Marco Polo, during his return from China, described the pepper trade in which region of India?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. Malabar.
During his late 13th-century return journey from China, the Venetian traveler Marco Polo visited the southwestern coast of India, known as the Malabar Coast (modern-day Kerala).
In his travelogues, he extensively documented the region's flourishing international trade hubs, specifically noting kingdoms like Quilon (Kollam). He described Malabar's massive, highly organized cultivation of black pepper, emphasizing that the spice was systematically planted and watered rather than harvested wild, making it a lucrative global epicenter for traders from Europe, China, and the Middle East.