GK on Maratha Empire – Questions and Answers

General knowledge questions (GK) on Maratha Empire: Question and Answer. MCQs (multiple-choice questions).

Q) Who is considered to be the founder of Maratha empire?
Answer: Shivaji (1627-1680)

Also Read: GK questions and answers on Shivaji Maharaj.

Q) Who was the first Peshwa?
Answer: Moropant Trimbak Pingle

Also also known as Moropant Peshwa, Moropant (1620-1683) was the first Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, serving on Shivaji’s Ashta Pradhan Council of Eight.

Note: A Peshwa is someone equivalent to a Prime Minister in Marathi.

Q) Which year Balaji Viswanath appointed as Peshwa?
Answer: 16 November 1713

Young Maratha emperor Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath as Peshwa on 16 November 1713. Also referred to as “the second founder of the Maratha State”, Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Shahu Maharaj to consolidate his grip on a kingdom that was facing civil war and persistent attack by the Mughals (under Aurangzeb). Later, his son Bajirao also became the peshwa.

Q) Who was the second Chhatrapati of Maratha Empire?
Answer: Sambhaji

Sambhaji Bhosale (May 14, 1657-March 11, 1689) was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He ruled the Maratha empire for 9 years. Sambhaji was captured, tortured and executed by the Mughals, and was succeeded by his brother Rajaram Chhatrapati.

Q) Who was the Personal Advisor of Sambhaji?
Answer: Kavi Kalash

Kavi Kalash was a poet, friend and personal advisor to King Sambhaji. Though liked by Sambhaji, Kavi Kalash was widely disliked by the Maratha aristocracy (accused him of black magic). Kavi Kalash was captured, along with Sambhaji, by the Mughal army.

Q) Who was the father of Bajirao I?
Answer: Balaji Viswanath

Bajirao was born into the Bhat family of Kokanastha Chitpavan Brahmin lineage. His father Balaji Vishwanath was the first Peshwa of Chhatrapati Shahu; his mother was Radhabai. Baji Rao had a younger brother Chimaji Appa and two sisters, Bihubai Joshi and Anubai Ghorpade. He spent his childhood in his father’s newly acquired fiefdom of Saswad.

Q) Sambhaji died in which year?
Answer: 1689
Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were captured by Aurangzeb’s forces, and were tortured. Sambhaji was killed on March 11, 1689.

Q) In which year Rajaram became Chhatrapati?
Answer: 1689
After the death of Sambhaji, young Rajaram was crowned the Chhatrapati on 12 March 1689 in Raigad.

As the Mughals started laying siege to the region around Raigad on 25 March 1689, Rajaram escaped through Kavlya ghat to the fort of Jinji (in Tamil Nadu) via Pratapgad fort (Satara) and Vishalgad fort (Kolhapur).

Q) In which year Balaji Vishwanath died?
Answer: 1720
Balaji Vishwanath died on 12 April 1720. He was succeeded by his elder son, the celebrated Baji Rao I, who was appointed Peshwa by Chattrapati Shahu.

Q) Who was the first Peshwa to attack Delhi?
Answer: Baji Rao I

Q) In which year did Bajirao become Peshwa?
Answer: 1720
Baji Rao served as Peshwa (Prime Minister) to the fifth Maratha Chhatrapati (Emperor) Shahu. Baji Rao was also known by the name Bajirao Ballal.

Q) The Battle of Palkhed was fought between whom?
Answer: Bajirao and Nizam
The battle was fought between Maratha Peshwa, Baji Rao I and the Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad. The Marathas defeated the Nizam. Palkhed is a village ocated near the city of Nashik.

Q) Mastani was the wife of?
Answer: Mastani was the second wife of Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I.

Q) Shamsher Bahadur is the son of?
Answer: Baji Rao I
Shamsher Bahadur I, also known as Krishna Rao, was the son of Bajirao I and Mastani. He was a Maratha ruler of the dominion of Banda in northern India.

Q) Which Peshwa was known as Nanasaheb?
Answer: Balaji Baji Rao

Balaji Baji Rao was known as Nana Saheb. During his tenure, the actual power of the Maratha empire rested with few individual chiefs–such as the Holkars, the Scindias and the Bhonsles. A large part of the empire’s expansion was led by the individual chiefs, whose acts of plundering alienated the masses.

Q) In which year Shahuji died?
Answer: 1749
Shahu died in 1749 and his adopted son Rajaram II of Satara succeeded him. However, the actual power was held by others.

Q) When was the third battle of Panipat fought?
Answer: 1761
It was fought on 14 January 1761 at Panipat (near Delhi) between the Marathas and the Mughals. The Marathas lost the war.

Q) In which year Madhav Rao I became a Peshwa?
Answer: 1761

Madhav Rao I (son of Nanasaheb), considered one of the greatest Peshwas of the Maratha empire, became the Peshwa on June 23, 1761. He is credited for getting the Maratha empire on the path of recovery after the huge losses suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat.

Q) What is known as Maratha Resurrection?
Answer: Maratha Resurrection is a term often used to describe the period between the Third Battle of Panipat on January 14, 1761 and capture of Najibabad in 1773.
Peshwa Madhavrao is credited for this Resurrection of the Maratha power, which suffered a huge dent after their defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat.

Q) Where is Shaniwar Wada located?
Answer: Pune.
Shaniwarwada is a historical fortification in Pune, and used to be the seat of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire until 1818 when the Peshwas lost control to the British East India Company after the Third Anglo-Maratha War.

Q) Who killed Narayan Rao?
Answer: Raghunath Rao (also known as “Raghoba”, “Raghoba Dada)

Narayan Rao, third son of Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb), was appointed the Peshwa after the death of Madhav Rao. But because he was a minor, Raghoba-dada was appointed the regent for Narayanrao. But because Raghoba-dada conspired against his nephew, he was placed under house arrest. During the Ganesh Festival of 1773, several armed Gardi soldiers entered the Shaniwar Wada and killed the young Peshwa.

Regent is a person appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a minor or is absent or incapacitated.

Q) How many wars were fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company?
Answer: Three

First Anglo-Maratha War: (1775–1782)
Second Anglo-Maratha War: (1803–1806)
Third Anglo-Maratha War (also known as the Pindari War): (1817–1818)

Do you think we missed any General Knowledge question on the Maratha Empire or the Peshwas that should be listed here? Feel free to comment and we will have it added.

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