Medieval Indian History
🔒 Log in to trackMarathas & Sikh Gurus
🔒 Log in to trackShivaji & the Marathas
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Shivaji | Born 1630 at Shivneri; Treaty of Purandar (1665) with Raja Jai Singh; coronation 1674 at Raigad, title Chhatrapati |
| Taxes | Chauth = 1/4 (25%) and Sardeshmukhi = extra 10% of revenue |
| First Peshwa of the Bhat family | Balaji Vishwanath (1713) |
| Baji Rao I | Greatest cavalry general among the Peshwas |
| Third Battle of Panipat | 14 January 1761 — Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau (Peshwa then: Balaji Baji Rao / Nana Saheb) |
Ashtapradhan (Shivaji's council of eight)
| Post | Portfolio |
|---|---|
| Peshwa | Prime Minister |
| Amatya (Majumdar) | Finance / accounts |
| Mantri (Waqia-navis) | Daily records, king's diary |
| Sachiv (Shurunavis) | Royal correspondence |
| Sumant (Dabir) | Foreign affairs |
| Senapati (Sar-i-Naubat) | Army |
| Panditrao | Religious matters |
| Nyayadhish | Justice |
Ten Sikh Gurus
| # | Guru | Remember for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guru Nanak | Founder; born Talwandi (Nankana Sahib) 1469 |
| 2 | Guru Angad | Standardised Gurmukhi script |
| 3 | Guru Amar Das | Manji system; strengthened langar |
| 4 | Guru Ram Das | Founded Amritsar (Ramdaspur) |
| 5 | Guru Arjan Dev | Compiled Adi Granth (1604); built Harmandir Sahib; executed by Jahangir (1606) |
| 6 | Guru Hargobind | Akal Takht; militarisation |
| 7 | Guru Har Rai | — |
| 8 | Guru Har Krishan | Youngest guru |
| 9 | Guru Tegh Bahadur | Executed by Aurangzeb (1675) in Delhi |
| 10 | Guru Gobind Singh | Founded the Khalsa (1699) at Anandpur Sahib; declared the Granth the eternal Guru |
Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Sukerchakia misl; took Lahore in 1799; "Sher-e-Punjab".
Detailed notes
Shivaji builds a kingdom
Shivaji (born 1630 at Shivneri; father Shahaji, mother Jijabai) carved a state out of Bijapur's Deccan with hill forts and light cavalry: Torna, Rajgad, Sinhagad (where Tanaji Malusare fell — 'the fort is won, but the lion is lost'). He killed Bijapur general Afzal Khan at Pratapgarh (1659), raided Surat, and humbled Shaista Khan at Pune. Jai Singh's pressure forced the Treaty of Purandar (1665) — ceding 23 of his forts — and the Agra visit-escape (1666). In 1674 he was crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad (rituals by Gaga Bhatt). His Ashtapradhan (eight ministers) ran the state: Peshwa (prime), Senapati, Amatya (finance), Sachiv, Mantri, Nyayadhish, Panditrao, Sumant (foreign affairs). Revenue used kathi assessment; the army was paid in cash, forts were the backbone.
The Peshwas and the confederacy
Balaji Vishwanath (first Peshwa, 1713) won back Maratha rights from the weak Mughals; his son Baji Rao I (1720–40) carried Maratha arms to Malwa, Bundelkhand and Delhi's gates; Balaji Baji Rao saw the disaster at the Third Battle of Panipat (1761), where Ahmad Shah Abdali crushed the Marathas. Power then lay with the confederacy houses: Scindia (Gwalior), Holkar (Indore), Gaekwad (Baroda), Bhonsle (Nagpur) under the Peshwa at Pune. The three Anglo-Maratha wars — the first ended by the Treaty of Salbai (1782); the second began when Baji Rao II signed the Treaty of Bassein (1802) (subsidiary alliance); the third (1817–18) ended Maratha power.
The ten Sikh Gurus
Guru Nanak (born 1469 at Talwandi, now Nankana Sahib) preached one God, langar (community kitchen) and honest work. Angad (the Gurmukhi script), Amar Das, Ram Das (founded Amritsar), Arjan Dev (compiled the Adi Granth; executed 1606 by Jahangir), Hargobind (Miri-Piri, the armed saint), Har Rai, Har Krishan, Tegh Bahadur (executed 1675 by Aurangzeb), and Guru Gobind Singh — who created the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib on Baisakhi 1699, the five K's, and declared the Granth the Guru eternal. Banda Bahadur carried the Khalsa fight (executed 1716); the misls (confederacies) ended with Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Sukerchakia misl) taking Lahore (1799) and ruling Punjab till 1839.
Quick revision
- Shivaji: Pratapgarh-Afzal Khan (1659), Purandar (1665, Jai Singh), Agra escape (1666), coronation 1674 (Raigad, Chhatrapati).
- Ashtapradhan: Peshwa first among eight; Sumant = foreign affairs.
- Peshwa ladder: Balaji Vishwanath → Baji Rao I → Balaji Baji Rao (Panipat 1761); Salbai 1782, Bassein 1802.
- Gurus: Nanak (Talwandi) → Arjan (Adi Granth, 1606) → Tegh Bahadur (1675) → Gobind (Khalsa 1699).
- After Gobind Singh: Banda Bahadur (1716), misls, Ranjit Singh (Lahore 1799).
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: Shivaji: conquests, treaty, coronation, Ashtapradhanvery common4 practice Q
Pratapgarh-Afzal Khan, Purandar-Agra, 1674 Raigad coronation, Ashtapradhan ministers and their portfolios.
- Battle chain: Pratapgarh 1659 (Afzal Khan) → Purandar 1665 (Jai Singh, 23 forts) → Agra escape 1666.
- 1674, Raigad, Chhatrapati — rituals by Gaga Bhatt.
- Ashtapradhan: Peshwa (prime), Senapati (army), Amatya (finance), Sumant (foreign), Nyayadhish (justice).
Example: Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati in 1674 at —
Raigad — after which he styled himself Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Type 2: Peshwas, confederacy houses and Anglo-Maratha warsvery common3 practice Q
'Who was the first Peshwa', Panipat 1761, confederacy house ↔ seat matching, Salbai-Bassein treaties.
- Peshwa ladder: Balaji Vishwanath → Baji Rao I → Balaji Baji Rao (Panipat 1761).
- Houses: Scindia-Gwalior, Holkar-Indore, Gaekwad-Baroda, Bhonsle-Nagpur, Peshwa-Pune.
- Wars: Salbai 1782 (ends 1st), Bassein 1802 (Baji Rao II accepts subsidiary alliance; begins 2nd), 3rd ends Maratha rule (1818).
Example: Which Maratha confederacy house was based at Gwalior?
The Scindias (Holkar = Indore, Gaekwad = Baroda, Bhonsle = Nagpur).
Type 3: Sikh Gurus in order and their landmarksvery common3 practice Q
'Who compiled the Adi Granth', birthplace of Guru Nanak, Miri-Piri, order-of-gurus questions.
- Landmark set: Nanak (Talwandi, langar), Angad (Gurmukhi), Ram Das (Amritsar), Arjan Dev (Adi Granth, executed 1606), Hargobind (Miri-Piri).
- Tegh Bahadur executed 1675; Gobind Singh — Khalsa, Baisakhi 1699, Anandpur Sahib.
- Gobind Singh declared the Granth the eternal Guru.
Example: Who compiled the Adi Granth, the original Sikh scripture?
Guru Arjan Dev (the 5th Guru) — executed at Lahore in 1606 under Jahangir.
Type 4: After the tenth Guru: Khalsa continuity to Ranjit Singhcommon2 practice Q
Banda Bahadur's fate, the misls, Ranjit Singh's rise and capital, five K's.
- Banda Bahadur led the Khalsa after 1708; executed at Delhi (1716).
- Misls = Khalsa confederacies; Ranjit Singh of the Sukerchakia misl took Lahore (1799) — 'Maharaja of Punjab'.
- Khalsa's five K's: kesh, kangha, kara, kachchha, kirpan.
Example: Maharaja Ranjit Singh belonged to which Sikh misl?
The Sukerchakia misl — he captured Lahore in 1799 and built the Sikh empire.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Guru order — "Nana Aur Amar Ram Arjun, Har-Har-Har Tegh Gobind"
Nanak, Angad, Amar Das, Ram Das, Arjan → the three Hars (Hargobind, Har Rai, Har Krishan) → Tegh Bahadur → Gobind Singh.
Example: Who was the ninth Sikh Guru?
After the three Hars (6, 7, 8) comes Tegh Bahadur (9).
⚡ Chauth vs Sardeshmukhi
Chauth = Chaar ana in the rupee (1/4); Sardeshmukhi = 10% — the Sardeshmukh claimed a 'tenth' as hereditary head.
Where students lose marks
Adi Granth compiled by Guru Arjan Dev; Khalsa founded by Guru Gobind Singh.
Guru Arjan was executed by Jahangir; Guru Tegh Bahadur by Aurangzeb.
Third Panipat winner = Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani), not Nadir Shah (who invaded in 1739).
Practice sets — 14 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 4 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.