Q61. In Maratha administrative terms, the ‘Chauthai’ refers to one-fourth of the revenue. Within the Chauth collected, a 25 percent share was reserved for the Chhatrapati. What was this specific share called?
The Marathas: RAS Prelims MCQs
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 61–65 of 65 questions
Q62. Match List-I (Mughal/Afghan General) with
List-II (Associated Event in Maratha History) and select the correct answer:
List I: (Mughal/Afghan General)
A. Shaista Khan
B. Afzal Khan
C. Jai Singh
D. Ahmad Shah Abdali
List II: (Associated Event in Maratha History)
i. Battle of Pratapgad
ii. Night attack at Pune
iii. Third Battle of Panipat
iv. Treaty of Purandar
List-II (Associated Event in Maratha History) and select the correct answer:
List I: (Mughal/Afghan General)
A. Shaista Khan
B. Afzal Khan
C. Jai Singh
D. Ahmad Shah Abdali
List II: (Associated Event in Maratha History)
i. Battle of Pratapgad
ii. Night attack at Pune
iii. Third Battle of Panipat
iv. Treaty of Purandar
Explanation
Shaista Khan was attacked in a night raid at Pune, Afzal Khan was killed at Pratapgad, Jai Singh is linked with the Treaty of Purandar and Ahmad Shah Abdali with the Third Battle of Panipat. This gives A-ii, B-i, C-iv, D-iii.
Q63. Which of the following pairs related to Maratha revenue administration is incorrectly matched?
Explanation
Chauth was a tribute paid to avoid attack, Sardeshmukhi was an extra ten per cent levy and the Mirasdar was a peasant with hereditary rights. The Deshmukh was a hereditary local revenue officer, not an appointee of the Peshwa for crown lands, so B is incorrect.
Q64. Which British Governor-General pursued a policy of aggressive expansion that culminated in the definitive destruction of the Maratha Confederacy in 1818?
Explanation
Lord Hastings, as Governor-General, pursued the policy that ended the Maratha Confederacy in the war of 1817-18.
Q65. What was the strategic significance of the British capture of the fort of Asirgarh in 1819?
Explanation
The British capture of Asirgarh in 1819 ended the last Maratha resistance and closed the Third Anglo-Maratha War.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 61 | (a) Babti |
| 62 | (a) A-ii, B-i, C-iv, D-iii |
| 63 | (b) Deshmukh - Revenue officials appointed directly by the Peshwa to manage crown lands |
| 64 | (c) Lord Hastings |
| 65 | (d) Elimination of Maratha resistance, ending the Third War |
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.