Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
After Shivaji's death, succession fight was between:
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Concept
The transition of power after a charismatic founder like Shivaji is always perilous. The Maratha state faced an immediate internal crisis that threatened to derail the struggle against the Mughals.Explanation
After Shivaji's death in 1680, a struggle broke out between his eldest son Sambhaji and his younger son Rajaram. While Rajaram was initially supported by a faction of the court led by his mother Soyarabai, Sambhaji eventually won the conflict and ascended the throne as the second Chhatrapati.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Sambhaji was the more militarily experienced heir, while Rajaram was a minor at the time of the dispute.
Logic 2: This civil war was brief but it gave the Mughals (under Aurangzeb) an opportunity to increase pressure on the Deccan.