Q70. Which statement best explains the long-term significance of Shivaji’s achievements in early modern India?
[UP PGT (History), 2026]
(A) He built a durable state through administration, naval power and mobile warfare
(B) His achievements were confined entirely to religious conversion
(C) His policies had no effect beyond his lifetime
(D) He immediately united the entire Indian subcontinent
Answer: (A) He built a durable state through administration, naval power and mobile warfare
Explanation: Shivaji combined territorial administration, a network of forts, naval measures and mobile military tactics. These institutions helped create a durable Maratha state. His successors and later Peshwas expanded Maratha influence, although the subcontinent never became one unified state under him.
Q69. Which statement explains the ideological and administrative significance of Shivaji’s coronation in 1674?
[UP PGT (History), 2026]
(A) It reduced Maratha autonomy under the Mughals
(B) It asserted sovereignty, ritual legitimacy and an independent political order
(C) It dissolved the royal administrative system
(D) It was a purely private ceremony with no political implication
Answer: (B) It asserted sovereignty, ritual legitimacy and an independent political order
Explanation: The coronation at Raigad in 1674 publicly affirmed Shivaji’s standing as an independent Chhatrapati. Its ritual dimension reinforced royal legitimacy, while the assertion of sovereignty strengthened his political position against rival Deccan powers and the Mughal Empire.
Q68. Which statement best describes Shivaji’s military and naval policies?
[UP PGT (History), 2026]
(A) He relied entirely on open-field battles
(B) He avoided coastal defence and trade routes
(C) He adopted the Mughal military system without modification
(D) He combined mobile warfare, forts and naval strength to protect territory and commerce
Answer: (D) He combined mobile warfare, forts and naval strength to protect territory and commerce
Explanation: Shivaji adapted warfare to the Western Ghats and Konkan coast. Forts secured vital routes, mobile troops disrupted stronger opponents, and naval development addressed coastal defence. This combined strategy protected communications, resources and commercial interests more effectively than a single method could.
Q67. Which administrative combination was introduced or consolidated by Shivaji?
[UP PGT (History), 2026]
(A) Foreign mercenary rule and abolition of revenue records
(B) A hereditary assembly that could overrule the king
(C) No formal officials and no fort administration
(D) Ashtapradhan offices, systematic revenue administration and direct supervision of forts
Answer: (D) Ashtapradhan offices, systematic revenue administration and direct supervision of forts
Explanation: Shivaji used an eight-officer advisory arrangement, organized revenue and military systems, and supervised strategically important forts. The officials exercised delegated responsibilities but did not constitute a modern cabinet. This structure assisted state-building and limited dependence on autonomous local magnates.
Q66. Which description best captures Shivaji’s state-building strategy in the seventeenth-century Deccan?
[UP PGT (History), 2026]
(A) Exclusive dependence on heavy artillery
(B) Rejection of local alliances and administrative organization
(C) Reliance on foreign governors alone
(D) Combining mobile warfare, strategic forts and administrative consolidation
Answer: (D) Combining mobile warfare, strategic forts and administrative consolidation
Explanation: Shivaji’s success was not simply a series of raids. His regime brought together local political alliances, fort-based defence, flexible campaigning and administrative supervision. These complementary elements created a resilient regional kingdom even when confronted by larger Mughal and Bijapur forces.
Q65. Assertion (A): Shivaji strengthened central authority at the expense of some hereditary local chiefs.
Reason (R): The Ashtapradhan was a hereditary council that enforced feudal decentralization.
Choose the correct answer.
[UP PGT (History), 2026]
(A) A is true but R is false
(B) A is false but R is true
(C) Both are true, but R does not explain A
(D) Both are true and R explains A
Answer: (A) A is true but R is false
Explanation: Shivaji’s state-building sought to check some entrenched hereditary intermediaries through appointments and direct supervision. However, his eight principal officers were advisers serving under royal authority; the council was not originally constituted as an independent hereditary feudal assembly.
Q64. Identify the correct chronological sequence: (a) Shivaji’s coronation; (b) Balaji Vishwanath becomes Peshwa; (c) Third Battle of Panipat; (d) Treaty of Purandar.
[UPHESC Assistant Professor (History), 2026]
(A) a, b, d, c
(B) a, d, b, c
(C) d, a, b, c
(D) d, b, a, c
Answer: (C) d, a, b, c
Explanation: The Treaty of Purandar with Jai Singh came in 1665, followed by Shivaji’s coronation in 1674. Balaji Vishwanath became Peshwa in 1713, and the Marathas fought the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. Thus, d-a-b-c is chronological.
Q63. Match the Maratha terms:
(a) Chauth;
(b) Sardeshmukhi;
(c) Ashtapradhan;
(d) Mokasa,
with
(1) eight ministers;
(2) one-fourth levy;
(3) additional ten-percent claim;
(4) military revenue assignment.
[UPHESC Assistant Professor (History), 2026]
(A) a-2, b-3, c-1, d-4
(B) a-1, b-2, c-3, d-4
(C) a-3, b-2, c-1, d-4
(D) a-2, b-1, c-3, d-4
Answer: (A) a-2, b-3, c-1, d-4
Explanation: Chauth commonly denoted a claim of one-fourth of assessed revenue, and Sardeshmukhi an additional ten-percent claim. Ashtapradhan referred to Shivaji’s eight leading officials. Mokasa described a revenue assignment connected with maintenance or military obligations.
Q62. Which group correctly matches the institutions with their historical states: Nayankara, Tarafdari, Ashtapradhan and Mansabdari?
[UPHESC Assistant Professor (History), 2026]
(A) Marathas, Mughals, Vijayanagara, Bahmani
(B) Bahmani, Vijayanagara, Mughals, Marathas
(C) Vijayanagara, Marathas, Bahmani, Mughals
(D) Vijayanagara, Bahmani, Marathas, Mughals
Answer: (D) Vijayanagara, Bahmani, Marathas, Mughals
Explanation: Nayankara arrangements are associated with Vijayanagara, while Tarafdari belonged to the Bahmani administrative structure. Shivaji’s Maratha government used the Ashtapradhan, and the Mughal Empire developed the Mansabdari ranking and service system. Matching the institutions distinguishes contemporaneous political traditions.
Q61. In which language did Sant Tukaram compose the devotional verses known as abhangs?
[RRB NTPC (Graduate) CBT-I, 2026]
(A) Marathi
(B) Hindi
(C) Gujarati
(D) Kannada
Answer: (A) Marathi
Explanation: Tukaram, a major figure of the Varkari bhakti tradition in Maharashtra, composed abhang devotional poetry in Marathi. His verses centred on devotion to Vithoba of Pandharpur and helped shape the religious and literary environment preceding and surrounding Shivaji’s rise.
Q60. Consider the statements:
(A) Shivaji drew support from warrior families;
(B) local power-holders were called deshmukhs;
(C) mobile peasant-pastoral groups supported Maratha forces;
(D) Kunbis were associated with agrarian society.
Which are correct?
[CTET Social Studies Paper II, 2026]
(A) Only C and D
(B) A, B, C and D
(C) Only A, B and C
(D) Only A and C
Answer: (B) A, B, C and D
Explanation: The early Maratha political and military base drew upon landed warrior families, hereditary local intermediaries and mobile rural groups. Deshmukhs were influential local chiefs; Kunbis formed an important agrarian population. Together these networks assisted recruitment, intelligence, supplies and regional organization.
Q59. In which village was Ahilyabai Holkar born?
[RRB Group D, 2025]
(A) Nashik
(B) Chondi
(C) Paithan
(D) Maheshwar
Answer: (B) Chondi
Explanation: Ahilyabai was born in Chondi in present-day Maharashtra in 1725. She later ruled the Holkar dominions and is remembered for administration, public works and religious endowments. Maheshwar became especially associated with her rule, but it was not her birthplace.
Q58. After Shivaji’s death, which community became especially prominent through the later Peshwa office?
[SSC CGL, 2025]
(A) Mughals
(B) Deshmukhs
(C) Kunbis
(D) Chitpavan Brahmins
Answer: (D) Chitpavan Brahmins
Explanation: The Chitpavan Brahmin Peshwas rose to exceptional political importance in the eighteenth century, especially after Balaji Vishwanath and Baji Rao I. This development was gradual: direct succession initially passed to Shivaji’s descendants before executive authority shifted toward the Peshwas.
Q57. Match: Treaty of Surat (1775), Treaty of Salbai (1782), Treaty of Purandar (1665). Which mapping is correct?
[SSC CHSL Tier II, 2024]
(A) Surat-1665, Salbai-1775, Purandar-1782
(B) Surat-1775, Salbai-1782, Purandar-1665
(C) Surat-1665, Salbai-1782, Purandar-1775
(D) Surat-1782, Salbai-1775, Purandar-1665
Answer: (B) Surat-1775, Salbai-1782, Purandar-1665
Explanation: The Purandar treaty with Shivaji and Jai Singh dates to 1665. The British agreement with Raghunathrao at Surat occurred in 1775, while Salbai in 1782 settled the First Anglo-Maratha War. Confusing the two treaties named Purandar can cause errors.
Q56. Which Peshwa’s period is associated with Pune emerging as a leading political centre of Maratha power?
[RPSC Assistant Professor (History), 2024]
(A) Baji Rao I
(B) Balaji Vishwanath
(C) Madhavrao I
(D) Balaji Baji Rao
Answer: (A) Baji Rao I
Explanation: Baji Rao I was Peshwa from 1720 to 1740 and used Pune as an increasingly important centre while expanding Maratha influence across India. Delhi remained an imperial symbol, but actual power became fragmented among the Peshwa and regional authorities.
Q55. Which historian portrayed Shivaji as a proto-nationalist figure in influential writings on the Marathas?
[RPSC Assistant Professor (History), 2024]
(A) D. D. Kosambi
(B) H. C. Raychaudhuri
(C) Jadunath Sarkar
(D) K. M. Panikkar
Answer: (C) Jadunath Sarkar
Explanation: Jadunath Sarkar produced important historical studies of Shivaji and Mughal-Maratha relations. His interpretation emphasized military leadership and state formation. The description proto-nationalist reflects a historiographical reading, not an assertion that seventeenth-century political identities matched modern nationalism.
Q54. Which Maratha general was assassinated in Rajasthan during the eighteenth century?
[RPSC Assistant Professor (History), 2024]
(A) Mahadji Scindia
(B) Jayappa Scindia
(C) Malhar Rao Holkar
(D) Tukoji Holkar
Answer: (B) Jayappa Scindia
Explanation: Jayappa Scindia, an important Maratha commander active in Rajasthan, was assassinated during the struggle around Nagaur in 1755. He should not be confused with Mahadji Scindia, who later rebuilt Maratha power in northern India after Panipat.
Q53. Under which Peshwa did Maratha power extend effectively into Odisha?
[RPSC Assistant Professor (History), 2024]
(A) Balaji Baji Rao
(B) Balaji Vishwanath
(C) Baji Rao I
(D) Madhavrao I
Answer: (A) Balaji Baji Rao
Explanation: During Balaji Baji Rao’s Peshwaship, Maratha expansion in eastern India advanced through Raghuji Bhonsle and related campaigns. The 1751 settlement with Bengal’s Nawab recognized Maratha rights in Odisha. Provincial gains occurred through confederate chiefs, not only through direct Peshwa rule.
Q52. Who signed the Treaty of Bassein (1802) with the English East India Company?
[WBPSC WBCS Mains (History), 2024]
(A) The Sikh ruler
(B) Peshwa Baji Rao II
(C) Tipu Sultan
(D) Nizam-ul-Mulk
Answer: (B) Peshwa Baji Rao II
Explanation: Peshwa Baji Rao II sought British assistance after losing power at Pune and accepted the Treaty of Bassein in December 1802. Its subsidiary-alliance terms curtailed his independence and alarmed other Maratha chiefs, helping precipitate the Second Anglo-Maratha War.
Q51. In which year did the Third Battle of Panipat occur?
[WBPSC WBCS Mains (History), 2023]
(A) 1761
(B) 1740
(C) 1770
(D) 1707
Answer: (A) 1761
Explanation: The Third Battle of Panipat occurred on 14 January 1761 between the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Durrani’s coalition. The Marathas lost heavily, but their regional power did not disappear immediately. Subsequent leadership, especially Madhavrao I, enabled partial recovery.
Q50. Which Mughal emperor faced a major and sustained Maratha challenge in the Deccan?
[SSC Selection Post (Graduate), 2024]
(A) Humayun
(B) Aurangzeb
(C) Jahangir
(D) Babur
Answer: (B) Aurangzeb
Explanation: Aurangzeb’s long Deccan campaigns brought the Mughal state into direct confrontation with Shivaji and later Maratha leaders. Attempts to contain Maratha resistance were costly and protracted. Continued conflict contributed to imperial overstretch even after Shivaji’s death.
Q49. Which treaty concluded the First Anglo-Maratha War?
[UPSC CDS, 2023]
(A) Treaty of Bassein
(B) Treaty of Salbai
(C) Treaty of Deogaon
(D) Treaty of Mandsaur
Answer: (B) Treaty of Salbai
Explanation: The Treaty of Salbai, signed in 1782 and ratified subsequently, ended the First Anglo-Maratha War. The settlement restored a measure of peace between the East India Company and the Maratha leadership, enabling both sides to focus on other political challenges.
Q48. Arrange these events in order: (1) Afzal Khan encounter; (2) capture of Torna; (3) attack on Shaista Khan; (4) annexation of Javli.
[UPSC CDS, 2023]
(A) 2, 4, 1, 3
(B) 4, 2, 1, 3
(C) 1, 2, 3, 4
(D) 3, 1, 2, 4
Answer: (A) 2, 4, 1, 3
Explanation: Torna was captured in the 1640s, Javli was taken in 1656, Afzal Khan was killed at Pratapgad in 1659, and Shaista Khan was attacked at Pune in 1663. This sequence traces Shivaji’s transition from regional consolidation to major confrontation.
Q47. The Third Battle of Panipat was fought in which year?
[SSC MTS, 2023]
(A) 1761
(B) 1707
(C) 1786
(D) 1751
Answer: (A) 1761
Explanation: The encounter on 14 January 1761 pitted a Maratha army commanded by Sadashivrao Bhau against Ahmad Shah Durrani and his allies. Maratha casualties were severe, and the result reshaped northern Indian politics while leaving surviving Maratha states active.
Q46. Who was the adoptive father of Nana Sahib, a leader of the Kanpur uprising of 1857?
[SSC CGL, 2023]
(A) Baji Rao I
(B) Balaji Baji Rao
(C) Baji Rao II
(D) Balaji Vishwanath
Answer: (C) Baji Rao II
Explanation: Nana Sahib, also known as Dhondu Pant, was adopted by Baji Rao II, the last ruling Peshwa. After the British ended the Peshwaship in 1818, the family retained its connection to Bithoor. Nana Sahib later became prominent in 1857.
Q45. To which polity did the Saranjam system of military revenue assignments belong?
[UGC NET (History), 2023]
(A) Mughal Empire
(B) Vijayanagara Empire
(C) Maratha Empire
(D) Bahmani Sultanate
Answer: (C) Maratha Empire
Explanation: Saranjam referred to revenue assignments used to support military or administrative service, especially under the Maratha political system. Recipients could collect revenues from specified lands. The practice influenced the autonomy of military chiefs as the confederacy expanded.
Q44. Which Maratha claimant concluded the Treaty of Surat with the British in 1775?
(A) Narayan Rao
(B) Raghunathrao
(C) Madhavrao II
(D) Nana Phadnavis
Answer: (B) Raghunathrao
Explanation: Raghunathrao sought Company assistance in his struggle for the Peshwaship. The Treaty of Surat of 1775 tied British intervention to internal Maratha succession politics and became a central trigger of the First Anglo-Maratha War.
Q43. Under which Peshwa did eighteenth-century Maratha influence attain its widest reach before Panipat?
(A) Shivaji
(B) Balaji Vishwanath
(C) Baji Rao I
(D) Balaji Baji Rao
Answer: (D) Balaji Baji Rao
Explanation: The territorial reach of Maratha power became especially extensive under Balaji Baji Rao, also called Nanasaheb, between 1740 and 1761. Expansion involved semi-autonomous chiefs and claims extending far from Maharashtra, but such influence was uneven and difficult to coordinate.
Q42. Which territory passed to the East India Company through the Treaty of Deogaon in 1803?
[UPSC NDA II, 2022]
(A) Cuttack
(B) Murshidabad
(C) Surat
(D) Calicut
Answer: (A) Cuttack
Explanation: The Treaty of Deogaon followed the defeat of the Nagpur Bhonsle ruler during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The Company gained territories including Cuttack and coastal Odisha. The settlement significantly weakened Maratha influence along important eastern routes.
Q41. Arrange the following agreements from earliest to latest: (1) Salbai; (2) Purandar of 1776; (3) Wadgaon; (4) Surat.
[UPSC CDS, 2021]
(A) 4, 2, 3, 1
(B) 2, 4, 1, 3
(C) 1, 3, 2, 4
(D) 3, 2, 4, 1
Answer: (A) 4, 2, 3, 1
Explanation: Surat was concluded in 1775, the Anglo-Maratha Treaty of Purandar in 1776, the Convention of Wadgaon in 1779, and Salbai in 1782. This question refers to the 1776 Purandar agreement, not Shivaji’s 1665 treaty with Jai Singh.
Q40. Which Peshwa signed the Treaty of Bassein in December 1802?
[UPSC CDS, 2021]
(A) Baji Rao I
(B) Balaji Vishwanath
(C) Baji Rao II
(D) Madhavrao I
Answer: (C) Baji Rao II
Explanation: Baji Rao II accepted British protection following his defeat by Yashwantrao Holkar’s forces. The December 1802 Treaty of Bassein required a British subsidiary force and restricted external relations, angering other Maratha houses and contributing to war.
Q39. What was the prime minister of Shivaji’s Ashtapradhan called?
(A) Amatya
(B) Sachiv
(C) Peshwa
(D) Sumant
Answer: (C) Peshwa
Explanation: Peshwa originally meant the leading minister in Shivaji’s eight-officer framework. It was an office under the Chhatrapati, not an independent royal title. In the eighteenth century, successive Peshwas accumulated executive authority and increasingly dominated confederate politics.
Q38. Which Peshwa was known as Nanasaheb?
(A) Baji Rao I
(B) Balaji Baji Rao
(C) Madhavrao I
(D) Balaji Vishwanath
Answer: (B) Balaji Baji Rao
Explanation: Balaji Baji Rao, son of Baji Rao I, is commonly called Nanasaheb Peshwa. He held office from 1740 to 1761, when Maratha ambitions extended widely across India. His period concluded amid the severe losses at Panipat.
Q37. In which year was the Treaty of Salbai signed?
[SSC MTS (2020 cycle, held 2021)]
(A) 1773
(B) 1799
(C) 1794
(D) 1782
Answer: (D) 1782
Explanation: The Treaty of Salbai of 1782 ended the First Anglo-Maratha War and was negotiated through Mahadji Scindia. It established a settlement between the Maratha leadership and the English East India Company, generally permitting an interval of peace between them.
Q36. The Treaty of Mandsaur (1818) was concluded between the Holkar state and which European power?
[SSC MTS (2020 cycle, held 2021)]
(A) British
(B) Dutch
(C) Danish
(D) French
Answer: (A) British
Explanation: The Holkar state accepted the Treaty of Mandsaur after defeat at Mahidpur in 1817. The agreement with the East India Company in January 1818 restricted its sovereignty and reflected British successes against Maratha powers in the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
Q35. Which ruler received assistance from an eight-minister council called Ashtapradhan?
[BPSC Re-Examination (Prelims), 2020]
(A) Babur
(B) Akbar
(C) Aurangzeb
(D) Shivaji
Answer: (D) Shivaji
Explanation: Shivaji established the Ashtapradhan as a body of leading officials with designated spheres of responsibility. The eight posts covered executive supervision, finance, records, diplomacy, military affairs, law and religious duties. Royal authority nevertheless remained decisive.
Q34. Who established the Ashtapradhan in the Maratha state?
[BPSC Prelims, 2019]
(A) Chandragupta Maurya
(B) Ashoka
(C) Harshavardhana
(D) Shivaji
Answer: (D) Shivaji
Explanation: The eight leading departments associated with Shivaji’s administration were headed by officers known collectively as Ashtapradhan. While the positions had distinct responsibilities, the arrangement remained subordinate to the ruler. Later Peshwa predominance should not be projected unchanged onto Shivaji’s reign.
Q33. Who led the uprising of 1857 at Kanpur and was connected to the former Peshwa family?
[WBCS Prelims, 2019]
(A) Begum Hazrat Mahal
(B) Rani Lakshmibai
(C) Nana Sahib
(D) Kunwar Singh
Answer: (C) Nana Sahib
Explanation: Nana Sahib was an adopted son of Baji Rao II and a key leader of the Kanpur rebellion in 1857. The disputed continuation of the former Peshwa’s pension contributed to his grievances against Company rule, though 1857 had wider causes.
Q32. What was the Maratha claim for protection revenue from neighbouring territories called?
[UPPSC Prelims, 2018]
(A) Sardeshmukhi
(B) Chauth
(C) Abwab
(D) Jamadani
Answer: (B) Chauth
Explanation: Chauth was broadly a claim equivalent to one-fourth of revenue in territories subject to Maratha demands, often linked to protection or non-interference. It differed from Sardeshmukhi, an additional claim of roughly ten percent asserted as a superior revenue right.
Q31. The Third Battle of Panipat occurred in which year?
[RRB Group D, 2018]
(A) 1761
(B) 1762
(C) 1763
(D) 1760
Answer: (A) 1761
Explanation: Maratha forces fought Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Afghan-led coalition on 14 January 1761. The defeat disrupted Maratha ambitions in northern India but did not end all Maratha authority. Regional houses later re-established significant influence before the British wars.
Q30. Which group of officers belonged to Shivaji’s Ashtapradhan: Mazumdar, Dabir, Waknis and Surnis?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims, 2017]
(A) Only Mazumdar and Dabir
(B) Only Dabir and Waknis
(C) Only Mazumdar, Waknis and Surnis
(D) All four
Answer: (D) All four
Explanation: All four titles were associated with Shivaji’s central administrative personnel. Mazumdar or Amatya handled accounts, Dabir or Sumant diplomacy, Waknis royal records, and Surnis or Sachiv correspondence. Their functions illustrate the differentiation of Maratha administrative offices.
Q29. Which Peshwa signed the Treaty of Bassein with the East India Company?
[Odisha Police SI Prelims, 2017]
(A) Baji Rao II
(B) Madhavrao
(C) Madhavrao Narayan
(D) Narayan Rao
Answer: (A) Baji Rao II
Explanation: Baji Rao II signed the Treaty of Bassein on 31 December 1802. Its subsidiary-alliance provisions compromised independent Maratha diplomacy and allowed British military intervention. Resistance by other confederate chiefs soon escalated into the Second Anglo-Maratha War.
Q28. Where was Shivaji formally crowned Chhatrapati?
[UPPSC Mains, 2016]
(A) Pune
(B) Kolhapur
(C) Raigad
(D) Ahmednagar
Answer: (C) Raigad
Explanation: Shivaji’s coronation was conducted at Raigad Fort in June 1674, with Gaga Bhatt associated with the principal Vedic ceremonies. The event gave formal expression to sovereign kingship and strengthened his state’s position in Deccan politics.
Q27. Which spiritual figure is traditionally associated with Shivaji as a guru?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2016]
(A) Samarth Ramdas
(B) Tukaram
(C) Vaman Pandit
(D) Gaga Bhatt
Answer: (A) Samarth Ramdas
Explanation: Samarth Ramdas is traditionally remembered as a spiritual figure associated with Shivaji and is known for Dasbodh. Historians debate the precise nature of their personal relationship, so the traditional association should be distinguished from claims of fully documented formal tutelage.
Q26. Arrange the events: (I) capture of Chakan; (II) Afzal Khan encounter; (III) early Mughal confrontation; (IV) sack of Surat.
[UPPSC RO/ARO Mains, 2016]
(A) I, III, II, IV
(B) I, II, III, IV
(C) II, IV, III, I
(D) II, III, I, IV
Answer: (A) I, III, II, IV
Explanation: In the standard chronology used in this examination question, Chakan precedes the early Mughal clash, followed by the Afzal Khan encounter of 1659 and the sack of Surat in 1664. The relative timing of individual early fort acquisitions varies among narratives.
Q25. Which coin was not counted among the silver denominations attributed to Shivaji’s kingdom in the examination?
[UPPSC RO/ARO Mains, 2016]
(A) Rupaya
(B) Lari
(C) Taka
(D) Ruka
Answer: (D) Ruka
Explanation: The examination’s classification identifies Ruka as the exception to the listed silver denominations. Coinage and local monetary terminology varied considerably across the seventeenth-century Deccan, so denominations should be studied with their metal, value and regional context.
Q24. Under Shivaji, the military title Sarnobat referred chiefly to which sphere?
[UPPSC Revenue Inspector, 2014]
(A) Finance
(B) Judicial affairs
(C) Village administration
(D) Military command
Answer: (D) Military command
Explanation: Sarnobat, also written Sar-i-Naubat, designated a senior military commander. The corresponding Senapati function formed part of the Ashtapradhan system. The office concerned command and organization of forces, not the judiciary, civilian correspondence or treasury.
Q23. What title was used for the official handling foreign affairs under Shivaji?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2014]
(A) Sumant
(B) Amatya
(C) Sar-i-Naubat
(D) Sachiv
Answer: (A) Sumant
Explanation: Sumant, also called Dabir, was associated with diplomatic correspondence and foreign relations in Shivaji’s administration. Amatya managed finance, Sachiv supervised correspondence and Sar-i-Naubat dealt with the military. These paired titles frequently appear in public-service examinations.
Q22. When was the Third Battle of Panipat fought?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2013]
(A) 14 January 1760
(B) 5 January 1761
(C) 14 January 1761
(D) 5 November 1556
Answer: (C) 14 January 1761
Explanation: The exact date was 14 January 1761. The Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau confronted the Afghan army of Ahmad Shah Durrani. The result was a major military disaster and affected Maratha leadership, logistics and northern political ambitions.
Q21. Ashtapradhan was the council of ministers in which political system?
[UPPSC Mains, 2013]
(A) Gupta Empire
(B) Chola Empire
(C) Vijayanagara Empire
(D) Maratha kingdom
Answer: (D) Maratha kingdom
Explanation: The term literally means eight principal officers and is closely associated with Shivaji’s state. Its members oversaw specified functions but depended on the ruler’s authority. The institution is distinct from the Mughal Mansabdari hierarchy or the Vijayanagara Nayankara framework.
Q20. Who was the Maratha leadership figure when Aurangzeb died in 1707?
[UPPSC Prelims, 2012]
(A) Sambhaji
(B) Rajaram
(C) Jijabai
(D) Tarabai
Answer: (D) Tarabai
Explanation: Tarabai, widow of Rajaram, led resistance during her son’s minority after Rajaram died in 1700. At Aurangzeb’s death in 1707 she remained an important Maratha leader. Shahu’s release subsequently intensified the internal contest for legitimate rule.
Q19. Which Maratha woman organized resistance against the Mughals after 1700?
[UPPSC Special Prelims, 2008]
(A) Ahilyabai Holkar
(B) Muktabai
(C) Tarabai
(D) Rukminibai
Answer: (C) Tarabai
Explanation: Tarabai took charge after Rajaram’s death in 1700 and led Maratha resistance during the prolonged Mughal war. Acting for her young son Shivaji II, she coordinated commanders and campaigns, demonstrating continuity in Maratha opposition beyond Shivaji’s own lifetime.
Q18. When did the Maratha Chhatrapati become largely ceremonial while the Peshwa became the effective ruler?
[UPPSC Mains, 2007]
(A) Balaji Vishwanath’s reign
(B) Baji Rao I’s reign
(C) Balaji Baji Rao’s period
(D) Madhavrao I’s period
Answer: (C) Balaji Baji Rao’s period
Explanation: Peshwa authority expanded over several generations, but by Balaji Baji Rao’s tenure the Chhatrapati’s effective powers were much reduced. The Sangola arrangement of 1750 is associated with the formal consolidation of Peshwa executive supremacy.
Q17. Which Rohilla chief was an important ally of Ahmad Shah Abdali around the Panipat campaign?
[UPPSC Mains, 2006]
(A) Ghulam Qadir
(B) Najib Khan (Najib-ud-Daula)
(C) Ali Muhammad Khan
(D) Hafiz Rahmat Khan
Answer: (B) Najib Khan (Najib-ud-Daula)
Explanation: Najib-ud-Daula was a prominent Rohilla leader and an influential ally of Ahmad Shah Abdali. His role in north Indian politics and support for the Afghan coalition mattered during the conflict culminating in the Third Battle of Panipat.
Q16. In which city was Shivaji detained before escaping from Mughal custody in 1666?
[MPPSC Prelims, 2005]
(A) Gwalior
(B) Agra
(C) Delhi
(D) Kanpur
Answer: (B) Agra
Explanation: Shivaji visited Aurangzeb’s court at Agra in 1666, where he was placed under confinement after a dispute over his reception. He subsequently escaped and returned to the Deccan. The episode became a turning point in Mughal-Maratha relations.
Q15. Which battle saw Shivaji’s forces secure a notable field victory against the Mughals in 1672?
[UPPSC Mains, 2005]
(A) Purandar
(B) Raigad
(C) Salher
(D) Shivneri
Answer: (C) Salher
Explanation: The Battle of Salher in 1672 was a significant open-field Maratha victory over Mughal forces. It demonstrates that Shivaji’s armies were not confined to guerrilla operations and could conduct conventional engagements when strategic conditions permitted.
Q14. Put these rulers in sequence: (1) Shahu; (2) Rajaram; (3) Sambhaji; (4) Shivaji II.
[UPPSC Mains, 2005]
(A) 3, 2, 1, 4
(B) 3, 2, 4, 1
(C) 2, 3, 1, 4
(D) 1, 2, 3, 4
Answer: (B) 3, 2, 4, 1
Explanation: Sambhaji succeeded Shivaji in 1680, Rajaram led the resistance after 1689, and Rajaram’s son Shivaji II was proclaimed under Tarabai’s regency in 1700. Shahu’s effective reign began after his release and subsequent struggle in 1707-08.
Q13. Which Peshwa sequence is chronologically correct? (1) Baji Rao I; (2) Balaji Baji Rao; (3) Balaji Vishwanath; (4) Madhavrao I.
[UPPSC Special Mains, 2004]
(A) 4, 3, 1, 2
(B) 1, 2, 3, 4
(C) 3, 1, 2, 4
(D) 2, 1, 4, 3
Answer: (C) 3, 1, 2, 4
Explanation: Balaji Vishwanath served from 1713 to 1720, Baji Rao I from 1720 to 1740, Balaji Baji Rao from 1740 to 1761, and Madhavrao I from 1761 to 1772. These administrations mark different stages in Peshwa ascendancy.
Q12. Who witnessed and described the Third Battle of Panipat as a contemporary chronicler?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims, 2003]
(A) Khafi Khan
(B) Kashiraj Pandit
(C) Dattaji Pingle
(D) Harcharan Das
Answer: (B) Kashiraj Pandit
Explanation: Kashiraj Pandit left an eyewitness-associated account of the 1761 Panipat campaign and its catastrophic losses. Such narratives are important historical sources, though scholars compare them with other evidence because eyewitness accounts may contain exaggeration and political perspectives.
Q11. Assertion: The Marathas became a major indigenous power amid Mughal decline. Reason: They were the first dynasty to articulate a modern united Indian nation-state. Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, 2003]
(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: (C) Assertion true, reason false
Explanation: The Marathas emerged as one of the strongest powers after Mughal political weakening. However, attributing to them the first modern conception of an Indian nation-state is historically anachronistic. Their polity developed through dynastic legitimacy, military expansion and regional alliances.
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.