Test: Climax And Disintegration of Mughal Empire II - UPSC MCQ

Shivaji Bhonsle was the founder of India's Maratha State. He was born in 1627 to a Hindu officer in the service of the Muslim sultan of Bijapur. He later became the leader of the Hindu Maratha people in their struggle against Muslim domination.

In 1659, Shivaji defeated an army sent against him by Bijapur. This victory established him as an independent ruler at Pune in present Maharashtra state.

In 1666, Aurangzeb invited Shivaji to meet him at the Mughal court in Agra. Shivaji and his son were detained there, but they managed to escape the following year.

Shivaji proclaimed himself king in 1674 after pushing as far north as Surat. He established a government that included modern concepts such as cabinet (Ashtapradhan mandal), foreign affairs (Dabir), and internal intelligence.

Shivaji built a powerful navy and erected new forts like Sindhudurg and strengthened old ones like Vijaydurga on the west coast. The Maratha navy held its own against the British, Portuguese, and Dutch.

Shivaji's system of administration was largely borrowed from the administrative practices of the Deccan states. However, he made some modifications according to the needs of the Maratha Empire.

The Peshwa was the chief minister in Shivaji's Council of Ministers (Ashtapradhan). He was responsible for general administration and was directly responsible to the ruler.

The Waqia Navis was responsible for intelligence, posts, and household affairs in Shivaji's administration. He played a crucial role in maintaining internal security and gathering information about enemies.

The primary objective of Aurangzeb's Deccan wars was to conquer the states of Bijapur and Golconda and crush the power of the Marathas. He believed that the existence of these states enabled the Marathas to enrich themselves and pose a threat to the Mughal Empire.

The decline of the Mughal Empire was caused by multiple factors, including Aurangzeb's orthodox policies, economic growth of local regions, and rebellion and resistance from regional powers like the Marathas, Jats, and Sikhs.

The Senapati was the commander-in-chief of the Maratha forces in Shivaji's administration. His duty was to recruit soldiers and organize the army.

Aurangzeb was successful in conquering the state of Bijapur in 1686 after leading a series of expeditions against its rulers.

The Pandit Rao, or Sadar, was in charge of ecclesiastical affairs in Shivaji's administration. He distributed money among the Brahmins from the charity fund.

Aurangzeb's 25-year-long campaign in the Deccan drained his resources and loosened his grip on the north, ultimately leading to his tragic end in 1707 at Ahamadnagar and the subsequent decline of the Mughal Empire.

Although there was chaos in some regions after Aurangzeb's death, an autonomous regional political order emerged broadly within the Mughal institutional framework. The symbols of the empire outlived the demise of its de facto power, and it took about 40 years for the Mughal Empire to collapse completely.