Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
Who among the following streamlined the Maratha administration after Shambhaji?
Solution & Analysis
Answer: B
Concept
After the execution of Sambhaji, the Maratha state faced an existential crisis due to internal civil wars and Mughal pressure. The administrative and political stability that followed was largely the work of the first hereditary Peshwa.Explanation
Balaji Vishwanath, the 6th Peshwa, is often called the 'Second Founder of the Maratha State.' He helped Chhatrapati Shahu win the civil war against Tarabai and streamlined the administration by creating a powerful confederacy and securing the right to collect Chauth and Sardeshmukhi from Mughal territories.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: While Rajaram and Tarabai led the resistance against Aurangzeb, it was Balaji Vishwanath who institutionalized the power of the Peshwa to bring long-term order to the administration.
Logic 2: He shifted the Maratha focus from mere survival to imperial expansion, setting the stage for the era of Maratha dominance across India.