1. Write the meaning.
(1) Chauthai –
Chauthai was a tax or levy that the Marathas collected from neighbouring territories. It amounted to one-fourth (or 25%) of the land revenue of that region. In return for this tax, the Marathas promised not to raid that area.
(2) Sardeshmukhi –
Sardeshmukhi was an additional tax of 10% on the land revenue. It was levied by the Marathas on territories they considered themselves the rightful Sardeshmukh (chief headman) of.
2. Write the answer in one word.
(1) Balaji was from this town in Konkan ……
Shrivardhan
(2) He ruled Bundelkhand ……
Chhatrasal
(3) Bajirao died at this place ……
Raver (on the banks of the Narmada river)
(4) He defeated the Portuguese ……
Chimnaji Appa
3. Write about them in your own words.
(1) Kanhoji Angre ……
Kanhoji Angre was the commander of the Maratha navy. He was a brave and skillful admiral who established Maratha dominance along the western coast of India. He built a powerful fleet and built several naval forts. He successfully challenged and defeated the naval forces of the British, Dutch, and Portuguese, preventing them from attacking the Maratha mainland.
(2) The Battle of Palkhed ……
The Battle of Palkhed (1728) was a major victory for the Maratha Peshwa, Bajirao I, against the Nizam of Hyderabad. The Nizam had interfered in Maratha affairs and challenged their authority. Bajirao I used brilliant military strategy and rapid movements to cut off the Nizam’s supply lines and force him into a battle. The Nizam was decisively defeated and was forced to sign a peace treaty, accepting the Maratha’s right to collect Chauth and Sardeshmukhi in the Deccan.
4. Give reasons.
(1) Two separate Maratha States were formed.
After the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a succession dispute arose. Aurangzeb killed his son Sambhaji Maharaj. Later, Sambhaji Maharaj’s son, Shahu Maharaj, was released from Mughal captivity. He returned to the Maratha kingdom and claimed the throne. However, Rajaram Maharaj’s wife, Maharani Tarabai, who was ruling in the name of her young son, opposed Shahu’s claim. This led to a civil war between the supporters of Shahu and Tarabai, which eventually resulted in the creation of two separate Maratha states—one under Chhatrapati Shahu at Satara and the other under the Kolhapur branch of the Chhatrapati’s.
(2) Azam shah released Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj from his custody.
After the death of Aurangzeb, a war of succession broke out among his sons. Azamshah, one of the contenders for the Mughal throne, wanted to return to north India quickly to fight his rivals. He needed to secure the Deccan region. To ensure the Marathas did not create trouble for him, he released Shahu Maharaj from captivity, hoping that Shahu’s return would create a rift and keep the Marathas engaged in their own internal conflicts, thus allowing him to move north without Maratha interference.
(3) Delhi needed the help from the Marathas.
In the early 18th century, the Mughal Empire was weakening and faced many threats from invaders like the Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali. The Sayyid brothers, who were powerful nobles in the Mughal court, had become kingmakers. To strengthen their position against other nobles, they sought the support of a powerful external force. The Marathas, under Peshwa Bajirao I, were a rising power. The Sayyid brothers invited the Marathas to help them in Delhi’s politics, leading to the first major Maratha expedition into North India.