State PCS
Mohair cloth is obtained from:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option B — Hair of the Angora goat
Detailed Solution
Mohair is a silky, lustrous fibre obtained from the hair of the Angora goat. Despite the similar name, angora wool comes from the Angora rabbit, not the goat.
About the Angora goat:
- It is named after Ankara (formerly Angora), the capital of Turkey, where the breed originated in the region of Anatolia.
- It has long, curly, white locks of hair that grow continuously.
- The goats are usually sheared twice a year, giving about 4 to 5 kg of mohair per goat per year.
- Kid mohair, from young goats, is the finest and softest.
Properties of mohair:
- It is very lustrous (shiny) and smooth, because its fibre scales are flat and less overlapping than those of sheep's wool.
- It is durable, elastic, resistant to creasing and takes dye very well.
- It is warm in winter but also breathes well, so it is comfortable in different climates.
- It is often called the "diamond fibre".
Uses:
- Sweaters, scarves, suits, coats and shawls.
- Upholstery, carpets, rugs and drapery.
- Doll's hair and teddy bear fur.
Major producers:
South Africa is the world's largest producer of mohair, followed by the United States (Texas) and Turkey. Lesotho also produces significant amounts.
Other animal fibres (for comparison):
- Angora wool: from the Angora rabbit; very soft and fluffy.
- Cashmere: from the soft undercoat of Kashmir and other cashmere goats.
- Pashmina: a fine cashmere from the Changthangi goat of Ladakh.
- Merino wool: from Merino sheep, the finest sheep's wool; Australia is the largest producer.
- Yak hair and wool: from yaks of Tibet and the Himalayas, used for ropes, tents and warm clothing.
- Alpaca and vicuna: from South American camelids.
- Silk: from silkworm cocoons.
In India:
India produces small quantities of mohair and angora wool. Angora rabbits are reared in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Angora wool comes from the Angora rabbit, not the goat.
- ✗Merino sheep give fine wool, not mohair.
- ✗Good to know
- ✗Yak hair is used mainly for ropes, tents and coarse cloth.
Quick tip
Remember: Mohair = Angora goat (Turkey origin; South Africa largest producer); angora wool = Angora rabbit; cashmere and pashmina = cashmere goats.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Agriculture in India Questions
View all ›- Q1.Who is known as the 'Father of the Green Revolution' in India?
- Q2.The 'Yellow Revolution' in India is related to the production of:
- Q3.In Madhya Pradesh, slash-and-burn (shifting) agriculture is known as:
- Q4.The variety of rice known as 'miracle rice', first harvested in India in the late 1960s with exceptional yields, was:
- Q5.'Johads' and 'Khadins' are traditional methods of water harvesting used in which state?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Agriculture in India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Agriculture in India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers agriculture in India: cropping seasons (kharif, rabi and zaid), major food and cash crops and their leading producer states, irrigation, the Green, White, Blue and other agricultural revolutions, and allied activities such as animal husbandry and fisheries. Questions usually ask which crop belongs to which season, which state is the largest producer of a crop, and which revolution relates to which product. For example, the White Revolution relates to milk and was led by Verghese Kurien, and the Blue Revolution relates to fisheries. Producer rankings can change from year to year, so check the latest data for those questions. Practise the agriculture in India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.