Very Short Answer Questions: The Rise of the Marathas | Social Science Class 8 - New NCERT PDF Download

Q1. Who were the Marathas and where did they primarily live?
Ans: The Marathas were people of the Deccan plateau, mainly Maharashtra, who spoke Marathi and shared a rich cultural heritage.

Q2. Which movement helped unite Maratha society culturally?
Ans: The Bhakti movement, through saints and devotional poetry.

Q3. Name two Bhakti saints who inspired Maratha unity.
Ans: Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram.

Q4. Which dynasty ruled Maharashtra before the Sultanates and where was its capital?
Ans: The Yadava dynasty, with Devagiri (Daulatabad) as its capital.

Q5. What was Shivaji’s central political ideal called?
Ans: Swarajya, meaning self-rule.

Q6. At what age did Shivaji begin capturing forts, and what tactic did he use?
Ans: Around 16, using guerrilla warfare with swift surprise attacks.

Q7. Which Bijapur general did Shivaji defeat at Pratapgad in 1659?
Ans: Afzal Khan.

Q8. Why is the attack on Shaista Khan famous?
Ans: Shivaji’s night raid forced him to flee after losing fingers, showing daring precision.

Q9. What was notable about Shivaji’s navy?
Ans: He built a coastal navy when other Indian powers had weak or no navies, protecting the west coast.

Q10. What did Shivaji achieve in his raids on Surat, and what was noteworthy about his conduct?
Ans: He seized great wealth but spared religious places and kind citizens like Mohandas Parekh.

Q11. Where and when was Shivaji crowned, and what era did he start?
Ans: At Raigad in 1674; he began the Rajyabhisheka Shaka.

Q12. Who succeeded Shivaji and what happened to him?
Ans: Sambhaji; he was captured and executed by Aurangzeb after the fall of Raigad.

Q13. Which Maratha ruler shifted to Gingee and spread the war southward?
Ans: Rajaram.

Q14. Who led the Marathas after Rajaram and launched invasions into Mughal lands?
Ans: Tarabai.

Q15. How did the Maratha state’s power structure change in the 18th century?
Ans: It became a confederacy with rising Peshwa authority over a less centralized state.

Q16. Which Peshwa expanded Maratha influence to Lahore, Attock, and Peshawar?
Ans: Peshwa Bajirao I (with expansion continued under Nanasaheb).

Q17. What was the outcome of the Third Battle of Panipat (1761) for the Marathas?
Ans: A major defeat by the Afghans, followed by recovery under Peshwa Madhavrao I.

Q18. Which leader recaptured Delhi for the Marathas in 1771?
Ans: Mahadji Shinde (Scindia).

Q19. Name the two key Maratha exactions and their rates.
Ans: Chauth at 25% and Sardeshmukhi at an extra 10%.

Q20. What was the Ashta Pradhana Mandala?
Ans: Shivaji’s council of eight ministers for efficient governance.

Q21. What roles did Bargirs and Shiledars play?
Ans: They were cavalry types—Bargirs state-mounted, Shiledars self-mounted.

Q22. Why were forts central to Maratha strategy?
Ans: They anchored control and enabled endurance in guerrilla warfare, as emphasized in the Adnyapatra.

Q23. Who led the Maratha navy to prominence in the 18th century and how did Europeans view him?
Ans: Kanhoji Angre; Europeans labeled him a “pirate” due to pass (cartaz) confrontations.

Q24. What was Shivaji’s cultural stance toward language and religion?
Ans: He promoted Marathi and Sanskrit, used a Sanskrit seal, respected other faiths, and rebuilt damaged temples.

Q25. Name two notable Maratha-era women and one contribution each.
Ans: Tarabai—led campaigns safeguarding the empire; Ahilyabai Holkar—rebuilt temples like Kashi Vishwanath and promoted welfare.