Question

Which crop was introduced into India via Africa and Spain by the seventeenth century?

• A. Tobacco
• B. Maize
• C. Cotton
• D. Sugarcane

Hint:

Remember maize as an important crop associated with the early modern Columbian exchange.
Maize originated in the Americas and spread to Europe, Africa, and Asia through expanding maritime trade networks.
Do not confuse newly introduced crops with crops such as cotton and sugarcane, which had ancient histories in India.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:
The movement of crops across continents was an important consequence of long-distance trade and overseas expansion during the early modern period.
The arrival of European traders connected India with agricultural products that had originated in the Americas and subsequently travelled through different regions.

Step 1: Identifying the Crop:
Maize was originally domesticated in the Americas.
Following European voyages and the development of maritime trade networks, maize spread from the Americas to Europe, Africa, and eventually to different parts of Asia.
It reached India through these interconnected routes during the early modern period.

Step 2: Understanding the Reference to Africa and Spain:
The question specifically mentions introduction into India via Africa and Spain by the seventeenth century.
This wording points towards the movement of maize through the global exchange networks created after European expansion overseas.
The crop was transferred across continents before becoming established in several parts of India.

Step 3: Eliminating the Other Options:
Tobacco was also introduced into India from the Americas through Portuguese commercial networks, but it is not the crop identified by the route specified in this question.
Cotton had an ancient history in the Indian subcontinent and was certainly not a newly introduced crop of this period.
Sugarcane also had a much older history in India and had been cultivated there long before the seventeenth century.
Final Answer:
Therefore, the correct answer is (B) Maize.