Quiz: The Rise and Legacy of the Marathas — 25 questions

1. What was the outcome of Aurangzeb’s long conflict with the Marathas?

A. He captured Sambhaji and Raigad, then incorporated the Maratha leadership into the Mughal court

B. He defeated the Marathas completely after capturing Sambhaji and establishing peace in the Deccan

C. He captured Sambhaji and Raigad but died without subduing the wider Maratha resistance

D. He lost Raigad but preserved Sambhaji’s authority through a negotiated settlement

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Aurangzeb captured and executed Sambhaji and also captured Raigad, yet he died without overcoming the broader Maratha resistance. These victories against particular leaders and places did not amount to subduing the entire Maratha movement.

2. What did Shivaji begin doing at the age of sixteen to consolidate the Pune region?

A. He captured neglected or unoccupied forts and strengthened their defences

B. He expanded into southern India through a campaign known as dakshina-digvijaya

C. He received jagirs from a ruler in exchange for military service

D. He established a coastal navy to protect merchant ships from foreign attacks

Answer: (A)

Explanation

At sixteen, Shivaji began consolidating Pune by taking neglected or unoccupied forts and improving their defences. The southern expansion belonged to a later phase, while the other choices describe different developments.

3. What was Tarabai’s major contribution to Maratha history after Rajaram’s death?

A. She conquered Thanjavur and created a culture blending Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi influences.

B. She organised resistance against Mughal territories and preserved Maratha independence.

C. She governed through public works and developed the Maheshwar weaving industry.

D. She promoted medical treatment, printing, and the development of modern Carnatic music.

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Tarabai organised Maratha armies against Mughal territories and helped preserve Maratha independence during a critical period after Rajaram’s death. The other descriptions concern Ahilyabai Holkar, Ekoji, or Serfoji II.

4. What distinguished a bārgīr from a shiledār in the Maratha cavalry?

A. A bārgīr used state-funded horses and equipment, whereas a shiledār supplied his own.

B. A bārgīr commanded naval forces, whereas a shiledār commanded fortress garrisons.

C. A bārgīr served as infantry, whereas a shiledār served as a cavalry officer.

D. A bārgīr supplied horses to the state, whereas a shiledār received equipment from it.

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Bārgīrs were cavalry soldiers whose horses and equipment were paid for by the state, while shiledārs provided their own. The distinction concerned military financing and equipment, not differences between naval, infantry, and cavalry commands.

5. What were chauth and sardeshmukhi?

A. Taxes of 25 percent and an additional 10 percent imposed on provinces outside direct Maratha rule for protection and non-interference

B. Taxes of 10 percent and an additional 25 percent imposed within directly governed Maratha provinces for land administration

C. Trade duties of 25 percent and 10 percent imposed on ports in return for commercial privileges and naval protection

D. Military levies of 25 percent and 10 percent collected from soldiers to fund forts and cavalry

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Chauth amounted to 25 percent and sardeshmukhi added 10 percent in provinces outside direct Maratha rule, in return for protection and non-interference in internal administration. These were external provincial levies, not taxes collected from soldiers or ordinary port trade.

6. What combination best explains the end of Maratha power in 1818?

A. Internal disunity combined with superior British organization and technology

B. A succession agreement combined with the voluntary retirement of the Peshwa

C. A Mughal alliance combined with Portuguese control of western Indian ports

D. A famine combined with the disappearance of Maratha cavalry from the Deccan

Answer: (A)

Explanation

The three Anglo-Maratha wars, fought from 1775 to 1818, ended Maratha power amid internal disunity and British organizational and technological advantages. The decline was not caused by a Mughal alliance or a voluntary withdrawal from politics.

7. Why did the devotional compositions of bhakti saints spread widely between the seventh and seventeenth centuries?

A. They used popular languages and addressed diverse social groups

B. They restricted religious teaching to trained Sanskrit scholars

C. They depended on formal rituals conducted in royal courts

D. They focused on military service and political administration

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Bhakti saints composed songs and poetry in popular languages, making devotional teachings accessible to broad and socially diverse audiences. Formal ritualism did not provide the same accessible path described in this tradition.

8. Which tactic is characteristic of guerrilla warfare?

A. Naval fleets protect coastal resources through permanent maritime patrols

B. Large organised armies rely on fixed formations and extended supply lines

C. Small mobile groups use speed, surprise, and terrain knowledge against larger armies

D. Mounted forces occupy major forts through prolonged conventional sieges

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Guerrilla warfare depends on small groups using mobility, surprise, and knowledge of local terrain to challenge larger forces. Large organised formations and fixed operations are more characteristic of conventional warfare.

9. How did the Maratha Navy achieve victories under Kanhoji Angre despite having less advanced ships than European fleets?

A. It copied European ship designs and matched their technology over time.

B. It relied on heavier cannons and larger ships than European fleets.

C. It avoided naval battles and focused on defending inland fortifications.

D. It used local geography together with effective naval tactics.

Answer: (D)

Explanation

Under Kanhoji Angre, the Maratha Navy used knowledge of geography and effective tactics to win battles despite technological disadvantages in ship design. Its success therefore came from strategic use of the maritime environment rather than superior vessels.

10. Which combination best describes Ahilyabai Holkar’s rule?

A. She established a medical institution and printing press while patronising Carnatic music.

B. She founded Maratha rule in Thanjavur and encouraged Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi exchange.

C. She led military resistance and expanded Maratha power against Mughal territories.

D. She governed for thirty years and advanced public works and the Maheshwar weaving industry.

Answer: (D)

Explanation

After losing her husband and son, Ahilyabai Holkar governed for thirty years, built or restored public works, and promoted Maheshwar weaving. Military resistance, Thanjavur’s conquest, and Serfoji II’s cultural institutions belong to different figures.

11. How did Maratha political structure change after Shivaji’s centralized state?

A. It became more decentralized, while chiefs gained autonomy and the Peshwa gained influence over the Chhatrapati

B. It became more centralized, while chiefs lost autonomy and the Chhatrapati gained control over the Peshwa

C. It became a Mughal province, while governors replaced chiefs and the emperor selected the Peshwa

D. It became a hereditary confederacy, while chiefs lost authority and ministers served the Chhatrapati directly

Answer: (A)

Explanation

The later Maratha state was more decentralized, with powerful chiefs gaining autonomy and the Peshwa becoming influential even over the Chhatrapati. This differed from the more centralized political structure associated with Shivaji’s reign.

12. What best defines the Marathas before the rise of the Maratha Empire?

A. A mercantile community based mainly along the western coast

B. A Deccan people associated with the Marathi language

C. A military order created by the Mughal administration

D. A pan-Indian dynasty formed across northern kingdoms

Answer: (B)

Explanation

The Marathas were native to the Deccan plateau, especially present-day Maharashtra, and were identified with Marathi. Their later empire became pan-Indian, but that political expansion should not be confused with their regional origins.

13. Why did Shivaji establish the Maratha Navy?

A. To imitate Bijapur’s merchant ships and use them for commercial transport

B. To replace the limited Mughal navy as the main fleet in the Indian Ocean

C. To protect west-coast resources with a full-time coastal defence force

D. To expand merchant trade without maintaining a military presence at sea

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Shivaji established the Maratha Navy to secure west-coast resources through a dedicated coastal defence force. Merchant ships served trade, whereas the Maratha Navy was created as a full-time military force; Bijapur lacked such coastal defence and the Mughal navy was limited.

14. Which policy did Shivaji use to limit the independent power of officials?

A. He paid officials from the treasury and periodically transferred them instead of allowing hereditary posts

B. He allowed local chiefs to collect revenue independently and retain posts within their families

C. He replaced salaried officials with religious leaders who governed districts through inherited authority

D. He granted officials hereditary offices and permanent land assignments in exchange for military service

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Shivaji abolished hereditary posts and land assignments, paid officials through the state treasury, and transferred them periodically to restrain their independent power. Hereditary officeholding represents the practice he sought to limit.

15. How did Shivaji’s Rājya-Vyavahāra-Koṣha support cultural and administrative policy?

A. It translated Marathi poems into Persian and expanded Persian use in diplomatic exchanges.

B. It replaced local languages with a standardized administrative language based on Arabic.

C. It supplied Sanskrit equivalents for Persian diplomatic terms and promoted Marathi and Sanskrit.

D. It recorded military victories in Tamil and established Tamil as the court language.

Answer: (C)

Explanation

The Rājya-Vyavahāra-Koṣha provided Sanskrit equivalents for Persian diplomatic vocabulary, supporting Shivaji’s promotion of Marathi and Sanskrit. It therefore represented a move away from the earlier dominance of Persian in diplomatic usage.

16. What was the aṣhtapradhana mandala under Shivaji?

A. A council of eight ministers responsible for finance, intelligence, justice, revenue, religion, war, and foreign affairs

B. A military body of eight regional commanders responsible for defending the main forts and collecting tribute

C. A judicial assembly of eight nobles responsible for succession disputes and religious ceremonies

D. A revenue network of eight provincial governors responsible for agriculture, trade, taxation, and irrigation

Answer: (A)

Explanation

The aṣhtapradhana mandala was Shivaji’s council of eight ministers, covering offices such as finance, intelligence, land revenue, justice, religious affairs, military command, and foreign affairs. It was a governing council rather than a regional military or revenue network.

17. Which statement best captures the broader legacy of the Marathas?

A. They adopted British political institutions and developed the first Indian empire under colonial rule.

B. They built India’s largest pre-British empire, challenged Mughal dominance, and inspired later ideas of self-rule.

C. They preserved Mughal dominance while limiting their administration to regional fort defense.

D. They created a short-lived trading federation without major administrative or cultural influence.

Answer: (B)

Explanation

The Marathas established the largest Indian empire before the British, challenged Mughal dominance, and promoted administrative efficiency and cultural confidence. Their legacy also influenced later ideas of self-rule, rather than emerging from British institutions or having little wider influence.

18. What role did the historical Maratha panchayat perform?

A. It was a local gathering that delivered justice, with appeals to a Maratha chief.

B. It was a military council that planned campaigns and appointed cavalry commanders.

C. It was a modern governmental body that administered villages through elected councils.

D. It was a commercial guild that regulated trade and settled merchant disputes.

Answer: (A)

Explanation

The historical panchayat consisted of local officials and prominent men who delivered justice, while appeals could be made to a Maratha chief. It should not be confused with the modern governmental Panchayat.

19. In which year was Chhatrapati Shivaji born, and to which family did he belong?

A. He was born in 1640 into the Bhonsle clan to Shahji and Tarabai

B. He was born in 1630 into the Bhonsle clan to Shahji and Jijabai

C. He was born in 1630 into the Bhonsle clan to Afzal Khan and Jijabai

D. He was born in 1627 into the Sisodia clan to Shahji and Jijabai

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Shivaji was born in 1630 in the Bhonsle clan to Shahji and Jijabai. The other choices alter either the year, the family, or one of his parents.

20. What strategic result did Shivaji’s dakshina-digvijaya produce?

A. It established Maratha control over Bengal and the eastern Mughal provinces

B. It transferred the Maratha capital from Raigad to the port of Surat

C. It brought the Marathas under direct Mughal administration in the Deccan

D. It extended Maratha power into northern Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka

Answer: (D)

Explanation

The dakshina-digvijaya expanded Shivaji’s power into northern Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka, creating strategic depth against Mughal invasion. It did not place the Marathas under Mughal administration or extend their power to Bengal.

21. Why were Maratha forts considered the core of the state during invasions?

A. They replaced the need for cavalry by defending every settlement directly.

B. They concentrated commercial markets and protected merchants from taxation.

C. They controlled strategic routes and sheltered armies during guerrilla warfare.

D. They provided permanent bases for large armies fighting conventional battles.

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Forts controlled important routes and gave Maratha armies secure shelter during guerrilla warfare, helping the state survive invasions. Their value was strategic and defensive rather than based on replacing cavalry or serving mainly as commercial centers.

22. What occurred at Raigad in 1674?

A. Shivaji appointed Sambhaji as Peshwa after a military victory in the Deccan

B. Shivaji launched the dakshina-digvijaya toward northern Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

C. Shivaji signed a peace treaty with Aurangzeb and surrendered Raigad

D. Shivaji was coronated with full Vedic rites and took the title Shri Raja Shiva Chhatrapati

Answer: (D)

Explanation

In 1674, Shivaji underwent a coronation at Raigad using full Vedic rites and adopted the formal title Shri Raja Shiva Chhatrapati. The dakshina-digvijaya was an expansion campaign, not the coronation ceremony.

23. Which sequence correctly describes Maratha leadership after Shivaji’s death?

A. Sambhaji became Chhatrapati, Rajaram succeeded him and fled to Gingee, and Tarabai later led incursions

B. Rajaram became Chhatrapati, Sambhaji fled to Gingee, and Tarabai later negotiated Mughal peace

C. Sambhaji became Chhatrapati, Tarabai fled to Gingee, and Rajaram later organised incursions

D. Tarabai became Chhatrapati, Rajaram succeeded her, and Sambhaji later led incursions

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Sambhaji first became Chhatrapati, Rajaram later succeeded him and fled to Gingee, and Tarabai subsequently led major incursions into Mughal territories. Gingee is therefore associated with Rajaram’s flight, not with Sambhaji or Tarabai.

24. What did Shivaji’s concept of Swarajya seek to establish?

A. A sovereign kingdom with political, economic, and cultural independence

B. A temporary alliance between regional chiefs and the Mughal Empire

C. A land grant awarded by a ruler in return for military service

D. A revenue system administered through forts in the Pune region

Answer: (A)

Explanation

Swarajya expressed Shivaji’s vision of sovereign self-rule with political, economic, and cultural independence. A jagir, by contrast, was land granted by a ruler for service rather than an independent kingdom.

25. How did Chhatrapati Shivaji escape from house arrest at Agra with Sambhaji?

A. By disguising themselves as Mughal soldiers leaving the fort

B. By escaping through a tunnel beneath the palace courtyard

C. By bribing guards to open a secret gate at night

D. By hiding in baskets of fruits and sweets sent as gifts

Answer: (D)

Explanation

Shivaji and Sambhaji concealed themselves in baskets of fruits and sweets that were distributed as gifts. Sambhaji was Shivaji’s son, not a Mughal guard who assisted the escape.