Option c is the correct answer. The Marathas were a Hindu warrior clan that emerged in the 17th century in the Deccan region of India. They were originally vassals of the Mughal Empire, but they gradually gained power and independence. In the early 18th century, the Marathas agreed to serve the Mughal king with a cavalry contingent of 15,000 in exchange for the right to levy Chauth and Sardeshmukhi in the Deccan and South India. Chauth was a tax that was levied on the agricultural produce of a region. It constituted a quarter of the land revenue, and it was officially imposed at a rate of 25 % 25% on the revenue or agricultural yield. Sardeshmukhi was a tax of ten per cent that was levied on the military resources of a region.