Maratha Empire — Part 1 MCQs with Explanations

'Sardeshmukhi' is an additional 10% tax levied upon the collected 'Chauth'. The reasons for the additional tax was due to the King claiming hereditary rights upon the tax collection. This revenue assessment is related to the Vijayanagara Empire.

Shivaji was crowned king of Maratha Swaraj in a lavish ceremony on 6 June 1674 at Raigarh fort.

Shivaji maintained a fleet at Kolaba to plunder the Mughal trading vessels and also to check the pirates.

The Treaty of Purandar was signed on June 11, 1665, between the Rajput ruler Jai Singh I, who was commander of the Mughal Empire, and Maratha Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji was forced to sign the agreement after Jai Singh besieged Purandar fort.

One unit in the cavalry was formed of 25 troopers; over them was placed a havaldar, and five havaldars formed one jumla under a jumladar. Ten jumladars made a hazari charge, and five hazaris were placed under a panjhazari, who was given a salary of 2000 huns.

Jai Singh advised Shivaji to proceed to Agra and meet the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to ratify the treaty. Jai Singh assured Shivaji that he would not be harmed during his journey to and stay at Agra. Shivaji saw the truce as an opportunity for respite and to consolidate his strength.

Guru Ram Das was a spiritual guru of Shivaji. Shivaji gave a Sanad to the fort of Parli to Ramdas. The fort was later renamed Sajjangad. Ramdas not only spiritually, but also advised Shivaji on tactical and warfare strategies.

In January 1664, with 4000 picked Maratha soldiers Sivaji attacked and sacked Surat. He set fire to thousands of houses in Surat. Sivaji left Surat carrying away gold, silver, pearls, and diamonds amounting to more than a crore of rupees.

Peshwa’s office at Poona called Huzur Daftar was the center of Maratha administration. It was an extensive establishment having several offices and different bureaucratic departments. The most important department was the El Beriz Daftar and the Chalte Daftar.

An Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan, Shivaji was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati (Monarch) of his realm at Raigad in 1674.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji was the Maratha ruler (1680-1688 AD). He was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Maharani Saibai.

Baji Rao (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740) was a general of the Maratha Empire in India. He served as Peshwa (General) to the fifth Maratha Chhatrapati (Emperor) Shahu from 1720 until his death. He is also known by the name Bajirao Ballal.

Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630–1680) was a Maratha aristocrat of the Bhosale clan who is considered to be the founder of the Maratha empire.

Baji Rao II (10 January, 1775 – 28 January, 1851) was the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, and governed from 1795 to 1818. He was installed as a puppet ruler by the Maratha nobles, whose growing power prompted him to flee his capital Pune and sign the Treaty of Bassein (1802) with the British.

He used cannons and ammunition from the Portuguese to attack the English. In June 1661, Shivaji's soldiers plundered Rajapur and captured several Englishmen. This was payback for the english aid to Bijapur. The folowing year he captured a band of Englishmen in Surat for supplying ammunition to his enemies.

After a lifetime of warfare with Adilshah of Bijapur and Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Shivaji founded an independent Maratha kingdom in 1674 with Raigad as its capital.

Shivaji founded an independent Hindu Maratha Kingdom in 1674 with Raigarh as its capital.

Chauth (from Sanskrit meaning one-fourth) was a regular tax or tribute imposed, from early 18th century, by the Maratha Empire in India. It was an annual tax nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name. It was levied on the lands which were under nominal Mughal rule. It is a tribute paid to the king.

Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Maratha Emperor Shahu to consolidate his grip on a kingdom that had been racked by civil war and persistent attack by the Mughals under Aurangzeb. He was called "the second founder of the Maratha State."

Shivaji was forced to sign the agreement after Jai Singh besieged Purandar fort. When Shivaji realised that war with the Mughal Empire would only cause damage to the empire and that his men would suffer heavy losses, he chose to make a treaty instead of leaving his men under the Mughals.

In his early days Shivaji moved with Mawali leaders.

Shivaji was crowned on this day in 1674. The founder of the Maratha empire was formally crowned as Chhatrapati of Raigad on this day, June 6, in the year 1674.

After the death of Rajaram (1700 A.D) Marathas continued the war against the Mughals under the leadership of Tarabai (Garurdion of Shivaji-II). When Bajirao came to power, the mughal empire was much weakened. The credit to the weakening of the mughals goes not to Bajirao but to his predecessors like Shivaji, Shivaji's son Sambhaji, Shivaji's second son Rajaram and later Rajaram's wife Tarabai also to generals like Santaji and Dhanaji who fought for Rajaram.

In 1664 and 1670, Shivaji had organized two plundering raids on Surat, which was a part of Mughal territory. The rulers of Deccan were already familiar with these terms well before Shivaji. In fact, Portuguese had also paid these taxes to the neighbouring kings of their territories to avoid conflicts with them.

Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar in what is now Pune district. Scholars disagree on his date of birth. Shivaji was named after a local deity, the goddess Shivai. Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhonsle was a Maratha general who served the Deccan Sultanates.

Shivaji was a disciple of Ramdas Samarth. Shivaji introduced the collection of two taxes called the Chauth and 'Sardeshmukhi'.

The Marathas first served the rulers of Muhammadan kingdoms of the south.

The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy (Mandala or Sangha) was an Indian power that dominated much of the Indian subcontinent in the 17th and 18th century. The empire formally existed from 1674 with the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji and ended in 1818 with the defeat of Peshwa Bajirao II.

Killing of Afzal Khan is one of the important milestones in Shivaji's life. He carried a weapon called wagh nakh ("tiger claws"), consisting of an iron finger-grip to attack Afzal Khan.

Shivaji (1627-1680) was a Maratha aristocrat of the Bhosle clan who is considered to be the founder of the Maratha empire. Shivaji led a resistance to free the Marathi people from the Sultanate of Bijapur from 1645 and establish Hindavi Swarajya (self-rule of Hindu people).

The Ashta Pradhan (also termed Asta Pradhad or the Council of 8) was a council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha empire. The council was formed in 1674 by their king, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shvaji created independent Maratha Kingdom with Raigarh (Maharashtra) is his Capital. Raigad was the capital of the Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

After his coronation Shivaji assumed the title of Chhatrapati Maharaja.

During Aurangzeb's march against Bijapur, Shivaji offered his services to him and began to attack the Konkan on behalf of the Mughals. Aurangzeb was called away by the war of succession in the north. Shivaji occupied almost whole of the Konkan.

The liberal religion preached by the saints of Maharashtra and rigidly followed by Shivaji is known as Maharashtra Dharma.

Treaty of Purander (1665) was signed between the Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Mughal military commander - Rajput Raja Jai Singh (on behalf of Emperor Aurangzeb) According to this Treaty: Shivaji ceded his forts to the Mughal and promised to provide imperial service of 5000 soldiers.

The Ashta Pradhan (also termed Asta Pradhad or the Council of 8) was a council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha empire. The council was formed in 1674 by their king, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Peshwa, the office of chief minister among the Maratha people of India. The peshwa, also known as the mukhya pradhan, originally headed the advisory council of the raja Shivaji (reigned c. 1659–80).

This was an era when the Mughals and the Marathas were constantly at war for control over the Deccan. In 1674, Shivaji had been crowned the ruler of the independent Maratha kingdom established by him. Under his able leadership, the empire quickly became a key political force in India at the height of Mughal power.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj started guerrilla warfare against the Mughals and other powers in 1645 leading to the establishment of the Maratha state in 1674, sowing seeds of what would become the last great empire (Maratha empire) in free India.