Peshwa Period & Maratha Wars — Set 8

Correct Answer: C. 1771

By 1771, Peshwa Madhav Rao I had successfully restored Maratha power and prestige across most of India. He defeated the Nizam, the Hyder Ali of Mysore, and reasserted control over territories lost after Panipat. His restoration of Maratha power in just a decade after the Panipat catastrophe is considered a remarkable achievement.

Correct Answer: B. Hyder Ali of Mysore

The Marathas under Peshwa Madhav Rao I fought against Hyder Ali of Mysore in several campaigns in the late 1760s-early 1770s. Hyder Ali had expanded Mysore at the expense of Maratha territories. Madhav Rao I defeated Hyder Ali and forced him to pay tribute, demonstrating the restored Maratha military power.

Correct Answer: C. Battle of Ashti

The Battle of Ashti (February 19, 1818) was the decisive battle where Peshwa Baji Rao II's last army was destroyed by British forces under General Smith. Following this defeat, Baji Rao II surrendered and the Peshwaship was abolished. The date coincided with Shivaji's birth anniversary, adding historical irony to the Peshwa's final defeat.

Correct Answer: C. They became subordinate princes under British paramountcy

After the defeat of Peshwa Baji Rao II in 1818, the remaining Maratha chiefs (Scindia, Holkar, Gaekwad, Bhonsle of Nagpur) became subordinate rulers under British paramountcy. They retained their territories but lost effective sovereignty. These states became princely states that eventually merged into independent India in 1947-1948.

Correct Answer: B. Administrative records and documentation office

The Daftar (from Persian meaning 'register') was the administrative records and documentation system of the Peshwa government. Extensive records of revenue, correspondence, and administrative decisions were maintained in the Daftar. The Pune Daftar (Peshwa Daftar) is one of the richest archives of pre-colonial Indian history.

Correct Answer: B. Baji Rao I

Shaniwarwada was constructed in 1732 under Peshwa Baji Rao I as the official residence and administrative headquarters of the Peshwas in Pune. It was a magnificent palace complex that served as the center of Maratha Confederacy politics for nearly a century. The palace was largely destroyed by fire in 1828.

Correct Answer: C. Bithur (near Kanpur)

After his defeat in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Peshwa Baji Rao II was exiled to Bithur near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, where he lived the rest of his life on a British pension. His adopted son was Nana Sahib (Dhondu Pant), who became a key leader of the 1857 uprising. Baji Rao II died at Bithur in 1851.

Correct Answer: C. Scindia

The Battle of Laswari (November 1, 1803) was fought between the British forces under General Gerard Lake and the Scindia (Daulat Rao Scindia)'s forces during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The British won a hard-fought victory that resulted in the dissolution of the Scindia's disciplined infantry force trained by de Boigne. This victory gave the British control over Delhi and northern India.

Correct Answer: B. March to Delhi (1737)

Peshwa Baji Rao I's famous march to Delhi in 1737 was a military masterpiece that surprised and terrorized the Mughal Empire. He led a cavalry force at incredible speed from Pune to the outskirts of Delhi, covering hundreds of kilometers. The Mughal emperor fled the city, demonstrating the complete vulnerability of the once-mighty Mughal Empire.

Correct Answer: C. Loyalty to the Chhatrapati and Peshwa

The Maratha Confederacy was a loose political union bound by loyalty to the Chhatrapati (king) of Satara and the Peshwa. Each major chief (Scindia, Holkar, Bhonsle, Gaekwad) was autonomous in their own territories but acknowledged the overall supremacy of the Peshwa. This loose structure made coordination difficult and was ultimately a weakness against the more organized British.