The Rise of the Marathas — Mastery

Q1. A Class 8 teacher wants to introduce 'The Rise of the Marathas'. Which is the BEST first activity to anchor the chapter for students?

• A. Dictate the names of the eight ministers of the ashta pradhana mandala and ask students to memorise them
• B. Show students photographs of Raigad fort with no caption and ask them to guess the period
• C. Display the chapter's 1630-1818 timeline (Fig. 3.2) and ask students to read out the five most important dates aloud
• D. Begin with the 1818 Third Anglo-Maratha war and work backwards in reverse chronology

Q2. According to the chapter, the bhakti movement of saints and seekers preferred the path of devotion over external ritualism between which centuries?

• A. Between the 7th and the 17th centuries
• B. Between the 12th and the 14th centuries
• C. Between the 14th and the 16th centuries
• D. Between the 17th and the 19th centuries

Q3. In a 'Think About It' box, Chhatrapati Shivaji's letter says: 'Wood from big trees like teak is required for the Navy… do not touch mango and jackfruit trees; people look after them like their children.' Which value of his rule does this BEST illustrate?

• A. Indifference to environmental damage during military mobilisation
• B. Punishment of officials who reported tree-felling
• C. Preference for foreign timber over local wood
• D. Care for the common people and restraint on officials, even during state needs

Q4. In the Maratha judicial system, the panchayat was the main body that delivered justice. Which of the following BEST distinguishes this panchayat from the current-day Panchayat?

• A. The Maratha panchayat was a local gathering of officials and prominent men that delivered justice, while today's Panchayat is a governmental body
• B. The Maratha panchayat was a Mughal court, while today's Panchayat is Indian
• C. The Maratha panchayat could only impose the death penalty, while today's Panchayat cannot
• D. The Maratha panchayat reported directly to the Mughal emperor, while today's Panchayat reports to the President

Q5. Chhatrapati Shivaji died in 1680. According to the chapter, what claimed his life, and at what age?

• A. A wound in battle, at age forty
• B. Poisoning at the Mughal court, at age sixty
• C. A fever, at age fifty
• D. An accident at Raigad, at age forty-four

Q6. The chapter notes that Europeans compared Chhatrapati Shivaji with which ancient general?

• A. Julius Caesar
• B. Hannibal
• C. Napoleon Bonaparte
• D. Alexander

Q7. Why does the chapter describe Tarabai as 'the architect of the northward Maratha expansion'?

• A. Realising that with Aurangzeb's army in the Deccan, north India was unprotected, she organised large Maratha armies and sent them to invade Mughal territories in the north
• B. She personally led every Maratha army northwards
• C. She designed forts in Punjab and Rajasthan personally
• D. She negotiated a permanent peace treaty with the British in 1818

Q8. The chapter calls the Maratha judicial system 'efficient' and 'remarkable' for which specific feature?

• A. Use of the death penalty as the standard sentence
• B. Verdicts that could never be appealed
• C. Moderation in the use of capital punishment
• D. Exclusion of officials from the panchayat

Q9. Ravi notes three cultural acts of Chhatrapati Shivaji: (i) Saffron-coloured flag adopted by all Marathas; (ii) Rebuilt desecrated temples; (iii) Respected other religions while being a devout Hindu. Which BEST sums up the common thread?

• A. Imitation of Mughal court culture
• B. Abandonment of Sanskrit in favour of Persian
• C. Establishment of a state religion enforced by law
• D. Revival of local culture and traditions without religious discrimination

Q10. Aarti makes a comparison table for her Class 8 project: 'Maratha administration vs Mughal/Sultanate administration'. Which row is CORRECTLY filled?

• A. Marathas paid salaries from the state treasury and transferred officials periodically; Sultans/Mughals generally followed hereditary posts and land assignments
• B. Both gave hereditary land assignments to nobles as the main mode of payment
• C. Both transferred officials periodically to prevent local power; Marathas additionally added the Peshwa to the system
• D. Mughals abolished hereditary posts; Marathas restored them under Chhatrapati Shivaji

Q11. What does Chhatrapati Shivaji's policy of giving pensions to the widows of soldiers killed in battle, and offering military posts to their sons, primarily demonstrate?

• A. His attempt to abolish the army altogether
• B. His preference for hereditary nobility over salaried officials
• C. His care for soldiers and their families
• D. His decision to transfer all soldiers every year

Q12. A student writes in her notebook: 'The Marathas were only an anti-Mughal force; their rule had no cultural or administrative contribution.' Based on the chapter, which is the BEST teacher correction?

• A. Accept the statement, since Aurangzeb is mentioned most often
• B. Reject it only because the Marathas had a navy
• C. Accept it, but add that the Marathas later joined the Mughals against the British
• D. Reject it: the Marathas set up an efficient administration, revived local Hindu traditions without religious discrimination, and inspired India's freedom movement

Q13. During their northward expansion, the Marathas briefly controlled which of these areas in modern-day Pakistan?

• A. Lahore, Attock and Peshawar
• B. Karachi, Hyderabad and Quetta
• C. Multan, Bahawalpur and Sialkot
• D. Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Sargodha

Q14. The Bhonsles of Nagpur revived the worship of which deity at Puri (in Odisha), which had been often interrupted during Mughal rule?

• A. Lord Vishwanath
• B. Lord Somnath
• C. Lord Jagannath
• D. Goddess Kamakhya

Q15. A teacher prepares a classroom activity using the map in Fig. 3.9 (Chhatrapati Shivaji's Kingdom about 1680). Which activity BEST helps Class 8 students link forts with Maratha strategy?

• A. Ask students to colour the map without any forts marked
• B. Ask students to copy only the latitude lines from the map
• C. Ask students to remove all the river labels from the map
• D. Ask students to mark Pratapgad, Raigad and Sindhudurg on the map and explain why each was a hill, capital and coastal-naval fort respectively

Q16. Which set lists only Maharashtra bhakti saints whose work, according to the chapter, helped build the cultural foundation that later organised the Marathas into a political power?

• A. Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Tukaram, Ramdas
• B. Kabir, Mirabai, Surdas, Tulsidas
• C. Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, Allama Prabhu, Channabasavanna
• D. Chaitanya, Shankaradeva, Madhavadeva, Jayadeva

Q17. What does the chapter say about Maratha attempts at political sovereignty before Chhatrapati Shivaji?

• A. There were no such attempts until 1646
• B. Sovereignty was first achieved by the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri
• C. By the 17th century, some Maratha chiefs made early attempts at establishing sovereignty, but they proved unsuccessful
• D. The Bijapur Sultanate granted sovereignty to the Marathas in the 16th century

Q18. While in the South, Chhatrapati Shivaji forbade the Dutch from trading slaves. What does the chapter say this action revealed about him?

• A. His preference for Portuguese traders over the Dutch
• B. His deep concern for his subjects and his willingness to oppose European abuses even when other Indian powers had not
• C. His decision to support the English East India Company against the Dutch
• D. His plan to abolish all sea trade with Europe

Q19. Aurangzeb invaded the Deccan and even conquered the Bijapur and Golconda Sultanates, yet 'died without having succeeded in subduing the Marathas'. Which factor BEST explains this outcome?

• A. The Marathas surrendered Raigad immediately and signed a peace treaty
• B. The Marathas staunchly defended their fortresses and often had the upper hand in battles and skirmishes
• C. The Mughals lacked any cavalry to fight in the Deccan
• D. The Marathas allied with the British East India Company

Q20. Which two Peshwas does the chapter name as instrumental in the pan-Indian expansion of the Marathas?

• A. Bajirao I and Nanasaheb Peshwa
• B. Madhavrao I and Nana Phadnavis
• C. Balaji Vishwanath and Madhavrao II
• D. Baji Rao II and Raghunathrao

Q21. Aarti reads: 'Marathas suffered a disastrous defeat at Panipat in 1761, but quickly recovered during the time of Peshwa Madhavrao I.' Which conclusion BEST follows from these two facts together?

• A. The 1761 defeat ended Maratha power forever and they did not fight again
• B. Even after a major defeat, the Maratha state had the resilience to recover and continue its northward role under Madhavrao I
• C. Panipat 1761 was a Maratha victory misread by historians
• D. Madhavrao I personally led the Marathas at the Panipat battlefield in 1761

Q22. Match the ashta pradhana mandala portfolios with their ministers: (i) Pradhan; (ii) Senapati; (iii) Sumant; (iv) Nyayadhish — with — (P) Commander-in-chief; (Q) Chief Justice; (R) Prime Minister; (S) Minister for Foreign Affairs.

• A. (i)-R, (ii)-P, (iii)-S, (iv)-Q
• B. (i)-P, (ii)-R, (iii)-Q, (iv)-S
• C. (i)-Q, (ii)-S, (iii)-P, (iv)-R
• D. (i)-S, (ii)-Q, (iii)-R, (iv)-P

Q23. Why did Kanhoji Angre's Maratha fleet manage to win 'many naval battles' in the 18th century, despite Maratha ships not being as technologically advanced as European ones?

• A. Because European navies refused to fight in Indian waters
• B. Because of clever use of geography and battle tactics
• C. Because the British supplied the Marathas with modern guns
• D. Because the Mughal navy fought alongside Kanhoji Angre

Q24. The chapter mentions Chhatrapati Shivaji's officials sending ships to which three foreign ports for maritime trade?

• A. Lisbon (Portugal), Amsterdam (Netherlands), London (England)
• B. Mocha (Yemen), Muscat (Oman), Malacca (Malaysia)
• C. Macao (China), Manila (Philippines), Mombasa (Kenya)
• D. Mecca (Saudi Arabia), Madagascar, Mauritius

Q25. Chhatrapati Shivaji minted gold and copper coins in his own name in the Devanagari script (Fig. 3.12). Which two political claims does this act BEST signify?

• A. Allegiance to the Mughal emperor and use of the Persian script
• B. His sovereignty and an assertion of his cultural identity through Devanagari
• C. His acceptance of European trading currency and gold standard
• D. His decision to abolish all coinage in his kingdom

Q26. A handloom revival exhibit in Madhya Pradesh credits a Maratha queen with 'promoting the Maheshwar weaving industry, revitalising traditional handloom crafts that continue to thrive today'. Which queen does the chapter name?

• A. Tarabai
• B. Ahilyabai Holkar
• C. Jijabai
• D. Rani of Jhansi

Q27. A Class 8 timeline of Indian printing reads: 'A printing press started by a native ruler — the first such example in India.' Which Maratha ruler does the chapter credit with this initiative?

• A. Ekoji of Thanjavur
• B. Serfoji II of Thanjavur
• C. Mahadji Shinde of Gwalior
• D. Nanasaheb Peshwa of Pune

Q28. A history teacher asks her Class 8 students to judge this claim: 'The Maratha legacy is purely military and has nothing to do with India's later freedom movement.' Based on the chapter's 'Maratha legacy' section, which judgement is BEST supported?

• A. The claim is fully correct; the chapter ends in 1818 with no later link
• B. The claim is wrong; the Maratha fight against oppressive rule, driven by the fiery ideal of Swarajya, later inspired Indians to believe they could govern themselves, planting early seeds for India's freedom movement
• C. The claim is partially correct; only the navy of the Marathas inspired the freedom movement
• D. The claim is partially correct; the Marathas inspired only south Indian movements, not the national one

Q29. A Class 8 teacher prepares a lesson on Maratha administration. To help students grasp the ashta pradhana mandala, which pedagogical use of a figure is MOST aligned with sound pedagogy?

• A. Ask students to memorise the eight Marathi terms without their portfolios
• B. Project the Fig. 3.13 diagram, give students a blank version, and have them fill in each minister's portfolio using the chapter and discuss in pairs
• C. Replace the diagram with a paragraph and remove all visual aids
• D. Ask students to colour the diagram without reading any of the ministers' names

Q30. The chapter opens with Ramachandrapant Amatya's 1715 Adnyapatra quote on European merchants: 'They are not like other merchants… Navy and gunpowder are their chief weapons… they shouldn't be allowed to build strong buildings.' Which later event of the chapter BEST shows that this 1715 warning was prescient?

• A. The 1657 founding of the Maratha navy
• B. The 1674 coronation at Raigad
• C. The three Anglo-Maratha wars between 1775 and 1818, in which the British finally ended Maratha power
• D. The 1665 Muscat episode involving four Maratha ships