Marathas MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Marathas - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Peshwa Baji Rao I.

Key Points

•  The Battle of Palkhed was fought on February 28, 1728, near the river Godavari in Maharashtra. It was Peshwa Baji Rao I, the Maratha's chief military leader, who achieved a decisive victory over the forces of the Nizam of Hyderabad in this conflict.
• This successful campaign significantly demonstrated the efficiency and prowess of Baji Rao I's guerrilla warfare techniques, an important factor that greatly contributed to the expansion of Maratha power in India during the 18th century.
• The victory in this battle also marked the emblematic ascendancy of the Maratha Empire in South India.

Additional Information

• Peshwa Baji Rao I, serving from 1720 to 1740, was one of the most influential leaders of the Maratha Empire in India and was instrumental in its expansion.
• Exhibiting exceptional military acumen, he successfully invaded significant regions of central and northern India.
• Best known for winning the Battle of Palkhed against the Nizam of Hyderabad, his leadership marked the zenith of Maratha dominance.
• He was a pioneer of guerrilla warfare and his expeditions expanded Maratha influence beyond the Deccan.
• Dedicated and visionary, he is often celebrated for never losing a battle. Baji Rao I's contributions to the Maratha Empire are monumental and enduring.

The correct answer is Raigad.

• The Maratha empire dominated a large area of India in the 18th century.

Key Points

• Shivaji was named Chhatrapati in 1674 and the Maratha empire came to an end in 1818 after the defeat of Peshwa Bajirao II by the British East India company.
• This initially began by freeing the people from the Sultanate of Bijapur when he won Fort Torna in 1645 and after this, it continued by winning other forts.
• His aim was to establish an empire of self-rule of the Hindu people.
• He kept Raigad as his capital and they gave tough fights to Mughals to defend his kingdom.

The most important reason for the collection of "Chauth" and "Sardeshmukhi" by Marathas was to increase their source of income.

• Chauth and Sardeshmukhi were taxes collected by the Marathas from territories they conquered or protected.
• Chauth was 1/4th of the revenue collected from the territories, while Sardeshmukhi was an additional 10% of the revenue collected.
• These taxes were a significant source of income for the Marathas and helped finance their military campaigns and administration.

Additional Information

• While the Marathas did aim to expand their territories and consolidate their political influence, the primary reason for collecting Chauth and Sardeshmukhi was financial gain.
• Additionally, the opposition of Mughal rulers was a factor that contributed to the Maratha's ability to collect these taxes, but it was not the most important reason.

The correct answer is Peshwa.

Key Points

• The peshwa, also known as the Mukhya pradhan, originally headed the advisory council of the Raja Shivaji.
• After Shivaji’s death the council broke up and the office lost its primacy, but it was revived when Shivaji’s grandson Shahu appointed Balaji Vishvanath Bhat, a Chitpavan Brahman, as peshwa in 1714.
• Balaji’s son Baji Rao I secured the hereditary succession to the peshwa ship.
• Peshwas were the loyal ministers of Marathas state who were appointed to assist the king in different administrative as well as political affairs.
• The Peshwas named their secretariat as Huzur Daftar which was situated in Poona.

Additional Information

• List of Peshwas Loyal Minister of Marathas.

'Sardeshmukhi' in the Maratha regime was a tax levied on revenue.

• The Maratha kingdom was another powerful regional kingdom to arise out of sustained opposition to the Mughal rule.
• Poona became the capital of the Maratha kingdom.
• Chauth was a tax or tribute imposed, from the early eighteenth century, by the Maratha Empire in India.
• It was nomi­nally levied at 25% on revenue or produce.

The correct answer is Third.Key Points

• The Anglo-Maratha War that resulted in merging the Peshwas' territories with the Bombay Presidency was the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
• This war took place between 1817 and 1819 and was fought between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire.
• The British won the war and as a result, the Peshwas' territories, which included Pune, were annexed by the British and merged with the Bombay Presidency.
• This war was significant in the history of India as it marked the end of the Maratha Empire's power and paved the way for British dominance in India.

Additional Information

• The First Anglo-Maratha War took place between 1775 and 1782 and was fought between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire.
  • The British were unable to defeat the Marathas and the war ended with the Treaty of Salbai.
• The Second Anglo-Maratha War took place between 1803 and 1805 and was fought between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire.
  • The British won the war and as a result, the Marathas lost a significant amount of territory.
• The third Anglo-Maratha War took place between 1817 and 1819 and was fought between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire.
  • The British were successful in defeating the Marathas and the war ended with the Treaty of Mandsaur.

The correct answer is 1674 AD:

Key Points

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:
  • He was the second son of Shahaji, was the creator of the Maratha nation.
  • He united the Maratha Chiefs from Malwa, Konkan, and Desh regions to carve out a small kingdom.
  • He took control of the hereditary Jagir after the death of his guardian Konadev in 1647.
  • He was born in the hill fort of Shivner in 1627.
  • He began his military career at a young age. He captured the fort of Toran in 1656.
  • From 1656, he started capturing many other forts from the local officers of Bijapur.
  • Shivaji was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati (Monarch) of his realm at Raigad in 1674.

The correct answer is Bhonsle.

Key Points

• The title "Chhatrapati" was created by Shivaji upon his coronation which means a protector than merely using the term "Raja" or "Maharaja" meaning just a "king".
• The Bhonsle originated among the populations of the Deccani tiller-plainsmen who were known by the names Kunbi and Maratha.
• The Bhonsle is a prominent group within the Maratha clan system
• Chattrapati Sivaji was born on 19 February 1630.

Additional Information

• The immediate successors of Shivaji are -  Sambhaji, Rajaram, and Shahu.
• After the death of Shahu, the Peshwas and Marathas increased their power.

'Sardeshmukhi' in the Maratha regime was a tax levied on revenue.

• The Maratha kingdom was another powerful regional kingdom to arise out of sustained opposition to the Mughal rule.
• Poona became the capital of the Maratha kingdom.
• Chauth was a tax or tribute imposed, from the early eighteenth century, by the Maratha Empire in India.
• It was nomi­nally levied at 25% on revenue or produce.

The correct answer is Peshwa.

Key Points

• The peshwa, also known as the Mukhya pradhan, originally headed the advisory council of the Raja Shivaji.
• After Shivaji’s death the council broke up and the office lost its primacy, but it was revived when Shivaji’s grandson Shahu appointed Balaji Vishvanath Bhat, a Chitpavan Brahman, as peshwa in 1714.
• Balaji’s son Baji Rao I secured the hereditary succession to the peshwa ship.
• Peshwas were the loyal ministers of Marathas state who were appointed to assist the king in different administrative as well as political affairs.
• The Peshwas named their secretariat as Huzur Daftar which was situated in Poona.

Additional Information

• List of Peshwas Loyal Minister of Marathas.

Option 4 is not correct.

Key Points

• We do find inscriptions for the period after 700 AD. An old inscription was found in Kandahar, present-day Afghanistan, dated about 2250 years ago. Hence, option 1 is correct.
• Historians rely on coins, inscriptions, architecture, and textual records for information for the study of the period from 700 to 1750.
• We do find inscriptions for the period after 700 AD. Some examples include:
  • A Sanskrit prashasti describing the achievements of Nagabhatta, a Pratihara king has been found in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
  • Copper plates have been recovered describing land grants made by kings to their subjects.
  • A Chola king, Rajaraja I inscribed his military achievements on the walls of the Brihadeswara temple in Thanjavur, which was constructed during his rule.
• Inscriptions have been discovered from Uttaramerur in Chinglepur, Tamil Nadu, they give information about the Chola assemblies.
• The Marathas asserted their political importance during the 700 and 1750 CE periods. Chatrapati Shivaji directly challenged Mughal supremacy.
• Between the eighth and fourteenth centuries, the term was applied more generally to a group of warriors who claimed Kshatriya caste status. The term included not just rulers and chieftains but also soldiers and commanders who served in the armies of different monarchs all over the subcontinent.
• A chivalric code of conduct – extreme valor and a great sense of loyalty – were the qualities attributed to Rajputs by their poets and bards. Other groups of people such as the Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms, and Kayasthas (a caste of scribes and secretaries) also used the opportunities of the age to become politically important. Hence, Option 2 is correct.
• Forest-dwellers were sometimes pushed out of their lands with the spread of agricultural settlements. Hence, Option 3 is correct.
• Throughout the period of 600-1750, there was a gradual clearing of forests and the extension of agriculture, a change faster and more complete in some areas than in others. Changes in their habitat forced many forest-dwellers to migrate.
• Delhi Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban (1266-1287) explained that he was the ruler of a vast empire that stretched from Bengal (Gauda) in the east to Ghazni (Gajjana) in Afghanistan in the west and included all of south India (Dravida). People of different regions – Gauda, Andhra, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat – apparently fled before his armies. Hence, Option 4 is incorrect.

The correct answer is Tanaji Malusare.

• Tanaji Malusare was a military assistant of Maratha King Shivaji.
• The Sinhagad fort also known as the Kondhana fort.
• The battle was fought between Tanaji Malusare, from the Shivaji side, and UdayBhan Singh Rathore, from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb side.
• The battle of Kondhana was fought on 04 Feb 1670 on the fort of Sinhabad.

Additional Information

• A local poet Tulsidas wrote a powada describing Tanaji's heroics and sacrifice of life in the Battle of Sinhagad.
• Gad ala pan sinh gela, a Marathi novel by Hari Narayan Apte was written in 1903, based on his life.

Bargir infantry is the Maratha equivalent of European line infantry.

• They possess slightly superior base statistics; however, in the early game they are no match for the specialized melee infantry and they cannot utilize Fire by Rank, putting them at a disadvantage when compared to European line infantry in the late game.
• However, Bargir Infantry is one of the strongest line infantry in the Indian subcontinent.​

Thus, we can conclude that the royal cavalry of Shivaji was called Bargir.

Important Points

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire, raised a small yet effective land army.
• For better administration, Shivaji abolished the land-grants or jagir for military officers and instituted a system of salary or cash payment for their services.

The correct answer is Treaty of Mandeshwar.

Key Points

• Treaty of Mandeshwar was signed as a result of the Third Anglo-Maratha War between the British and the Holkar chief in 1818.
• The Treaty of Mandeswar brings an end to the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
• This ended  the dominance of Marathas, and enhancing the power of the British East India Company, which controls territory occupied by 180 million Indians.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Raigad.

• The Maratha empire dominated a large area of India in the 18th century.

Key Points

• Shivaji was named Chhatrapati in 1674 and the Maratha empire came to an end in 1818 after the defeat of Peshwa Bajirao II by the British East India company.
• This initially began by freeing the people from the Sultanate of Bijapur when he won Fort Torna in 1645 and after this, it continued by winning other forts.
• His aim was to establish an empire of self-rule of the Hindu people.
• He kept Raigad as his capital and they gave tough fights to Mughals to defend his kingdom.