Maratha administration
- Maratha's empire was divided into Swarajya and Samrajya.
- After Shau, Peshwa became the effective ruler as Sahu delegated too much power to the Peshwa.
- Shau had an adopted son.
- A treaty formally gave effective power to Peshwa.
- Peshwas' capital was in Poona and his secretariate was called Hazur Daftar.
- There existed a system of checks and balances on the governor as Deshmukh/revenue collectors had dual reporting to the governor as well the Peshwa.
- Therefore enabling Peshwa to verify Books of accounts submitted by the governor.
- Samrajya was territory outside Maharastra brought into the Maratha empire by Maratha Sardars.
- Therefore was controlled by Maratha Sardars who ruled Samrajya autonomously.
- However, they did not set up effective rules on the ground in the whole of Samarajya.
- Peshwa had a council of 12 ministers.
- Swaraj was divided into Sarkars/provinces and the office of governor was auctioned.
- Patil/ village headman and Deshmukh/Revenue collectors had Vatan rights.
- Patils were responsible for executive, Police, judicial, and revenue functions at the village level.
- Therefore the concentration of power in Patil.
- Sources of revenue were Land revenue and taxes on trade, license fees, and Judicial proceeds in form of Nazrana from the Victorious party and Jurmana from the losing party.
- Further to increase revenue and peasant welfare, dams and canals were built and loans were given at cheap interest rates.
- Also, there was effective supervision of revenue collectors so they do not oppress peasants.
- Maratha Judiciary:
- A clear hierarchy existed from the village panchayat up to the Peshwa and the final decision was of Peshwa.
- However, as far as possible he respected the decision of village panchayats.
- Ancient religious texts acted as laws example Dharmashastra.
- There was a rule of law as even the highest authorities and men of money were punished.
- Policing was as effective as the London police with a very good network of information collection and existed a rule of law:
- Maratha Military:
- The major force was horse mounted army with a focus on light cavalry, which was important for Maratha's guerrilla warfare tactics.
- Which was a highly effective strategy of surprising the enemy with a swift attack, therefore creating shock and awe.
- The navy was modernized with the help of the french(in exchange for money and Britain-France rivalry).
- Why Marathas could not establish an all-Indian empire?
- The rise of the Peshwa at expense of Chhatrapati increased the chances of fractionation in Martha Polity as strong Maratha Sardars asserted their autonomy more against the Peshwa.
- The 3rd Battle of Panipat weakened the central authority of Peshwa as Marathas lost important leaders and now young and inexperienced Peshwas came to power, therefore increasing factionalism
- Succession disputes increased factionalism.
- Raghunath Rao got Narayan Rao killed in a conspiracy and then he was himself overthrown in Barbhai Conspiracy by Nana Fadnavis(an important minister in Peshwa's council).
- Fractionalsim led to British interference in Martha's polity, for example:
- the 1st Anglo-Maratha war began when Raghunath Rao went to EIC in Bombay for military help to regain Peshwaship.
- Later the 2nd Anglo-Maratha war began when Baji Rao-II signed a Subsidiary alliance with EIC to regain Peshwaship after he was defeated and removed by Holkar of Indore in 1802.
- Power could not be properly centralized as Maratha Sardars always stayed autonomous within the Maratha empire.
- With Swarajya also local assemblies of Vatan right holders exerted influence and pressure on Peshwa, therefore Maratha empire was a confederacy where power was shared between Peshwa and Maratha Sardars and proper centralized rule didn't exist.
- In Samrajya, not all areas were brought under effective rule by Maratha Sardars and the focus outside Maharathra was limited to extracting Chaut and Sardeshmukhi.
- Therefore Marathas establishing central rule over the whole of India was a distant milestone, especially after the 3rd Battle of Panipat.
Sikh state
- Guru Nanak dev Ji set up a Sikh Panth around the 16th century and was a contemporary of Babur.
- Mughals began having problems with the Sikh community and they demanded political autonomy.
- 9th Guru Teg bahadur was executed in Delhi in 1685.
- Sikhs wanted to establish their state in and around Anantpur in Shivalik Foothills which was under the Shivalik hill chief.
- After this 10th Guru Govind Singh set up a brotherhood of Khalsa in 1699, A military organization to defend Sikh Panth from the Mughals and to achieve the goal of the Sikh state.
- The Sikh community was dominated by Khatris(traders and Sikh gurus who came from this community) and Jats(peasants who had a military culture and dominated the Khalsa army whose influence increased).
- Thus it was decided there won't be an 11th Guru and authority would lay in Guru Granth Saheb to bring parity between the two communities.
- In 1707 after the death of Aurangzeb, Bhadur Shah agreed to give Anantpur but then again allied with Shivalik hill chiefs.
- In 1708 Guru Govind Singh was murdered in a conspiracy
- Now Banda Bahadur continued the rebellion and was able to set up his rule in and around Patiala.
- By 1715, he got defeated as Khatri traders turned against him as trade was getting hurt due to law and order instability due to war, some Hindu Jat Zamindars like Churaman Jat switched sides and allied with Mughals.
- Jahandar Shah and Farruksiyar deployed divide-and-rule tactics.
- Jahandar Shah introduced the Izaradari system in Punjab and this attracted Khatri traders as being an Izaradatr was financially lucrative.
- Jahandar Shah and Farruksiyar gave Mansabs to Khatri traders who were now allied with the Mughals.
- By 1715, Banda Bahadur was defeated and executed in 1716.
- Rule of Misls:
- After 1715, the Sikh state did not come to an end as the Mughal empire was weak.
- Now power got decentralized among misls and a horizontal structure of polity/ confederation came into existence.
- Misls were kinship-based clans headed by misls chief.
- In 1770, there were 60 misls in Punjab with Dal Khalsa at the head with a chosen leader.
- Misls got united at the time of war, for example during the 1st afghan, 2nd Afghan, and 3rd Afghan invasions.
- After defeating the 3rd Afgan invasion of Jaman shah, there was the rise of Rajit Singh of Sukerchakia Misl, who established dominance over other misls and set himself as maharaja of the Sikh state in 1801.
- In 1801, he conquered Lahore, and in 1809 conquered 5 doabs and later conquered Multan and Kashmir by removing Afghans.
- Even EIC recognized him as a sovereign ruler of Punjab Under the Treaty of Amritsar and a military alliance under the treaty.
- Features of the rule of Ranjit Singh:
- Trade got boosted and there was law and order stability.
- Financial power state as 60 % of the land was royal land.
- Ranjit Singh maintained the balance of power in court between the Khalsa army commander and Khatri traders, misls chiefs, and Dogras of Jammu.
- He had an inclusive attitude towards non-Khalsa Sikhs, therefore was culturally magnanimous
- The autonomy of villages was respected.
The topic of the next class: Jat kingdom
1. Maratha administration was divided into which two parts?
a) Swarajya
b) Samrajya
c) Mahajanapada
d) Janapada
Answer: a) Swarajya and b) Samrajya
2. Who became the effective ruler after Shahu in the Maratha Empire?
a) Peshwa
b) Chhatrapati
c) Sardars
d) Sahu's adopted son
Answer: a) Peshwa
3. Which of the following statements is true about the Peshwa in the Maratha Empire?
a) Peshwa had a council of 12 ministers.
b) Peshwa's capital was in Poona.
c) Peshwa's secretariat was called Hazur Daftar.
d) A treaty formally gave effective power to Peshwa.
Answer: a) Peshwa had a council of 12 ministers.
b) Peshwa's capital was in Poona.
c) Peshwa's secretariat was called Hazur Daftar.
d) A treaty formally gave effective power to Peshwa.
4. Which of the following areas were controlled by Maratha Sardars in the Samrajya?
a) Swarajya
b) Maharashtra
c) Territory outside Maharashtra
d) Peshwa's territories
Answer: c) Territory outside Maharashtra
5. What was the system of checks and balances on the governor in the Maratha Empire?
a) Deshmukh/revenue collectors reported to the governor and the Peshwa.
b) Patil/village headman had executive, police, judicial, and revenue functions.
c) Peshwa verified the books of accounts submitted by the governor.
d) Patil and Deshmukh had Vatan rights.
Answer: a) Deshmukh/revenue collectors reported to the governor and the Peshwa.
c) Peshwa verified the books of accounts submitted by the governor.
6. What were the sources of revenue in the Maratha Empire?
a) Land revenue
b) Taxes on trade
c) License fees
d) Judicial proceeds
Answer: a) Land revenue
b) Taxes on trade
c) License fees
d) Judicial proceeds
7. Which of the following statements is true about Maratha Judiciary?
a) The final decision was made by the village panchayat.
b) Ancient religious texts acted as laws.
c) The Peshwa respected the decisions of village panchayats.
d) The hierarchy existed from the village panchayat up to the Peshwa.
Answer: b) Ancient religious texts acted as laws.
d) The hierarchy existed from the village panchayat up to the Peshwa.
8. What was the major force in the Maratha military?
a) Infantry
b) Navy
c) Artillery
d) Horse-mounted army
Answer: d) Horse-mounted army
9. Why couldn't the Marathas establish an all-Indian empire?
a) Rise of the Peshwa increased factionalism in Maratha polity.
b) The 3rd Battle of Panipat weakened the central authority of the Peshwa.
c) Succession disputes increased factionalism.
d) Maratha Sardars stayed autonomous within the Maratha Empire.
Answer: a) Rise of the Peshwa increased
factionalism in Maratha polity.
b) The 3rd Battle of Panipat weakened the central authority of the Peshwa.
c) Succession disputes increased factionalism.
d) Maratha Sardars stayed autonomous within the Maratha Empire.
10. Which Guru established the Sikh Panth in the 16th century?
a) Guru Nanak Dev Ji
b) Guru Govind Singh
c) Guru Teg Bahadur
d) Guru Gobind Singh
Answer: a) Guru Nanak Dev Ji
11. Who was executed in Delhi in 1685, leading to the demand for political autonomy by the Sikh community?
a) Guru Nanak Dev Ji
b) Guru Teg Bahadur
c) Guru Govind Singh
d) Banda Bahadur
Answer: b) Guru Teg Bahadur
12. Which Guru set up the brotherhood of Khalsa in 1699?
a) Guru Nanak Dev Ji
b) Guru Teg Bahadur
c) Guru Govind Singh
d) Banda Bahadur
Answer: c) Guru Govind Singh
13. Who dominated the Sikh community, particularly the Khalsa army?
a) Khatris
b) Jats
c) Rajputs
d) Brahmins
Answer: a) Khatris and b) Jats
14. What was the reason for not having an 11th Guru in Sikhism?
a) The influence of Khatris increased.
b) The influence of Jats increased.
c) Authority was vested in Guru Granth Sahib.
d) Authority was vested in the Mughal Empire.
Answer: c) Authority was vested in Guru Granth Sahib.
15. Who continued the rebellion after the death of Guru Govind Singh?
a) Guru Nanak Dev Ji
b) Guru Teg Bahadur
c) Guru Govind Singh
d) Banda Bahadur
Answer: d) Banda Bahadur
16. Who set up his rule in and around Patiala in the Sikh state?
a) Guru Nanak Dev Ji
b) Guru Teg Bahadur
c) Guru Govind Singh
d) Banda Bahadur
Answer: d) Banda Bahadur
17. How many misls were there in Punjab by 1770?
a) 30
b) 45
c) 60
d) 75
Answer: c) 60
18. Who established dominance over other misls and became the Maharaja of the Sikh state in 1801?
a) Banda Bahadur
b) Ranjit Singh
c) Guru Gobind Singh
d) Jahandar Shah
Answer: b) Ranjit Singh
19. What was the main feature of Ranjit Singh's rule?
a) Boosted trade
b) Law and order stability
c) Financial power
d) Inclusive attitude towards non-Khalsa Sikhs
Answer: a) Boosted trade
b) Law and order stability
c) Financial power
d) Inclusive attitude towards non-Khalsa Sikhs
20. Which misl was at the head of the Dal Khalsa confederation?
a) Sukerchakia Misl
b) Bhangi Misl
c) Kanheya Misl
d) Ahluwalia Misl
Answer: a) Sukerchakia Misl
21. Which areas did Ranjit Singh conquer during his rule?
a) Lahore
b) Multan
c) Kashmir
d) Patiala
Answer: a) Lahore
b) Multan
c) Kashmir
22. What was the status of the autonomy of villages under Ranjit Singh's rule?
a) Respected
b) Abolished
c) Oppressed
d) Ignored
Answer:
a) Respected
23. Who held the balance of power in Ranjit Singh's court?
a) Khalsa army commander
b) Khatri traders
c) Misl chiefs
d) Dogras of Jammu
Answer: a) Khalsa army commander
b) Khatri traders
c) Misl chiefs
d) Dogras of Jammu
24. Which European power helped modernize the Maratha navy?
a) British
b) French
c) Portuguese
d) Dutch
Answer: b) French
25. Which battle weakened the central authority of the Peshwa in the Maratha Empire?
a) Battle of Plassey
b) Battle of Buxar
c) Battle of Panipat
d) Battle of Haldighati
Answer: c) Battle of Panipat
26. What were the sources of revenue for the Maratha Empire?
a) Land revenue
b) Taxes on trade
c) License fees
d) Judicial proceeds
Answer: a) Land revenue
b) Taxes on trade
c) License fees
d) Judicial proceeds
27. Which system existed in Maratha administration to verify the books of accounts submitted by the governor?
a) Hazur Daftar
b) Vatan rights
c) Nazrana and Jurmana
d) Dual reporting to the governor and Peshwa
Answer: d) Dual reporting to the governor and Peshwa
28. Who became the effective ruler after Shahu in the Maratha Empire?
a) Peshwa
b) Chhatrapati
c) Deshmukh
d) Maratha Sardars
Answer: a) Peshwa
29. Where was the capital of the Peshwa in the Maratha Empire?
a) Poona
b) Delhi
c) Hyderabad
d) Nagpur
Answer: a) Poona
30. Who had Vatan rights in the Maratha Empire?
a) Patils
b) Deshmukhs
c) Peshwa
d) Maratha Sardars
Answer: a) Patils
b) Deshmukhs
31. Which battle marked the beginning of the 1st Anglo-Maratha war?
a) Battle of Plassey
b) Battle of Buxar
c) Battle of Panipat
d) Battle of Assaye
Answer: c) Battle of Panipat
32. Who signed a Subsidiary alliance with the East India Company during the 2nd Anglo-Maratha war?
a) Raghunath Rao
b) Baji Rao II
c) Nana Fadnavis
d) Holkar of Indore
Answer: b) Baji Rao II
33. What led to British interference in Maratha polity?
a) Rise of the Peshwa at the expense of Chhatrapati
b) Succession disputes
c) Factionalism among Maratha Sardars
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
34. Why couldn't the Marathas establish an all-Indian empire?
a) Strong Maratha Sardars asserted their autonomy against the Peshwa
b) Weakening of central authority after the 3rd Battle of Panipat
c) Succession disputes and factionalism
d) Lack of proper centralized rule
Answer: a) Strong Maratha Sardars asserted their autonomy against the Peshwa
b) Weakening of central authority after the 3rd Battle of Panipat
c) Succession disputes and factionalism
d) Lack of proper centralized rule
35. Who executed the Izaradari system in Punjab?
a) Jahandar Shah
b) Farrukhsiyar
c) Banda Bahadur
d) Ranjit Singh
Answer: a) Jahandar Shah
36. Which misl emerged as the dominant force in the Sikh state?
a) Bhangi Misl
b) Kanheya Misl
c) Ahluwalia Misl
d) Sukerchakia Misl
Answer: d) Sukerchakia Misl
37. Under which treaty did the East India Company recognize Ranjit Singh as a sovereign ruler of Punjab?
a) Treaty of Amritsar
b) Treaty of Lahore
c) Treaty of Jammu
d) Treaty of Multan
Answer: a) Treaty of Amritsar
38. What percentage of land was royal land under Ranjit Singh's rule?
a) 30%
b) 45%
c) 60%
d) 75%
Answer: c) 60%
39. Who set up a Sikh Panth and was a contemporary of Babur?
a) Guru Nanak Dev Ji
b) Guru Teg Bahadur
c) Guru Govind Singh
d) Banda Bahadur
Answer: a) Guru Nanak Dev Ji
40. Who executed Guru Teg Bahadur in Delhi in 1685?
a) Mughals
b) Marathas
c) Afghans
d) British
Answer: a) Mughals
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