The Rise of the Marathas | Social Science Grade 8 CBSE

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The story in six terms

The Maratha story has its own key words. Tap each term to see what it means and how the ideas — Shivaji, swarajya, guerrilla warfare, administration, the Peshwas and the confederacy — fit together.

Explore · Key terms of the Marathastap a term

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The three big ideas

A kingdom from the Deccan — Shivaji carved out a Maratha kingdom in the hilly Deccan, taking land from the Bijapur Sultanate and resisting the Mughals.
The idea of swarajya — his guiding aim was swarajya, self-rule: a state governed by and for its own people rather than an outside power.
Crowned Chhatrapati (1674) — in 1674 Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati at the hill fort of Raigad, declaring the kingdom a sovereign state.
Guerrilla warfare — the Marathas mastered ganimi kava, swift surprise attacks that used the rugged terrain and let small, fast forces trouble much larger armies.
Forts and navy — a network of strong hill forts protected the kingdom, and Shivaji even built a navy to guard the western coast — unusual for an Indian ruler of the time.

The Ashta Pradhan — Shivaji ran his kingdom with a council of eight ministers (the Ashta Pradhan), each given a clear duty such as finance, war or foreign affairs. The Peshwa was the chief minister.
A fair revenue system — land revenue was assessed carefully so that cultivators were treated reasonably and the state still earned a steady income.
Chauth and sardeshmukhi — from territories beyond the kingdom the Marathas claimed shares of revenue called chauth and sardeshmukhi, which funded their growing power.
Merit and tolerance — Shivaji promoted able people on merit, kept a disciplined army, and was known for respecting people of all faiths and protecting places of worship.

Worked example. How could a smaller Maratha force defeat or wear down much larger armies?

Step 1 — know the land. The Marathas knew every pass and ridge of the Deccan hills.

Step 2 — strike and slip away. Using guerrilla tactics (ganimi kava), light cavalry made fast, surprise raids and avoided open battle against bigger forces.

Step 3 — fall back on forts. Strong hill forts gave safe bases. Terrain, speed and forts together let small Maratha bands defeat larger, slower armies.

Common mistake: the Marathas were not only fighters. Shivaji was also a careful administrator — a council of ministers, a fair revenue system and a navy show a state built to last, not just to raid.

The age of the Peshwas — after Shivaji, the Peshwas (prime ministers) became the real leaders, and the office became hereditary. Under able Peshwas the Marathas expanded far beyond the Deccan.
A confederacy of chiefs — Maratha power spread among great chiefly houses — the Scindias of Gwalior, the Holkars of Indore, the Gaekwads of Baroda and the Bhonsles of Nagpur — united under the Peshwa as a confederacy.
The setback at Panipat (1761) — the Maratha advance in the north was severely checked at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 against Ahmad Shah Abdali, a heavy blow to their expansion.
Significance — the Marathas built a powerful Indian state that challenged Mughal and, later, European dominance. Internal divisions among the chiefs eventually weakened the confederacy against the British.

Common mistake: the Marathas were not led by a single king throughout. After Shivaji, power spread across a confederacy of chiefs under the Peshwa — strength when united, but a weakness when the chiefs pulled apart.

Where you'll meet it

The Marathas, remembered

Forts you can still visit

Many Maratha hill forts across Maharashtra still stand and are visited today. They are living evidence of how geography and engineering shaped warfare and rule — this chapter written into the landscape.

The idea of self-rule

Shivaji’s call of swarajya — self-rule by one’s own people — echoed centuries later in India’s freedom struggle, when leaders again demanded the right to govern themselves.

Why unity matters

The confederacy was strong when its chiefs acted together and weak when they did not. It is a clear lesson in how shared purpose — or the lack of it — decides the fate of a large alliance.

Check yourself

Competency quiz

Modelled on the competency-based pattern — MCQ, assertion–reason and a case study, testing whether you can use the ideas, not just recall them.

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