Q10. Who reorganized or strengthened Maratha administration in the period after Sambhaji?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2000]
(A) Rajaram
(B) Balaji Vishwanath
(C) Gangabai
(D) Nanaji Deshmukh
Answer: (B) Balaji Vishwanath
Explanation: Balaji Vishwanath helped consolidate Shahu’s position and strengthen Peshwa administration in the early eighteenth century. His negotiations with Mughal authorities and management of competing Maratha chiefs enabled a more coherent confederate political structure after prolonged warfare.
Q9. Who was sent by Bijapur to confront Shivaji in 1659?
[UPPSC Prelims, 1999]
(A) Inayat Khan
(B) Afzal Khan
(C) Shaista Khan
(D) Sayyid Banda
Answer: (B) Afzal Khan
Explanation: Afzal Khan marched against Shivaji on behalf of the Bijapur Sultanate in 1659. He was killed during their encounter near Pratapgad, after which Shivaji gained a major strategic and psychological advantage in western Deccan politics.
Q8. Which officer in Shivaji’s Ashtapradhan handled foreign affairs?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 1998]
(A) Peshwa
(B) Sachiv
(C) Panditrao
(D) Sumant
Answer: (D) Sumant
Explanation: Sumant, also known as Dabir, dealt with foreign relations and diplomacy. Shivaji’s administrative titles frequently had Persianate and Marathi variants. The office was separate from Peshwa, who acted as principal minister, and Amatya, who handled finance.
Q7. In the Third Battle of Panipat, which side opposed the Marathas?
[MPPSC Prelims, 1998]
(A) Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Afghan-led army
(B) British East India Company
(C) Portuguese forces
(D) Tipu Sultan’s army
Answer: (A) Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Afghan-led army
Explanation: Ahmad Shah Durrani, also called Ahmad Shah Abdali, led an Afghan coalition against the Marathas in 1761. Indian allies included Rohilla leaders and the Nawab of Awadh. The British East India Company was not the direct opposing force in this battle.
Q6. Assertion: By about 1750 the Maratha kingdom had evolved into a Peshwa-dominated confederacy.
Reason: Later Chhatrapatis depended heavily on the Peshwa for executive power.
Which is correct?
[UPPSC Prelims, 1997]
(A) Both true and R explains A
(B) Both true but R does not explain A
(C) Assertion true, reason false
(D) Assertion false, reason true
Answer: (A) Both true and R explains A
Explanation: The growth of the Peshwa’s executive authority and the political weight of powerful Maratha houses weakened direct royal control. The 1750 Sangola settlement further entrenched this situation. The confederacy remained connected to Chhatrapati legitimacy despite dispersed power.
Q5. Ashtapradhan was associated with which Indian administrative system?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 1996]
(A) Gupta
(B) Chola
(C) Vijayanagara
(D) Maratha
Answer: (D) Maratha
Explanation: Ashtapradhan literally denotes eight principal officers and is particularly linked with Shivaji’s Maratha state. These posts were distinct from the Chola village institutions and from the Mughal military-administrative system, making the term a useful identifier of Maratha governance.
Q4. What script was used extensively in Maratha government documents?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 1995]
(A) Sharada
(B) Modi
(C) Brahmi
(D) Persian Nastaliq exclusively
Answer: (B) Modi
Explanation: Marathi administrative records were often written in the Modi script, a rapid cursive writing system. It facilitated correspondence and revenue accounts and remained in use across significant parts of western India long after Shivaji’s original kingdom.
Q3. Which factor set correctly explains the rise of Maratha power?
[UPPSC Prelims, 1992]
(A) Religious and cultural mobilization only
(B) Geography and military resources only
(C) Political leadership only
(D) Combined geography, social mobilization, political opportunity and leadership
Answer: (D) Combined geography, social mobilization, political opportunity and leadership
Explanation: Maratha rise reflected multiple interacting factors: the defensive advantages of hill country, local agrarian and military networks, the weakening of larger Deccan authorities, and effective leadership. No single religious, geographical or military factor adequately explains its growth.
Q2. Which ruler was assisted by an eight-member council called Ashtapradhan?
[UPPSC Prelims, 1991]
(A) Harshavardhana
(B) Samudragupta
(C) Shivaji
(D) Yashovarman
Answer: (C) Shivaji
Explanation: The Ashtapradhan system is associated with Shivaji’s government. Its eight senior officials had specialized responsibilities covering royal administration. They aided policy implementation and consultation but exercised authority under the Chhatrapati rather than replacing him.
Q1. What was Shivaji’s capital at the time of his coronation?
[UPPSC Prelims, 1990]
(A) Raigad
(B) Satara
(C) Purandar
(D) Thanjavur
Answer: (A) Raigad
Explanation: Raigad was developed as Shivaji’s capital and became the setting for his coronation in 1674. Its hill-fort location made it strategically defensible, while its role as a royal centre reflected the territorial consolidation of the new Maratha kingdom.
