With reference to the 18th century India, consider the following statements:
1. The condition of slaves in India was better than that of those in Europe.
2. Slaves could marry, and their children were considered free citizens.
3. Generally, all classes of people kept women slaves for domestic work.
4. The arrival of Europeans increased the slave trade in India.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Explanation Statement 1 is correct but Statement 3 is not correct: European travellers and administrators, who came in the 17th century, reported the widespread prevalence of slaves in India. It is believed that some people were compelled to sell their offspring due to economic distress, famines, natural calamities, and extreme poverty. Generally, higher classes of Rajputs, Khatris, and Kayasthas kept women slaves for domestic work. However, the status of slaves in India was better than that in Europe.
Statement 2 is correct: Unlike the situation in Europe, where slaves were treated as property with limited rights, in India, the status of slaves was relatively better. In India, slaves were often treated as hereditary servants and were allowed to marry. The children born from such marriages were not considered slaves but free citizens, enjoying the same status as other free people.
Statement 4 is correct: The advent of Europeans heightened the slavery and slave trade in India. European trading companies purchased slaves from the markets of Bengal, Assam, and Bihar and took them to the European and American market. Abyssinian slaves were sold at Surat, Madras, and Calcutta.
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