The Rise of the Marathas — NCERT Solutions

Given / Context: The Maratha homeland lay in the Sahyadri (Western Ghats) mountain ranges and along the Konkan coastline of the Deccan plateau.

Key Geographical Features and Their Military Significance:

1. The Western Ghats (Sahyadris):

• The rugged, forested mountain terrain made large-scale cavalry or elephant-based armies (used by the Mughals) ineffective.
• Narrow passes (ghats) could be defended by small Maratha forces against much larger armies.
• Shivaji built and captured numerous hill forts — such as Raigad, Pratapgad, and Torna — on high peaks. These forts served as administrative centres, treasuries, and military strongholds.
• The chapter notes that 'forts were the core of the Maratha state'. Controlling forts meant controlling territory, revenue, and refuge during enemy advances.
• The guerrilla warfare (ganimi kava) tactics pioneered by Shivaji were perfectly suited to this terrain — swift raids, sudden retreats into hills, and ambushes in forested valleys.

2. The Konkan Coastline:

• The long western coastline gave the Marathas access to sea trade and naval power.
• Kanhoji Angre built a formidable Maratha navy that dominated the western coast and challenged European powers (the Portuguese, British, and Dutch).
• Coastal forts like Sindhudurg (built on a sea island) protected harbours and controlled maritime trade routes.
• Revenue from coastal trade funded Maratha military campaigns inland.

3. State Formation:

• The combination of hill forts and coastal control allowed the Marathas to create a layered defence: enemies had to breach coastal defences, then cross the ghats, then reduce individual hill forts — each step costly and time-consuming.
• This geography encouraged a decentralised but resilient state: even when the capital fell, other forts and chiefs could continue resistance (as Tarabai demonstrated after Sambhaji's death).

Conclusion: Geography was not merely a backdrop but an active tool of Maratha statecraft. Mountains provided natural fortifications and suited their guerrilla style; coastlines provided naval power and trade revenue. Together, they allowed a relatively small regional power to resist the Mughal Empire and later challenge the British.

Biography chosen: Ahilyabai Holkar — The Philosopher Queen of Maheshwar

(Note: Students may choose any one leader. This is a model answer for Ahilyabai Holkar.)

Paragraph 1 — Who Was She?
Ahilyabai Holkar (1725–1795) was the ruler of the Maratha kingdom of Malwa, with her capital at Maheshwar on the banks of the Narmada River. She was not born into royalty — she was the daughter of a village headman. Her intelligence and devotion caught the eye of Malhar Rao Holkar, the great Maratha general, who chose her as a bride for his son Khanderao. This simple beginning makes her rise to power all the more remarkable.

Paragraph 2 — The Challenge She Overcame:
Ahilyabai faced devastating personal losses. Her husband Khanderao died in battle, and her father-in-law Malhar Rao, who had guided and supported her, also passed away. When her own son died young, she was left as the sole ruler of Malwa with no male heir. In 18th-century India, a woman ruling alone was almost unheard of. Many expected the kingdom to collapse or be absorbed by rivals. Instead, Ahilyabai stepped forward, personally led armies into battle, and proved herself a capable military commander as well as an administrator.

Paragraph 3 — Her Achievements:
As ruler for nearly 30 years, Ahilyabai transformed Malwa into a prosperous and peaceful kingdom. She built roads, rest houses (dharamshalas), and wells for travellers. She is most famous for restoring and building Hindu temples across India — from Somnath in Gujarat to Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Kedarnath in the Himalayas — many of which had been damaged or destroyed over centuries. She funded these projects from her own treasury and ensured that people of all communities benefited from her public works.

Paragraph 4 — Why She Is Inspirational:
Ahilyabai Holkar showed that leadership is about service, wisdom, and courage — not about gender or birth. She listened to her people, held open courts (durbars) where anyone could bring a complaint, and was known for her fairness. Centuries after her death, she is remembered as 'Lokamata' (Mother of the People). Her life teaches us that even in the face of great personal sorrow and social barriers, one person's determination can bring light to millions of lives.

Fort Chosen: Raigad Fort — The Mountain Throne of the Marathas

(This is a model written answer. Students should convert these points into a poster or digital presentation with images, maps, and headings.)

Why I Would Choose Raigad:
Raigad is the most historically significant Maratha fort because it was the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji's kingdom — the place where he was crowned in 1674, marking the formal establishment of the Maratha Swarajya (self-rule). Visiting Raigad means standing where one of India's greatest rulers built his dream of an independent Indian kingdom.

History:

• Originally called Rairi, the fort was captured and renamed Raigad by Shivaji around 1656.
• In June 1674, Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati (Emperor) here in a grand ceremony, legitimising Maratha rule.
• The fort served as the administrative and political heart of the Maratha state.
• After Shivaji's death in 1680, Raigad was captured by Aurangzeb's Mughal forces in 1689, and Sambhaji's queen Yesubai was taken prisoner here.
• The fort was later recaptured by the Marathas.

Architecture:

• Raigad sits atop a flat-topped hill about 820 metres above sea level in the Sahyadri range, Raigad district, Maharashtra.
• It is accessible by a ropeway (modern addition) or by climbing approximately 1,737 steps carved into the rock.
• Key structures include: the Coronation Hall (Rajsabha) with its throne platform, the Jagdishwar Temple, the market street (Peth) with ruins of shops, the Hirkani Buruj (tower named after a brave woman), and Shivaji's samadhi (memorial).
• The fort has multiple layers of walls, water cisterns, and granaries designed for long sieges.

Strategic Importance:

• The sheer cliffs on all sides made direct assault nearly impossible.
• Its height gave defenders a commanding view of the surrounding valleys, making surprise attacks on the fort extremely difficult.
• The fort's central location in the Sahyadris allowed Shivaji to monitor and control movement across the Western Ghats.

Conclusion / Poster Caption:
"Raigad is not just a fort — it is the birthplace of a nation's dream. Every stone here whispers the story of Swarajya."

Understanding the Statement:

This statement means that by the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Marathas — not the Mughals — were the dominant political and military power in India. Therefore, when the British established their supremacy over India, their most significant military and political struggle was against the Marathas. Defeating the Marathas was, in effect, the act that gave the British control over the Indian subcontinent.

Why the Mughals Were No Longer the Main Power:

• By the mid-18th century, the Mughal Empire had fragmented after Aurangzeb's death (1707). Regional powers — Nawabs, Nizams, and the Marathas — had carved up Mughal territory.
• The Mughal Emperor in Delhi had become a symbolic figurehead with little real power or army.
• The British defeated the Nawab of Bengal at Plassey (1757) and gradually absorbed other regional powers, but these were relatively contained struggles.

Evidence from the Chapter Supporting the Statement:

1. Maratha expansion across India: After Shivaji, the Peshwas and Maratha chiefs (Holkars, Scindias/Shindes, Bhonsles, Gaekwads) expanded Maratha power across a vast territory — from Pune to Delhi, from Rajasthan to Odisha and Tamil Nadu. They were collecting revenue (chauth) from much of the subcontinent.

2. The Anglo-Maratha Wars: The British fought three major wars against the Marathas (1775–82, 1803–05, 1817–19) — far more prolonged and difficult than their campaigns against most other powers. This shows how seriously the British regarded the Maratha threat.

3. Mahadji Shinde's power: The chapter describes how Mahadji Shinde became the protector of the Mughal Emperor himself and controlled north India. Defeating such a power was essential for British supremacy.

4. The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–19): Only after this final war, in which the Peshwa was defeated and exiled, did the British gain undisputed control over most of India. This confirms that the Marathas were the last major Indian power standing between the British and full control.

Conclusion:
The statement highlights that the Marathas, not the Mughals, were the real successors to imperial power in 18th-century India. The British conquest of India was, above all, the conquest of the Maratha Confederacy.