Which of these statements is false regarding intermediaries in eighteenth century India?

Q. Which of these statements is false regarding intermediaries in eighteenth century India?

(a) Intermediaries were local craftsmen who supplied luxury goods to the royal courts.

(b) They were local officials who represented the administration.

(c) Hindu and Jain merchants who lent money to the state

(d) All the above

Ans: (a) Intermediaries were local craftsmen who supplied luxury goods to the royal courts.

Explanation: The false statement regarding intermediaries in eighteenth-century India is (a) Intermediaries were local craftsmen who supplied luxury goods to the royal courts.

Intermediaries in eighteenth-century India did not primarily refer to local craftsmen supplying luxury goods to the royal courts. Instead, intermediaries were often local officials or revenue collectors who acted as intermediaries between the state and the people. They represented the administration and played a role in revenue collection, tax assessment, and maintaining law and order. Option (a) is the false statement.