2020 GS Paper I, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2020 · GS Paper I
Question 25: History and Culture
Which of the following phrases defines the nature of the ‘Hundi’ generally referred to in the sources of the post-Harsha period ?
aAn advisory issued by the king to his subordinates
bA diary to be maintained for daily accounts
cA bill of exchange
dAn order from the feudal lord to his subordinates
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).
A hundi was a bill of exchange, a credit instrument that let merchants send money over distances without carrying coin. It appears in post-Harsha sources, when trade networks and local markets were growing, and continued into medieval and colonial times. It was not a royal advisory, an account diary or an order from a feudal lord.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: a royal advisory to subordinates is not a hundi.
- (b) Wrong: a diary of daily accounts is a different record.
- (c) Right: a hundi was a bill of exchange.
- (d) Wrong: a feudal lord's order is not a hundi.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2020, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.