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Question 15 of 22

Q.Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A) : Bernier was a firm believer in the virtues of private property. He saw crown ownership of land in the Mughal empire as being harmful to both State and the people. Reason (R) : Landlords could not pass on their land to their children, so they were averse to any long time investment in the expansion of production. From the above Assertion and Reason, find out which one of the following is true : (A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). (B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A). (C) Both (A) and (R) are false. (D) Both (A) and (R) are true.

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2020MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
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Bernier believed that the Mughal Empire's crown ownership of land, which prevented landholders from passing land to their children and thus discouraged long-term investment, was detrimental to both the state and its people.

François Bernier, a French physician and philosopher, travelled extensively in the Mughal Empire during the mid-17th century. His observations, recorded in his "Travels in the Mughal Empire," offer a critical perspective on Indian society, often comparing it unfavourably with European conditions. A central theme in his writings was his strong belief in the virtues of private property, a concept he felt was largely absent in Mughal India, particularly concerning land ownership.

Bernier firmly believed that the crown's ownership of all land in the Mughal Empire was a fundamental flaw. He argued that this system was inherently harmful, leading to negative consequences for both the state and its subjects. In his view, the absence of private land ownership meant that landholders, who were essentially revenue assignees (often referred to as jagirdars in historical context, though Bernier might not always use this specific term), did not possess hereditary rights over the land they managed.

Important

Bernier's critique of Mughal land ownership stemmed from his European perspective, where private property was seen as a cornerstone of economic prosperity and social stability.

This lack of hereditary rights, as described in Reason (R), meant that these landholders could not pass on their land to their children. Consequently, they had little incentive to make long-term investments in the land's improvement or the expansion of agricultural production. Their tenure was often temporary, and they knew they could be transferred at any time. This encouraged a short-sighted approach, where the primary goal was to extract as much revenue as possible from the land and its cultivators before their assignment ended. …

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