In the Ashta Pradhan of Chhatrapati Shivaji's cabinet, the finance minister was called
- A.Peshwa
- B.Shuru Nawis
- C.Summant
- D.Amatya
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Amatya. The Amatya, also called the Majumdar, kept the accounts of the kingdom and checked the income and expenditure of every district, which makes him the finance member of the eight. Option A is wrong because the Peshwa was the chief minister who looked after general administration and stood in for the ruler; under the later rulers the office swallowed the state, but it was never the finance department. Option B is wrong because the Sachiv, also called Surnavis or Shuru Nawis, handled royal correspondence and checked the wording of letters and grants. Option C is wrong because the Sumant, also called Dabir, was the minister for foreign affairs and dealt with envoys of other states. A useful way to hold this is to fix three pairs: Amatya with money, Sachiv with letters and Sumant with foreign states.
Read the full article: Marathas and Sikhs: Shivaji, Peshwas, Gurus and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allWhich treaty was signed as a result of the Third Anglo-Maratha War between the British and the Holkar chief in 1818?
- A.Treaty of Purandar
- B.Treaty of Gwalior
- C.Treaty of Surat
- D.Treaty of Mandeshwar
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The Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817 to 1818 was settled by a set of separate treaties with the Maratha houses, and the one with the Holkar chief of Indore was signed at Mandsaur, or Mandeshwar, in January 1818.
Read the full explanation →Which Maratha warrior died in the successful defence of the Sinhagad fort fighting against the Mughal army?
- A.Chimaji Appa
- B.Baji Prabhu Deshpande
- C.Tanaji Malusare
- D.Baji Pasalkar
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Tanaji led the night assault that recovered the fort of Kondana from the Mughal garrison in 1670 and was killed in the fighting.
Read the full explanation →The Third Battle of Panipat between the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Durrani, the ruler of Afghanistan, was fought in the year
- A.1781
- B.1851
- C.1761
- D.1831
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The Third Battle of Panipat was fought on 14 January 1761 between the Maratha army led by Sadashivrao Bhau, with Vishwasrao the Peshwa's son, and Ahmad Shah Abdali, also called Durrani, supported by the Rohillas and the Nawab of Awadh.
Read the full explanation →What was the function of Pandit Rao in Chhatrapati Shivaji's administration?
- A.Foreign Affairs
- B.Charities and Religious Affairs
- C.Accountant General
- D.Justice
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The Panditrao was the ecclesiastical head in the Ashta Pradhan, fixing the dates of religious ceremonies, supervising grants to temples and learned men, and punishing offences against religious custom.
Read the full explanation →The Khalsa was founded by Guru Gobind Singh in which year?
- A.1604
- B.1675
- C.1699
- D.1708
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On Baisakhi in 1699 at Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh initiated the first five volunteers, the Panj Pyare, with the ceremony of the double-edged sword and created the Khalsa, giving its members the five articles of faith and the names Singh and Kaur.
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