Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Class 8 Social Science: Chapter 03 The Rise Of The Marathas
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Practice Chapter 03 The Rise Of The Marathas MCQs for Class 8 Social Science
View or download the dedicated Chapter 03 The Rise Of The Marathas MCQ resource below. Practicing these 50 objective questions regularly builds familiarity with standard exam patterns and helps secure higher marks in final Social Science evaluations.
A. He convinced Mughal generals to support his escape through bribery.
B. He disguised himself as a holy man and walked past the guards.
C. He hid in baskets of fruits and sweets being distributed as gifts.
D. He fought his way out using a small concealed weapon.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (C) He hid in baskets of fruits and sweets being distributed as gifts.
Explanation:
Chhatrapati Shivaji devised a clever strategy while under house arrest—he began distributing gifts of fruits and sweets packed in large baskets to holy men and Mughal generals. Initially, guards checked these baskets carefully, but they grew complacent over time. Anticipating this lapse in vigilance, Chhatrapati Shivaji and his son Sambhaji hid themselves inside the baskets and escaped successfully.
A. The Peshwa deliberately reduced the power of regional chiefs to maintain control.
B. Individual regional chiefs gained greater autonomy and power as the empire expanded rapidly across diverse territories.
C. European influence forced the Marathas to adopt a federal system of governance.
D. The Chhatrapati insisted on sharing power equally with all provincial rulers.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) Individual regional chiefs gained greater autonomy and power as the empire expanded rapidly across diverse territories.
Explanation:
After Chhatrapati Shivaji's death, the centralised state structure gave way to a more decentralised one. Though nominally centred around the Chhatrapati, regional chiefs wielded increasing power. The Peshwa, particularly influential figures like Bajirao I and Nanasaheb Peshwa, gained substantial authority during this period of rapid expansion, which led to occasional indiscipline and abuse.
A. He was the first native Indian ruler to initiate printing technology in his kingdom.
B. He printed only religious texts rather than political documents like other rulers.
C. He refused to use Marathi language in his printed materials, preferring Sanskrit instead.
D. He distributed free printed materials to all citizens, which no other ruler had done before.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (A) He was the first native Indian ruler to initiate printing technology in his kingdom.
Explanation:
Serfoji II started a printing press, marking the first such example in India established by a native ruler. This technological initiative, combined with his other cultural contributions like patronising Carnatic music and early Bharatanatyam, demonstrated his progressive approach to governance and cultural preservation during the Thanjavur Maratha period.
A. • It was composed of officials and prominent men who delivered justice locally • Appeals could be made to Maratha chiefs if verdicts were unsatisfactory • It functioned as the main body dispensing justice rather than as a governmental body
B. It was exclusively comprised of Brahmin scholars and religious figures.
C. It had the authority to collect taxes and enforce military conscription.
D. It operated only in urban centres and had no jurisdiction in rural areas.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (A) • It was composed of officials and prominent men who delivered justice locally • Appeals could be made to Maratha chiefs if verdicts were unsatisfactory • It functioned as the main body dispensing justice rather than as a governmental body
Explanation:
• The panchāyat was a local gathering of officials and prominent men, functioning as the primary justice-delivery body
• An appeal mechanism existed whereby unsatisfactory verdicts could be challenged before a Maratha chief
• It was distinctly different from the modern Panchayat, which is a governmental administrative body rather than a justice-dispensing institution
A. He intended to alienate non-Hindu populations and discourage trade with Islamic kingdoms.
B. His choice represented a deliberate assertion of Hindu cultural identity and independence from the dominant Mughal cultural framework.
C. He lacked the resources to commission seals with Persian inscriptions like other rulers.
D. He believed Sanskrit was a more secure language for encoding secret diplomatic messages.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) His choice represented a deliberate assertion of Hindu cultural identity and independence from the dominant Mughal cultural framework.
Explanation:
Chhatrapati Shivaji's seal, inscribed in Sanskrit rather than the prevalent Persian seals used by contemporary rulers, was a notable departure symbolising his vision of Swarājya (sovereignty). This choice deliberately asserted Hindu cultural identity and marked his independence from Mughal cultural dominance, while the Sanskrit inscription itself carried a message about his reign being for the welfare of the people.
A. Bārgīrs were officers while shiledārs were common soldiers without any formal rank.
B. The state paid for the horses and equipment of bārgīrs, whereas soldiers themselves bore these costs for shiledārs.
C. Shiledārs served in the navy while bārgīrs served exclusively in land forces.
D. Bārgīrs were recruited from nobility while shiledārs came from common populations.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) The state paid for the horses and equipment of bārgīrs, whereas soldiers themselves bore these costs for shiledārs.
Explanation:
The Maratha cavalry comprised two distinct types: bārgīrs, whose horses and equipment were funded by the state, and shiledārs, whose horses and equipment they financed themselves. This distinction affected military logistics and reflected differences in soldier status and resource availability.
A. He actually engaged in acts of piracy and theft on the high seas.
B. The Europeans resented his challenge to their naval monopoly over Indian trade passes, which he reversed by demanding passes from them.
C. He attacked merchant ships from all nations indiscriminately without any political motivation.
D. His fleet destroyed European settlements along the coast, prompting the retaliation in labelling.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) The Europeans resented his challenge to their naval monopoly over Indian trade passes, which he reversed by demanding passes from them.
Explanation:
Europeans used the label 'pirate' as an expression of frustration when Kanhoji Angre inverted the existing system. Previously, Europeans had forced Indians to purchase their naval trade passes (cartaz); Kanhoji Angre and the Maratha navy challenged this monopoly by demanding passes from Europeans themselves, threatening their commercial dominance despite having less technologically advanced ships.
A. He adopted Persian as the official court language instead of Marathi.
B. He abolished hereditary posts and land assignments, paying officials fixed salaries from state treasury instead.
C. He eliminated the practice of collecting taxes from peasants and merchants.
D. He refused to employ military commanders and handled all defence matters personally.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) He abolished hereditary posts and land assignments, paying officials fixed salaries from state treasury instead.
Explanation:
Chhatrapati Shivaji instituted relatively centralised administration that broke sharply with existing practices. He abolished the hereditary posts and land assignments that were generally practised under Sultans and Mughals, replacing them with a system where government officials received fixed salaries paid from the state treasury. Officials were also periodically transferred to prevent them from accumulating enough power to challenge royal authority.
A. Cultural activities weakened Maratha military strength by diverting resources from defence.
B. • The bhakti saints provided cultural and political foundations that helped Marathas organise into a power • Chhatrapati Shivaji's cultural initiatives promoted Sanskrit and Marathi, asserting Hindu identity • This cultural confidence inspired Indians across regions and contributed to demonstrating that mighty empires could be defeated
C. Culture played no significant role; military strategy alone determined Maratha success.
D. European cultural influences strengthened Maratha resolve to resist the Mughals.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) • The bhakti saints provided cultural and political foundations that helped Marathas organise into a power • Chhatrapati Shivaji's cultural initiatives promoted Sanskrit and Marathi, asserting Hindu identity • This cultural confidence inspired Indians across regions and contributed to demonstrating that mighty empires could be defeated
Explanation:
• Saints like Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram translated important texts and promoted social and political awareness, building cultural foundations
• Chhatrapati Shivaji used Sanskrit seals, commissioned works promoting Marathi, and rebuilt temples, asserting cultural identity
• His success demonstrated that kingdoms could challenge empires, inspiring cultural confidence that extended the revival across India and planted seeds for the freedom movement
A. Marathas refused all foreign trade and remained entirely isolated from global commerce.
B. Chhatrapati Shivaji and his officials actively participated in maritime foreign trade themselves, directly sending ships to distant ports like Mocha, Muscat, and Malacca.
C. Marathas only purchased goods from Europeans rather than establishing their own trade routes.
D. The Marathas forced European traders to sell all their goods exclusively to Maratha merchants.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) Chhatrapati Shivaji and his officials actively participated in maritime foreign trade themselves, directly sending ships to distant ports like Mocha, Muscat, and Malacca.
Explanation:
Unlike the pattern where European merchants controlled trade from afar, Chhatrapati Shivaji and his officials actively participated in maritime foreign trade themselves. They maintained their own ships, which were regularly sent to ports as far as Mocha in Yemen, Muscat in Oman, and Malacca in Malaysia, carrying cargo like gold and textiles, demonstrating direct commercial engagement rather than dependence on foreign intermediaries.
A. He opposed all European commercial activity without exception.
B. His deep concern for his subjects extended to protecting them from exploitation, even when other Indian powers tolerated such practices.
C. He believed slavery was economically inefficient and unprofitable.
D. He wanted to monopolise the slave trade for himself rather than allow European participation.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) His deep concern for his subjects extended to protecting them from exploitation, even when other Indian powers tolerated such practices.
Explanation:
While most Europeans were capturing and selling Indians as slaves without opposition from Indian powers, Chhatrapati Shivaji intervened to forbid the Dutch from this practice. His willingness to challenge this abuse demonstrated his deep concern for his subjects' welfare, distinguishing him from contemporaries who tolerated such exploitation.
A. Access to southern ports allowed him to monopolise spice trade with Europe.
B. The conquest of southern territories, including parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, provided the Marathas with strategic depth against future Mughal invasions.
C. Southern conquest prevented the Mughals from ever invading the Deccan region.
D. It allowed him to establish direct diplomatic relations with the British East India Company.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) The conquest of southern territories, including parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, provided the Marathas with strategic depth against future Mughal invasions.
Explanation:
Chhatrapati Shivaji's southward expansion to ill-defended regions of present-day northern Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka proved strategically significant. This southern extension later provided the Marathas with substantial strategic depth when facing Mughal invasions, allowing them space to retreat and regroup if needed during major conflicts.
A. Forts were primarily used as royal residences and had no military function.
B. • Forts were essential for strategically controlling important routes and sheltering armies during guerrilla warfare • They prevented land devastation during invasions • Maratha state survived decades of Mughal onslaught due to their fortress network
C. Forts were only symbols of power with minimal practical military significance.
D. The Marathas used forts exclusively for storing treasures and collecting taxes.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) • Forts were essential for strategically controlling important routes and sheltering armies during guerrilla warfare • They prevented land devastation during invasions • Maratha state survived decades of Mughal onslaught due to their fortress network
Explanation:
• Forts enabled control of strategic routes and provided shelter during guerrilla campaigns
• Ramachandrapant Amatya explained that without forts, lands faced devastation during invasions
• The Maratha state's survival against powerful enemies like Aurangzeb was directly attributable to this fortress system, as enemies could conquer kingdoms but could not reduce the fort network
A. Isolation from outside influences allowed purely local artistic traditions to flourish unchanged.
B. The multilingual and syncretic environment blending Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi cultures, combined with rulers like Serfoji II who actively patronised talented musicians and dancers.
C. European traders brought classical music traditions that shaped local artistic forms.
D. The imposition of a single unified cultural system prevented innovation and experimentation.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) The multilingual and syncretic environment blending Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi cultures, combined with rulers like Serfoji II who actively patronised talented musicians and dancers.
Explanation:
Thanjavur's cultural environment was distinctly multilingual and syncretic, with Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi influences interacting freely. Serfoji II, himself versed in multiple languages, actively patronised musicians during his reign, providing the conditions under which modern Carnatic music took shape and the early stages of Bharatanatyam developed as distinct classical art forms.
A. Earlier chiefs simply lacked military skills and strategic thinking.
B. Despite the solid cultural foundation provided by bhakti saints and their promotion of social and political awareness, the fragmented regional powers and constant infighting among Deccan sultans prevented unified Maratha political consolidation until Shivaji rose to power.
C. Marathas were naturally unsuited for political leadership regardless of cultural factors.
D. The failure was due to European interference in local politics during the 16th century.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) Despite the solid cultural foundation provided by bhakti saints and their promotion of social and political awareness, the fragmented regional powers and constant infighting among Deccan sultans prevented unified Maratha political consolidation until Shivaji rose to power.
Explanation:
While bhakti saints had created a strong cultural foundation and promoted political awareness similar to Sikh gurus, this was not sufficient alone. The Pune region, where Shivaji grew up, was deeply affected by constant infighting among the Deccan sultans whom Marathas served. This fragmentation prevented earlier chiefs from uniting the people until Chhatrapati Shivaji's vision and leadership mobilised these cultural foundations into an effective political force.
A. Harsh resource extraction would have strengthened his kingdom's economy.
B. His careful instructions against forcing subjects to give even a blade of grass, and his protection of fruit-bearing trees, demonstrated that sustainable governance without oppression built stronger political foundations than exploitative practices.
C. Resource protection was irrelevant to political success and served only symbolic purposes.
D. His concern for resources showed weakness and hesitation that ultimately led to his military defeats.
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) His careful instructions against forcing subjects to give even a blade of grass, and his protection of fruit-bearing trees, demonstrated that sustainable governance without oppression built stronger political foundations than exploitative practices.
Explanation:
Chhatrapati Shivaji's letter to officials explicitly states that accomplishments gained through oppression perish quickly along with the oppressor, while sustainable governance and respect for people's livelihoods create lasting political foundations. His refusal to forcefully extract resources or destroy fruit-bearing trees that communities relied upon reflected a philosophy that long-term political stability and legitimacy depend on treating subjects justly rather than exploiting them.
A. The Marathas built larger and more technologically advanced ships than the Europeans
B. The Marathas demanded trade passes from Europeans rather than merely purchasing passes from them
C. The Marathas refused to engage in maritime trade altogether to avoid European contact
D. The Marathas accepted European naval dominance and focused exclusively on land-based warfare
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) The Marathas demanded trade passes from Europeans rather than merely purchasing passes from them
Explanation:
The chapter explicitly states that Europeans forced Indians to purchase naval trade passes at a price, but the Marathas challenged this practice and started demanding passes from the Europeans themselves. This reversal of the typical power dynamic frustrated the Europeans, who responded by labelling Kanhoji Angre a 'pirate' for his resistance to their monopoly.
A. He appointed priests to oversee religious affairs in each province
B. He abolished hereditary posts and paid salaries to officials from the state treasury instead
C. He created a special military council composed entirely of royal relatives
D. He established permanent capitals in both the north and south to balance power
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) He abolished hereditary posts and paid salaries to officials from the state treasury instead
Explanation:
The chapter states that Chhatrapati Shivaji abolished hereditary posts and land assignments, paying salaries to officials from state funds. Officials were also periodically transferred to prevent them from accumulating too much local power. This was a significant departure from earlier sultanate and Mughal practices.
A. His willingness to use negotiation rather than direct military confrontation
B. His ability to exploit geography and use surprise tactics to overcome an apparently stronger opponent
C. His preference for ritualistic combat over large-scale battlefield tactics
D. His dependence on European military advisors for strategic guidance
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) His ability to exploit geography and use surprise tactics to overcome an apparently stronger opponent
Explanation:
Chhatrapati Shivaji convinced the veteran general Afzal Khan to meet for a one-on-one encounter in thick forests, then killed him while hidden Maratha forces launched guerrilla attacks on Khan's army. This demonstrates his cunning use of terrain, psychology, and small-unit tactics to defeat a larger force.
A. It proved the Marathas had become unified under a single centralised authority
B. It showed that regional chiefs had acquired enough autonomous power to conduct independent military campaigns
C. It demonstrated that the British had already begun limiting Maratha territorial ambitions
D. It indicated a return to Chhatrapati Shivaji's original vision of a purely coastal maritime power
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) It showed that regional chiefs had acquired enough autonomous power to conduct independent military campaigns
Explanation:
The chapter explains that after Chhatrapati Shivaji's time, the centralised state gave way to a more decentralised structure with chiefs wielding more power. The pan-Indian expansion involving distant northern territories would have required significant autonomy for regional commanders, reflecting this structural shift from the earlier centralised model.
A. He believed that rapid economic development was more important than preserving natural resources
B. He viewed oppression of subjects through forced resource extraction as both morally wrong and ultimately self-defeating for the state
C. He prioritised military conquests over the welfare of the civilian population
D. He sought to monopolise all natural resources exclusively for his own profit
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) He viewed oppression of subjects through forced resource extraction as both morally wrong and ultimately self-defeating for the state
Explanation:
• Chhatrapati Shivaji explicitly warned that 'if you accomplish something by oppressing others, it perishes soon, along with the oppressor'
• He emphasised the people's attachment to fruit-bearing trees, which took years to mature
• His instruction linked short-term gains through coercion to long-term loss of legitimacy and power
• This reasoning connected environmental protection to political sustainability and public welfare.
A. He avoided attacking any civilian dwellings in the city
B. He attacked religious places and confiscated their wealth for state purposes
C. He spared religious places and showed mercy to charitable individuals like Mohandas Parekh
D. He refused to take any treasure, focusing only on military conquest
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (C) He spared religious places and showed mercy to charitable individuals like Mohandas Parekh
Explanation:
Despite obtaining enormous wealth from Surat, the chapter notes that Chhatrapati Shivaji was careful not to attack religious places and even spared the house of Mohandas Parekh, described as a charitable man. This shows he distinguished between military targets and places or people deserving protection.
A. They served as ceremonial figureheads with no real political power
B. They wielded such great influence that they could even overshadow the Chhatrapati and directed the empire's expansion
C. They were appointed by the British to oversee Maratha administration
D. They focused exclusively on naval affairs and ignored territorial expansion
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) They wielded such great influence that they could even overshadow the Chhatrapati and directed the empire's expansion
Explanation:
The chapter explicitly states that the Peshwa wielded great influence, even over the Chhatrapati himself, and that Bajirao I and Nanasaheb Peshwa were particularly instrumental in the pan-Indian expansion of the Marathas. This indicates they were powerful figures who shaped the empire's trajectory during the 18th century.
A. The Marathas suppressed all local Telugu and Tamil traditions to impose Marathi culture exclusively
B. Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi cultures interacted freely, reflecting respect for diverse cultural traditions without religious discrimination
C. The Marathas destroyed temples and religious institutions of other faiths
D. The Marathas refused to patronise any form of local art or literature
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi cultures interacted freely, reflecting respect for diverse cultural traditions without religious discrimination
Explanation:
The chapter states that in Thanjavur, local Tamil culture, Telugu culture of former rulers, and the current rulers' Marathi culture interacted freely. This mirrors Chhatrapati Shivaji's approach as a devout Hindu who respected other religions while upholding his own, demonstrating a consistent Maratha principle of cultural pluralism across generations and regions.
A. They possessed superior gunpowder technology and European-style artillery from the beginning of Chhatrapati Shivaji's reign
B. Their strategic use of fortified positions combined with knowledge of difficult terrain allowed them to resist conquest and maintain independence even as larger empires fell around them
C. They had established naval alliances with European trading powers who provided military support against Mughal forces
D. They controlled the richest trading ports in India, which provided unlimited resources to sustain prolonged warfare
Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: (B) Their strategic use of fortified positions combined with knowledge of difficult terrain allowed them to resist conquest and maintain independence even as larger empires fell around them
Explanation:
The chapter emphasizes that forts were 'the core of the state' and that it was specifically due to these fortifications that the Maratha state survived Aurangzeb's decades-long campaign. Ramachandrapant Amatya explicitly notes that despite Aurangzeb conquering great empires like Bijapur, 'it was due to forts that the [Maratha] state survived despite decades of onslaught.' The text also highlights how Chhatrapati Shivaji's use of guerrilla warfare, which leveraged geographical knowledge, allowed smaller forces to defeat larger armies. While the Marathas did eventually adopt some European military methods and engaged in maritime trade, these were not the primary reasons for their survival against Aurangzeb.
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