UPSC CORE · NCERT HISTORY · SATISH CHANDRA VOL II CH 13-14: MARATHAS + SUCCESSOR STATES
Marathas + 18th-Century Successor States ⚔️
NCERT-aligned UPSC Core History topic from NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar). Every item is anchored to a real location on India's map — built for boards (CBSE, ICSE, state) and UPSC aspirants.
📚 NCERT TEXTBOOK ALIGNMENT
Class UPSC History — NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar) — Chapter: Satish Chandra Vol II Ch 13-14: Marathas + Successor States.
15LOCATIONS
126QUESTIONS
UPSC CORENCERT LEVEL
Open interactive map quiz →
Key locations covered (15)
- Shivaji + Maratha State (1630-80) — Maharashtra
- Sambhaji + Maratha Resistance to Aurangzeb — Maharashtra
- Peshwa Confederacy (1707-1761) — Bajirao + Panipat — Pan-India
- Marathas Recovery (1761-1818) + 3 Anglo-Maratha Wars — Pan-India
- 18th-Century Successor States (concise) — Pune · Maratha Confederacy + 18th-c. successor states power
- Shivneri Fort — Shivaji's Birthplace — Maharashtra
- Raigad Fort — Shivaji's Capital + Coronation — Maharashtra
- Pratapgad — Afzal Khan Encounter — Maharashtra
- Sinhagad / Kondhana — Tanaji's Sacrifice — Maharashtra
- Panhala Fort — Siege Escape — Maharashtra
- Shaniwarwada — Peshwa Palace, Pune — Maharashtra
- Satara — Maratha Chhatrapati Capital — Maharashtra
- Gwalior Fort — Scindia Capital — Madhya Pradesh
- Indore / Maheshwar — Holkar Dynasty — Madhya Pradesh
- Panipat 1761 — Third Battle — Haryana
Sample questions (12 of 126)
Who was Shivaji + how did he begin?
CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI BHONSLE (19 Feb 1630 - 3 April 1680) — born SHIVNERI fort (near Pune) to SHAHAJI BHONSLE (Maratha noble in Bijapur service) + JIJABAI (the formidable mother who instilled Hindu Dharmic values). FROM age ~16 (1645), captured BIJAPURI hill forts one by one (Torna, Raigad, Chakan, Kondana/Sinhagad). By 1656 he had a small kingdom of forts in the Western Ghats. Shahaji was IMPRISONED by Bijapur for his son's activities; freed only after Shivaji surrendered some forts.
Battle of Pratapgad (10 Nov 1659) — wagh-nakh story?
BIJAPUR Sultan sent general AFZAL KHAN with 12,000 troops to crush Shivaji; Afzal Khan summoned Shivaji to PRATAPGAD fort for negotiations; embraced Shivaji (intending to crush him in his arms — Khan was 7 ft tall; Shivaji small); Shivaji (suspecting treachery, wore armour) struck back with WAGH NAKH (tiger-claws hidden in his fingers) + BICHWA dagger — killed Afzal Khan; Maratha army then ambushed + routed the Bijapur force. ICONIC moment of Maratha military genius.
Shaista Khan attack + Surat raids?
AURANGZEB'S UNCLE SHAISTA KHAN (viceroy of Deccan) attacked Shivaji (1660-63) with 80,000 troops; occupied Pune; took Shivaji's family's LAL MAHAL palace as his residence. April 1663 — Shivaji raided LAL MAHAL at midnight WITH ONLY 200 MEN; killed Shaista Khan's son + cut off Shaista Khan's 3 fingers as he tried to escape — humiliated the Mughal commander. SURAT RAIDS — January 1664 + October 1670 — Shivaji's troops looted the Mughal's richest port + treasury.
Treaty of Purandar (1665) + Agra escape (1666)?
JAI SINGH I (Mughal Kachwaha Rajput general — 100,000 troops) defeated Shivaji at PURANDAR (June 1665); Shivaji submitted; gave 23 forts to Mughals; agreed to serve Aurangzeb. Visited AGRA 11 May 1666 — humiliated by being placed in 5th rank; escaped house arrest by hiding in BASKETS OF SWEETS (sent as gifts) on 17 August 1666. Returned to Maharashtra; resumed conquests; recovered all lost forts by 1670.
Shivaji's coronation (6 June 1674)?
At RAIGAD FORT — coronated as CHHATRAPATI ("Sovereign Ruler") by Pandit GAGA BHATT of Banaras with FULL VEDIC RITUAL; took 7,000 mans of gold, 5 lakh in cash, plus jewels. Maratha NOBILITY (esp. Brahmins) had questioned Shivaji's KSHATRIYA status (he was from a Bhonsle clan of Maratha caste, not classical Kshatriya) — Gaga Bhatt traced his ancestry to the SISODIYA RAJPUTS of Mewar. Established HINDAVI SWARAJYA ("Hindu self-rule") as official ideology. Took title HAINDAVI DHARMODHARAK ("Reviver of Hindu dharma").
Shivaji's 8-Minister Cabinet (Ashtapradhan)?
(i) PESHWA (Prime Minister, civil admin); (ii) AMATYA (finance); (iii) MANTRI (royal household); (iv) SACHIV (correspondence + records); (v) SUMANT (foreign affairs); (vi) SENAPATI (commander-in-chief); (vii) PANDITRAO (religious + ceremonial); (viii) NYAYADHISH (chief justice). Each held both administrative + military duties; SALARIED (NOT jagirdari) — a REFORM vs Mughal jagir system. Tried to use SANSKRIT terms instead of Persian. Created the famous RAJYAVYAVAHARAKOSHA — a Sanskrit-Hindi-Persian glossary to replace Persian admin terms.
Shivaji's 4 main revenue innovations?
(i) CHAUTH — 1/4 (25%) of revenue from Mughal-controlled territories — a TRIBUTE rather than direct tax. (ii) SARDESHMUKHI — additional 10% from same territories. (iii) Maratha territories taxed via direct revenue assessment (~30-40% of produce in cash). (iv) NO JAGIRS to nobility — all senior officers paid CASH SALARIES (revolutionary departure from Mughal practice). His revenue system + standing army = much more efficient than the Mughals'.
SHIVAJI — KEY events of his rule?
(i) Born 19 Feb 1630 at SHIVNERI fort (Pune district) to SHAHAJI + JIJABAI; (ii) Captured TORANA fort 1646 (age 16 — first); (iii) Killed AFZAL KHAN at PRATAPGAD 10 Nov 1659 (using "BAGH NAKH" claws); (iv) ATTACKED SHAISTA KHAN at Pune 1663 (cut off his fingers); (v) SACKED SURAT 1664 + 1670 (Mughal port); (vi) CROWNED CHHATRAPATI at RAIGAD 6 June 1674 (Vedic coronation by Pandit Gaga Bhatta); (vii) DECCAN campaign 1677 (took Karnataka); (viii) DIED 3 April 1680 at Raigad. Established HINDU SWARAJ in Maharashtra-Konkan.
Shivaji's coronation took place at:
Raigad Fort, 6 June 1674 — performed by Pandit Gaga Bhatt; established Hindavi Swarajya; took title Chhatrapati.
Match the Maratha fort with feature: 1) Raigad—capital, coronation 2) Shivneri—Shivaji's birthplace 3) Pratapgad—Afzal Khan killed 4) Sindhudurg—island sea fort. Which are correctly matched?
All four are correctly matched.
Shivaji was born at?
Shivneri Fort (1630, Pune district)
Shivaji's father was?
Shahji Bhonsle (in Bijapur Sultanate service)
All 126 questions are available in the interactive map quiz.
About this topic
This topic is part of the NCERT UPSC Core History syllabus, specifically the textbook NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar), drawn from the chapter Satish Chandra Vol II Ch 13-14: Marathas + Successor States. Content is cross-referenced against the latest NCERT textbook editions + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar, Satish Chandra for history; G.C. Leong, Savindra Singh for geography; the UPSC Civil Services prelims + mains syllabus).
Use the interactive India map to learn marathas + 18th-century successor states the way memory works best — by spatial location. Each pin opens a flashcard. Mark "Knew it" or "Didn't know" to track your mastery over time.
Built with Claude (AI authorship)
The questions, answers, item descriptions, and period chips on this page were authored with the help of Claude, an AI assistant by Anthropic, under human editorial direction. The catalog is our best approximation of factual knowledge synthesised from NCERT textbooks, the UPSC syllabus, and standard reference works. For high-stakes exams, please cross-check critical facts against your official NCERT textbook. Reports to support@bharatgeoquiz.com are folded into future updates as the community grows. Full disclosure on the Terms page →
Related topics
More on भारत GeoQuiz