops

b)dry grains or punjah crops

c)The rates of assessment and shares apportioned  based on the status of the persons who held those lands

d)All the above

 

11)The British East India  Company introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1802 AD in the northern Coromandel, similar to that of __________.

Ans : Bengal Settlement of 1793  

 

12)Within a decade of operation of the Permanent Settlement of 1802, it showed signs of decaly ?

a)in Godavari district by 1810

b)in Guntur district by 1820s

c)in Masulipatnamdistrirct by 1830

d) All the above

Ans : d

 

13) In the revenue collection after Permanent Settlement of 1802 AD, which came (in Andhra)?

Ans : Village lease system of revenue collection  (This period was called as ‘transitional’ in the revenue history of the region )

 

14) Most of the zamindari areas and a few haveli lands were situated in which of the major river basin areas?

a)the Godavari

b)The Krishna

c)The pennar

d)All the above

Ans : d

 

 

15)Which of the following is correct about famines in Northern Circar districts  i.e., Andhra  ?

a)The famine of 1790-92 AD was the worst, engulfing almost all the four district and all sections of society.

b)Masulipatnam district was affected by another famine in 1807 AD

c)In 1823-24 AD , there was a minor famine in Godavari district

d)All the above (in  and around 1833AD another famine affected Guntur district )

Ans : d

 

16) Uppena (inundation of coastal district / severe cyclones), which of the following is correct ?

a)May 20, 1787 port towns of Coringa, Ingeram (near Kakinada), Nursapur were disastrously affected

b)Dcember, 1800 AD cyclone made huge loss in Guntur district

c) In 1839 AD another cyclone affected raged from coast of Visakahpatnam to Nursapur

d)All the above (Such storms and cyclones disrupted production of textiles, affected shipping and river transportation and had a drastic impact on the marketing of cotton fabrics

Ans : d

 

17)During the second half of the eighteenth century, the Dutch marketing activities are restricted to which of the following (in Andha)?

a)Jagannadhapuram (Cocanada)

b)Palakollu

c)Masulipatnam

d)All the above

Ans : d

 

18)French East India Company enjoyed considerable trading privileges with brief intervals at ?

a )Visakhapatnam,

b)Yanam (from  1816AD to till 20^th century: French retained prime position)

c)Ingeram (near Rajahmundry), Maddelapollam , and Masulipatnam

d)All the above

Ans : d

 

19)The East India Company of England, the entire commercial organization was broadly divided into three parts?

a)The Court of Directors in England

b)The Board of Trade in Madras

c) the Company’s establishment at the factory with Commercial  Resident as Chief

d)All the above

Ans : d

 

 

20) IN 1826 AD, one Madras pagoda (Currency ) is equal to how much ?

a) approximately 4 Rupees

 

21)Who was the Telugu interpreter to the French and Hyderjung to put down Ranga Rao, the Raja of Vizianagaram ?

a)Dubashi Lakshmanna

 

22)In Gogulapati Kurma Nadha poet,  Simhadri Narsimha Satakamu (c 1750 ) whose name was mentioned ?

a)Kondregula Jogeepantulu

 

 

 

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ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF ANDHRA IN 18^TH CENTURY

 

 

1)Which of the following is correct ?

a) In 1687 AD, the kingdom of Golconda was occupied by Aurangzeb as a result , Telangana and large part of Andhra became parts of Mughal empire

b)With the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 AD, the disintegration of Mughal empire set in

c)The weavers and  artisan classes in Andhra were able to survive  as their products were readily purchased by the European traders.

d) All the above

Ans : d

 

2) The textile industry in Andhra was widely diffused in the 18^th Century  . Which of the following is correct ?

a)Production of fine and superfine clothes was concentrated in particular towns.

b)Berhampur was noted for its quality silks and Srikakulam for its muslins

c)Machilipatnam was a world famous centre for chintzes (i.e., Kalamkari) and palampores (i.e., hand printed bed sheets/covers)

d)All the above

Ans : d

 

3)The zamindars were of three types in the 18^th century in Andhra ?

a)Velamas who were driven out of the Carnatic by the Muslim armies and who had established themselves on the borders of the Krishna river

b)The Rachawars of Orissa who were forced to leave the plains and return to the hilly area of north of  Godavari

 c)Oriyas, who after the fall of the Gajapati empire in Orissa established themselves in Srikakulam districts.

d) All the above

Ans : d

 

4)The military forces of the zamindars (of Andhra ) were of three kinds in the 18^th century .What are they ?

a)Common peons who were paid in cash and were expected to be in common attendance

b)The Mokkasa who were paid by the grant of land

c)The manovarty peons who were military tenents of a high order bound to bring their adherents to the field.

d) All the above

Ans : d

 

5)Which of the following is correct  about the lands in northern circars in Andhra in 18^th century (Lands divided into two categories)?

a)Category One : the Zamindari land

b)Category Two : Haveli or Government land

c)The land assessment was 1/5 th of the produce

d)All the above

Ans : d

 

 

6)Which of the following is correct (in the 18^th century in Andhra )?

a)The zamindars were notorious for their oppression of the peasantry

b)Zamindars also collected land customs on all articles of commerce like food, cattle, salt etc.These taxes known as ‘Sunkams’ were collected at short intervals 

c) In addition , there were also imposts under various names  like ‘Loomtax’ or ‘Motoorpha’ was also levied.

d) All the above

Ans : d

 

7)Which of the following is correct in the 18^th century?

a)Circar region of Andhra produced rice in abundance

b)The Circar region’s forests  produced a fine variety of teak which was used in ship building industry at Corinka. It was able to withstand  competition from outside

c)The fishing industry was also highly developed

d) All the above

Ans : d

 

8) The inland commerce and maritime exports of the circar region of Andhra  was how much?

Ans : to the tune of Rs.75 lakh per year ( in the 18^th century) ?

 

9)For ship building industry which place was famous in Andhra in the 18^th century ?

Ans : Coringa / Corinka (Near Kakinada )

 

 

10)Which place was famous for Chintzes and Palampores in the 18^th century in Andhra ?

Ans : Machilipatnam (nearby village : Pedana )

 

11)Land assessment tax was how much in Andhra in 18^th century ?

a) 1/5 th of the produce

 

12) What is Motoorpha ?

Ans :  Tax on artisans and looms etc.