65 RAS Prelims MCQs on the Marathas follow Shivaji, the Peshwas and the Anglo-Maratha wars. Questions ask for Shivaji’s forts and treaties, the Ashtapradhan, Baji Rao I’s campaigns, the Third Battle of Panipat, Mahadji Scindia, the treaties with the British and the reasons for Maratha decline.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 31–40 of 65 questions
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q31. Given below are two statements, one labeled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R). Read the statements and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): The Third Battle of Panipat did not decide who was to rule India, but rather who was not. Reason (R): The mutual exhaustion of the Marathas and the Afghans paved the way for the rise of British power in India.
Explanation
Panipat did not decide who would rule India but who would not, since the Marathas and the Afghans both lost strength. This exhaustion left room for British power to rise, so R explains A.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q32. Who was the actual commander of the Maratha army during the disastrous Third Battle of Panipat in 1761?
Explanation
Sadashivrao Bhau commanded the Maratha army at the Third Battle of Panipat, with Vishwasrao as the nominal head. Both were killed.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q33. During the Third Battle of Panipat, an important artillery unit of the Maratha army was commanded by a Muslim general who fought valiantly until his death. Who was he?
Explanation
Ibrahim Khan Gardi, a Muslim general, commanded an important artillery unit of the Marathas at Panipat and fought until he died.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q34. All of the following were consequences of the Maratha defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat, except:
Explanation
Panipat damaged Maratha prestige in the north, killed leaders such as Vishwasrao and Sadashivrao Bhau and gave the Company time to consolidate in Bengal. The Confederacy did not disintegrate immediately, so D is the exception.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q35. Which of the following statements best describes the contribution of Peshwa Madhav Rao to the Maratha Empire?
Explanation
Peshwa Madhav Rao I restored Maratha power and prestige within about a decade of Panipat.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q36. Consider the following statements regarding the role of Mahadji Scindia in the post-Panipat period: I. He reorganized his army with the help of European officers like Benoit de Boigne. II. He escorted the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II back to Delhi in 1771 and became his protector. III. He abolished the position of the Peshwa and declared himself the Chhatrapati. Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
Mahadji Scindia reorganised his army with European officers such as de Boigne and in 1771 took Shah Alam II back to Delhi. He did not abolish the Peshwa or declare himself Chhatrapati, so III is wrong.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q37. The interference of the British in the internal succession disputes of the Marathas directly triggered the First Anglo-Maratha War. Which disputed claimant to the Peshwaship sought British help by signing the Treaty of Surat (1775)?
Explanation
Raghunath Rao (Raghoba), a claimant to the Peshwaship, signed the Treaty of Surat with the British in 1775, which led to the First Anglo-Maratha War.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q38. During the First Anglo-Maratha War, the British forces suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Marathas, leading to the signing of a convention in 1779. Name the convention.
Explanation
The British were defeated at Wadgaon and signed the Convention of Wadgaon in 1779.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q39. Match List-I (Battles of the Anglo-Maratha Wars) with List-II (Defeated Maratha Chief) and select the correct answer:
Battles of the Anglo-Maratha Wars
Defeated Maratha Chief
A. Battle of Assaye
i. Peshwa Baji Rao II
B. Battle of Laswari
ii. Scindia and Bhonsle
C. Battle of Kirkee
iii. Holkar
D. Battle of Mehidpur
iv. Scindia (Northern forces)
Explanation
Assaye was a defeat for Scindia and the Bhonsle, Laswari for Scindia’s northern forces, Kirkee for Peshwa Baji Rao II and Mehidpur for Holkar. This gives A-ii, B-iv, C-i, D-iii.
RAS PrelimsMedieval Indian History · The Marathas
Q40. Consider the following statements regarding the Treaty of Salbai (1782): I. It concluded the First Anglo-Maratha War. II. It secured a mutual restitution of territories conquered since the Treaty of Purandar. III. It granted the British the island of Salsette. IV. It required the Marathas to accept a Subsidiary Alliance with the East India Company. Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
The Treaty of Salbai of 1782 ended the First Anglo-Maratha War, restored territories taken since the Treaty of Purandar and let the British keep Salsette. It did not impose a subsidiary alliance, so IV is wrong.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
31
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
32
(c) Sadashivrao Bhau
33
(a) Ibrahim Khan Gardi
34
(d) Immediate disintegration of the Confederacy into warring states
35
(b) Recovery of Maratha power and prestige within a decade of Panipat
36
(a) I and II only
37
(d) Raghunath Rao
38
(a) Convention of Wadgaon
39
(a) A-ii, B-iv, C-i, D-iii
40
(a) I, II and III
Key facts from The Marathas
Shivaji began his conquests by capturing Torna in 1646; his council of eight ministers was called the Ashtapradhan.
By the Treaty of Purandar (1665) Shivaji gave 23 forts to the Mughals after Jai Singh besieged Purandar.
Ganimi Kava was Shivaji’s guerrilla warfare; the Saranjam system gave chiefs revenue grants for troops.
After the Battle of Bhopal in 1737 the Marathas and the Nizam signed the Treaty of Doraha Sarai.
The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) was fought against Ahmad Shah Abdali; Sadashivrao Bhau was the commander.
Treaties with the British: Surat (1775), Purandar (1776), Salbai (1782) and Bassein (1802).
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on The Marathas?
This page has 65 practice MCQs on The Marathas (Medieval Indian History). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
What was the Treaty of Purandar of 1665?
A treaty between Shivaji and the Mughal general Jai Singh. Shivaji gave up 23 forts to the Mughals, and he was promised the right to collect certain dues in return. It followed Jai Singh’s successful siege of Purandar.
Who commanded the Marathas at the Third Battle of Panipat?
Sadashivrao Bhau, with the Peshwa’s son Vishwasrao as nominal head. Both died in the battle, in which the Marathas lost to Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1761, a blow to Maratha power in the north.
What was the Saranjam system?
A system under which Maratha chiefs received grants of land revenue to maintain troops. It expanded in the Peshwa period and helped build an army, but it also made chiefs hereditary and weakened central control.
