Reviewing the Class 8 SST Extra Questions and Class 8 SST Chapter 3 The Rise of the Marathas Extra Questions before exams can boost your confidence.
The Rise of the Marathas Class 8 Extra Question Answer
Extra Questions of The Rise of the Marathas Class 8
The Rise of the Marathas Class 8 Very Short Question Answer
Question 1.
What was Shivaji’s vision behind establishing Swarājya?
Answer:
Shivaji’s vision of Swarājya (self-rule) went beyond political independence. It aimed at building a sovereign state based on justice, welfare, cultural revival and self-reliance. He sought to free his people from the oppression of the Deccan sultans and the Mughals, and to establish governance that protected the rights and dignity of ordinary people.
Question 2.
What were chauth and sardeshmukhi?
Answer:
Chauth was a tax of 25 % of revenue collected by the Marathas from provinces not directly under their control. Sardeshmukhi was an additional $10 \%$ tax levied on top of chauth. In return for these taxes, the Marathas offered military protection to those provinces and did not interfere in their internal administration. These taxes helped sustain the Maratha military and later brought many of these regions into the empire.
Question 3.
Why was the formation of the Maratha Navy considered a remarkable step?
Answer:
The formation of the Maratha Navy was considered remarkable because very few Indian rulers had established a permanent naval force at the time. Neither the Bijapur Sultanate nor the Mughal Empire maintained a full-time navy. Shivaji’s decision to build a naval force was revolutionary and enabled the Marathas to protect their coastline, control trade routes and challenge European naval dominance.
The Rise of the Marathas Class 8 Short Question Answer
Question 1.
Describe any one example showing Shivaji’s clever military strategy.
Answer:
One of the best examples of Shivaji’s clever military strategy was the night raid on Shaista Khan’s camp. When the Mughal noble Shaista Khan invaded and occupied parts of Maharashtra for nearly three years, Shivaji did not attempt a direct confrontation with the much larger Mughal army. Instead, with only a small group of trusted soldiers, he carried out a surprise night raid on Shaista Khan’s fortified camp. The attack was so swift and precise that the Khan barely escaped, losing a few fingers in the fight, and promptly withdrew from Maharashtra. This daring raid demonstrated Shivaji’s mastery of guerrilla tactics and his ability to defeat powerful enemies through intelligence rather than brute force.
Question 2.
Write a short note on the contributions of Ahilyabai Holkar.
Answer:
Ahilyabai Holkar was one of the most respected rulers of 18th-century India, belonging to the Holkar dynasty of Indore. After losing her husband and son, she bravely governed the state for over thirty years with wisdom, compassion and justice. She built and restored hundreds of temples, ghats, wells and roads across India, from Kedarnath in the north to Rameswaram in the south. She is best remembered for rebuilding the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi (destroyed by Aurangzeb) and the Somnath Temple in Gujarat (destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni). She also promoted the Maheshwari weaving industry in Madhya Pradesh, revitalising traditional handloom crafts that continue to thrive today.
The Rise of the Marathas Class 8 Long Question Answer
Question 1.
Discuss the main factors that led to the rise of the Marathas as a major power in India.
Answer:
The rise of the Marathas as a major Indian power resulted from a combination of cultural unity, visionary leadership and efficient governance.
- The Bhakti movement, led by saints like Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram and Ramdas, promoted spiritual equality, moral strength and social cohesion among the Marathi-speaking people, creating a strong cultural foundation.
- Shivaji Maharaj’s courage, vision and emphasis on Swarājya (self-rule) united the Marathas under a common goal of freedom and justice.
- The Western Ghats’ hills and forests gave the Marathas a geographical advantage, enabling them to master guerrilla warfare against much larger armies.
- A disciplined military system, strong forts and an innovative navy ensured defence and control over trade routes.
- Shivaji’s centralised administration, with the Ashta Pradhana Mandala and a fair revenue system, ensured accountability and justice.
- Under the Peshwas, leaders like Bajirao I and Nanasaheb extended Maratha influence across India, making them a pan-Indian power.
Thus, unity, leadership and sound administration made the Marathas India’s strongest native empire before the British era.
Question 2.
How did the Marathas’ vision of Swarājya shape India’s unity, administration and cultural identity?
Answer:
The Marathas’ vision of Swarājya went beyond political freedom and aimed at self-rule based on justice, equality and cultural revival.
- They united different regions of India under native leadership before British rule, creating a sense of shared national identity.
- The Maratha governance system emphasised discipline, fairness and welfare. Shivaji’s Ashta Pradhana Mandala ensured accountability and justice, with no hereditary posts and fixed salaries for officials.
- The promotion of Sanskrit and Marathi in administration and literature, through works like the Rāja-Vyavahāra-Koşha, encouraged pride in Indian languages and heritage.
- The Marathas respected all faiths while upholding traditional Hindu values, promoting peace and inclusion.
- Leaders like Shivaji, the Peshwas, Ahilyabai Holkar and Tarabai inspired later Indian nationalists with their ideals of self-reliance and just governance.
Thus, the Marathas’ vision of Swarājya strengthened India’s unity, governance and cultural confidence for generations.
The Rise of the Marathas Class 8 Case Based Questions
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
1. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj believed that the strength of his kingdom rested not merely on forts or swords, but on the people who served it with loyalty. The soldiers were his pride and protection. These brave warriors left their families behind and fought through mountains, forests and fierce battles for the dream of Swarājya. Shivaji understood that their courage came with a price – the fear of leaving their families without support if they fell in war. To remove that fear, he introduced a welfare policy. If a soldier died in battle, his widow would receive a regular pension from the royal treasury, and his son would be offered a post in the army. This policy built deep trust between ruler and soldier, turning the Maratha army into a brotherhood bound by duty and devotion.
(i) What welfare policy did Shivaji introduce for soldiers’ families?
Answer:
Shivaji introduced a welfare policy where widows of soldiers who died in battle would receive a regular pension from the royal treasury, and their sons would be offered a post in the army to continue their father’s service.
(ii) How did this policy strengthen the Maratha army?
Answer:
This policy strengthened the Maratha army by removing the soldiers’ fear of leaving their families without support. Knowing their loved ones would be cared for, soldiers fought more fearlessly. It built deep trust between the ruler and his soldiers, turning the army into a devoted brotherhood rather than a force driven by command alone.
(iii) How does such a welfare system reflect modern ideals of governance?
Answer:
Such a welfare system reflects modern ideals like social security, ex-servicemen’s pensions and veterans’ benefits that many countries practise today. It shows that Shivaji understood the importance of the government’s responsibility towards the families of those who serve the nation, a principle central to modern democratic governance.
Class 8 The Rise of the Marathas Extra Questions for Practice
Question 1.
Which dynasty ruled Maharashtra before the Khilji conquest?
(a) Chola dynasty
(b) Yadava dynasty
(c) Pallava dynasty
(d) Hoysala dynasty
Question 2.
Shivaji’s method of guerrilla warfare relied primarily on:
(a) Naval battles on the open sea
(b) Speed, surprise and knowledge of local terrain
(c) Siege warfare with heavy artillery
(d) Large cavalry charges on flat plains
Question 3.
Which Maratha ruler wrote the play Devendra Kuravanji?
(a) Bajirao I
(b) Serfoji II
(c) Shivaji Maharaj
(d) Sambhaji
Question 4.
The Peshwa who helped transform the Marathas into a pan-Indian power was:
(a) Nana Phadnavis
(b) Mahadji Shinde
(c) Bajirao I
(d) Kanhoji Angre
The following questions consist of two statements – Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Answer these questions by selecting the correct option:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Question 5.
Assertion (A) : The Maratha cavalry was divided into bargirs and shiledars.
Reason (R) : Bargirs supplied their own horses while shiledars were state-equipped.
Question 6.
Assertion (A) : Shivaji’s letter about cutting trees shows his concern for the welfare of his people and nature.
Reason (R) : He ordered his officers to cut fruit trees for naval timber without seeking permission from villagers.
Question 7.
The title given to Shivaji after his coronation at Raigad was ________.
Question 8.
The Maratha statesman _______ organised India’s first pan-Indian alliance against the British.
Question 9.
Ekoji, the half-brother of Shivaji, conquered the ________ region in the late 17 th century.
Question 10.
The Maratha navy under Kanhoji Angre was technologically superior to European ships.
Question 11.
Ahilyabai Holkar rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi that had been destroyed by Aurangzeb.
Question 12.
The British gained control of India primarily from the Marathas rather than from the Mughals.
Question 13.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
When empires trembled, two women held their ground. Tarabai, Shivaji’s daughter-in-law, refused to surrender after her husband Rajaram’s death. She led armies herself, marching through the Deccan, defying Aurangzeb’s powerful troops. Her courage revived the Maratha spirit when it was close to breaking. A century later, Ahilyabai Holkar ruled Indore with grace and justice. She rebuilt temples destroyed in wars, repaired ghats, and encouraged trade and handlooms. Her capital was peaceful, her people happy, her name revered even by rivals. Both women proved that strength is not limited by gender – it lies in duty, vision, and heart.
(a) Name the two women who became important Maratha leaders.
(b) How did Tarabai and Ahilyabai contribute differently to the Maratha legacy?
(c) How do their stories inspire women’s leadership in modern society?
Question 14.
Where did Shivaji’s coronation take place?
Question 15.
What role did forts play in the Maratha strategy of defence and governance?
Question 16.
Who was Tarabai and how did she contribute to Maratha independence?
Question 17.
How did the Thanjavur Marathas, especially Serfoji II, combine Indian and European ideas in governance and culture?
Question 18.
Explain the key events in Shivaji’s life that made him a legendary ruler and describe how his vision of Swarājya influenced Maratha governance.
OR
How did the Marathas’ administrative, military and naval systems help them become the largest Indian power before the British? Discuss with examples.