MH Police Bharti · Bite-size lessons
Maharashtra History
About 6 min · General Knowledge & Current Affairs · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 394 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
Maharashtra History is a topic in the Maharashtra Police Bharti exam, as it directly tests candidates' knowledge of their home state's glorious past. Questions typically cover the Maratha Empire's rise under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Peshwa administration, and Maharashtra's contribution to the Indian freedom struggle.
Key ideas
- Shivaji Maharaj as State Builder: Not just a warrior but an administrator who created Ashtapradhan (council of eight ministers), built a navy, and established Swarajya based on Hindu-Pad-Padshahi.
- Guerrilla Warfare (Ganimi Kava): Shivaji's signature military tactic using knowledge of Sahyadri terrain, swift cavalry raids, and strategic fort placements rather than pitched battles against larger Mughal armies.
- Maratha Confederacy under Peshwas: After Shahu's death (1749), real power shifted to Peshwas at Pune; the empire expanded but became a loose confederacy of chiefs (Holkars, Scindias, Bhosles, Gaekwads).
- Third Battle of Panipat (1761): The catastrophic defeat against Ahmad Shah Abdali that ended Maratha dreams of Delhi dominance; marked the beginning of Maratha decline.
- British Conquest through Three Anglo-Maratha Wars: Systematic dismantling of Maratha power — Treaty of Bassein (1802) and final Peshwa defeat (1818) brought Maharashtra under British control.
Watch out for
- Confusing Peshwa sequence → Memorise: Balaji Vishwanath → Baji Rao I → Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb) → Madhav Rao I → Narayan Rao → Raghunath Rao → Madhav Rao II → Baji Rao II (last).
- Mixing up Anglo-Maratha War treaties → First War ended with Salbai (1782), not Bassein. Bassein (1802) triggered the Second War.
- Thinking Panipat ended Maratha Empire → Panipat (1761) weakened but did not end it. The empire continued under later Peshwas until 1818 British conquest.
Quick reference
- 1630–1680: Shivaji's life; coronation 1674 at Raigad.
- Ashtapradhan: Eight ministers; Peshwa = Prime Minister.
- 1761: Panipat — Marathas lost to Abdali; turning point.
- 1818: Peshwa Baji Rao II surrendered; Maratha rule ended.
- Tilak-Gokhale-Savarkar: Maharashtra's trinity of freedom struggle leadership.
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was crowned as the king of the Maratha Empire in 1674 at which fort?
2. Which Peshwa is known for winning the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761?
3. Which of the following treaties resulted in the formal end of the Peshwa rule and annexation of Peshwa territories to the British East India Company?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 21 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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