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The Rise of the Marathas – Class 8 Social Science Chapter 3 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 8Social ScienceChapter 3NCERT book: Exploring Society: India and Beyond - Social Science Class 8

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 3 of the NCERT Class 8 Social Science book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 3: The Rise of the Marathas

The Big Questions

  • Who were the Marathas? How did they manage to become the largest pan-Indian power before the British took over?
  • What were some features of their governance?
  • What impact did the Maratha Empire leave in Indian history?
    • "The hat-wearers like the Portuguese, the English, the Dutch, the French and the Danes … are fully intent on entering this land, increasing their territory and propagating their religion. … Navy and gunpowder are their chief weapons." — Ramachandrapant Amatya, Ādnyāpatra (1715)

    Introduction

    The Marathas are a people native to the Deccan plateau, mainly present-day Maharashtra, identified with the Marathi language, which has a rich literary history since the 12th century. After the Yadava dynasty (capital Devagiri) fell to the Khiljis in the early 14th century, bhakti saints kept culture alive. In the 17th century, Chhatrapati Shivaji united the Marathas into a political power that would change India's history.

    Key Concepts

    Cultural foundations

  • Bhakti saints such as Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Tukaram and Ramdas translated texts like the Upaniṣhads and Bhagavad Gītā into Marathi and built social and political awareness — a foundation for later Maratha power.

    • Rise of Chhatrapati Shivaji

  • Born in 1630 to Shahji and Jijabai; grew up in the family jāgīr at Pune.
  • At 16 (1646) he began capturing neglected forts; his vision of Swarājya (self-rule) grew over time.
  • Used guerrilla warfare. At Pratapgad, he killed Bijapur's general Afzal Khan (using the wāgh nakh, 'tiger's claw') and routed his army.
  • Founded the Maratha Navy (1657) — a revolutionary step, since Bijapur had only merchant ships and Mughal naval use was limited. Sea forts like Sindhudurg protected the coast.
  • A night raid on Mughal noble Shaista Khan's camp (who lost a few fingers) resembled a modern surgical strike.
  • He sacked Surat (treasure worth almost one crore rupees), sparing religious places and the house of the charitable Mohandas Parekh; the London Gazette reported it.
  • Defeated by Jai Singh, he signed a treaty at Purandar; at Agra (1666) he was insulted and put under house arrest, but escaped with Sambhaji hidden in baskets of sweets and fruit.
  • Crowned in 1674 at Raigad as 'Shri Raja Shiva Chhatrapati', starting the Rājyābhiṣheka shaka era.
  • His dakṣhiṇa digvijaya (1677) conquered parts of northern Tamil Nadu and Karnataka (e.g., Gingee, Vellore), giving strategic depth. In the South he forbade the Dutch from trading slaves.
  • Died in 1680 at fifty. He inspired Chhatrasal (Bundelkhand) and the Hindi poet Bhushan.

    • After Chhatrapati Shivaji

  • Sambhaji became Chhatrapati; Aurangzeb conquered Bijapur and Golconda, captured and executed Sambhaji, and took Raigad.
  • Rajaram moved to Gingee; the war spread south. Aurangzeb died without subduing the Marathas (Mughal–Maratha wars, 1682–1707).
  • Tarabai, Rajaram's queen, sent armies north — the architect of northward expansion.
  • The state became more decentralised; the Peshwa (prime minister) gained great power. Bajirao I and Nanasaheb Peshwa drove pan-Indian expansion — even to Lahore, Attock and Peshawar.
  • Despite defeat at Panipat (1761), they recovered under Peshwa Madhavrao I; Mahadji Shinde recaptured Delhi in 1771 (Maratha control of Delhi had begun in 1754).
  • Three Anglo–Maratha wars (1775–1818); the Marathas won the first (1775–1782) but internal disunity and British organisation ended their power in 1818. The British took India from the Marathas more than from any other power.
  • Nana Phadnavis organised the first pan-Indian anti-British alliance, including Hyder Ali of Mysore and the Nizam of Hyderabad.

    • Maratha administration

    Civilian

  • Shivaji abolished hereditary posts and land assignments, paid salaries from the treasury and transferred officials periodically; gave pensions to widows of soldiers.
  • His letter told officials to use teak for the navy with permission but never cut people's mango and jackfruit trees: "If you accomplish something by oppressing others, it perishes soon, along with the oppressor."
  • Aṣhṭa pradhāna manḍala — council of eight ministers: Pradhān (prime minister), Amātya (finance), Sachiv, Mantrī (intelligence), Sumant (foreign affairs), Senāpatī (commander-in-chief), Nyāyādhīsh (chief justice) and Panḍitrāo (religious affairs).
  • Chauth (25%) and sardeshmukhi (an additional 10%) were collected from provinces not directly under them in return for protection.

    • Military

  • Infantry, cavalry and navy; cavalry of bārgīrs (state-equipped) and shiledārs (self-equipped). Swords and lances preferred; guns and rockets used — metal-tube rockets by 1770. Mahadji Shinde built a large European-style army.
  • Forts were the core of the state (Ādnyāpatra): hundreds of forts controlled routes and sheltered armies.

    • Maritime supremacy

  • Kanhoji Angre won many naval battles in the 18th century. Europeans forced Indian ships to buy passes (cartaz); the Marathas turned the tables and demanded passes from Europeans — who called Angre a 'pirate'.
  • In 1665, the ruler of Muscat retreated on hearing that Shivaji's navy had over a hundred ships.

    • Justice and trade

  • The local panchāyat delivered justice, with appeal to a chief; the kotwāl kept order in towns like Pune and Indore; death penalty used sparingly.
  • Ships traded as far as Mocha (Yemen), Muscat (Oman) and Malacca (Malaysia); roads, bridges and ferries were built.

    • Cultural revival

  • Shivaji's seal was in Sanskrit (not Persian); he commissioned the Rājya-Vyavahāra-Koṣha, giving Sanskrit equivalents for Persian administrative words; rebuilt desecrated temples; flew a saffron flag; respected other religions.
  • The Moḍī script (cursive Devanagari) was used for correspondence; coins like the 'Gaṇapatī-Pantapradhān rupee' carried Devanagari and Persian.
  • Ahilyabai Holkar (Indore) governed for thirty years, rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath temples and promoted Maheshwar weaving.
  • Tarabai — warrior queen and strategist.
  • The Bhonsles of Nagpur supported worship of Lord Jagannath at Puri.
  • Thanjavur: Ekoji (Shivaji's half-brother) began Maratha rule; Serfoji II wrote the Marathi play Devendra Kuravanji, founded the Dhanwantari Mahal (free treatment using Indian and Western medicine), started the first printing press by a native ruler, and had the Bhonsle history inscribed on the Brihadishwara temple. Modern Carnatic music and early Bharatanatyam took shape in his time.

    • The Maratha legacy

    They built the largest Indian empire before the British, an efficient administration, and inspired the ideal of Swarājya — early seeds of the freedom movement.

    Think About It / Let's Explore

  • What three questions would you ask Chhatrapati Shivaji if you could time-travel?
  • What does Shivaji's letter on trees reveal about his values as a ruler?
  • Research guerrilla warfare in other countries and the geography that helped it.
  • Find out the Maratha connection to Bharatanatyam.

    • Key Terms

  • Swarājya (स्वराज्य) — self-rule
  • Chhatrapati (छत्रपति) — sovereign king
  • Peshwa (पेशवा) — prime minister
  • Jāgīr (जागीर) — land granted for service
  • Guerrilla warfare (छापामार युद्ध) — surprise attacks by small groups using terrain
  • Surgical strike (सर्जिकल स्ट्राइक) — attack on a specific target with minimal other damage
  • Aṣhṭa pradhāna (अष्टप्रधान) — council of eight ministers
  • Chauth (चौथ) — 25% levy
  • Sardeshmukhi (सरदेशमुखी) — additional 10% levy
  • Bārgīr / Shiledār (बारगीर / शिलेदार) — state-equipped / self-equipped cavalry
  • Cartaz (कार्टाज़) — naval trade pass
  • Kotwāl (कोतवाल) — town police chief
  • Moḍī script (मोडी लिपि) — cursive Devanagari
  • Wāgh nakh (वाघनख) — tiger-claw weapon

    • Map & Timeline Corner

  • 1630 birth of Shivaji · 1646 start of his rule · 1657 Maratha navy · 1666 Agra escape · 1674 coronation at Raigad · 1677 dakṣhiṇa digvijaya · 1680 death
  • 1682–1707 Mughal–Maratha wars · 1754 control over Delhi · 1761 Panipat defeat · 1771 Delhi recaptured · 1775–1782 First Anglo–Maratha War (Maratha victory) · 1818 end of Maratha power
  • Forts: Raigad, Pratapgad, Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg, Gingee; ports and trade: Surat, Mocha, Muscat, Malacca.

    • Connect to Today

    Maratha sea forts such as Sindhudurg still stand on the Konkan coast; the Maheshwar weaving that Ahilyabai Holkar promoted continues to thrive, and the Thanjavur painting style is still practised.

    Common Mistakes

  • Thinking Shivaji founded the navy late — it began in 1657, well before his coronation (1674).
  • Confusing chauth (25%) with sardeshmukhi (an extra 10%).
  • Mixing up the Peshwa (prime minister) and the Chhatrapati (king).
  • Assuming the Marathas never recovered after Panipat 1761 — they recaptured Delhi in 1771.

    • Questions and Activities (hints)

  • Geography: Sahyadri hills suited forts and guerrilla tactics; the Konkan coast needed a navy.
  • Write a short biography of Kanhoji Angre, Bajirao I, Mahadji Shinde, Ahilyabai Holkar or Tarabai.
  • 'Forts were the core of the state' — they controlled routes, sheltered armies and let the state survive decades of Mughal attack.
  • Evidence of religious respect: sparing religious places at Surat, rebuilding temples, respecting other faiths.

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓Chhatrapati Shivaji built a sovereign Maratha kingdom through forts, guerrilla warfare, a navy and the ideal of Swarājya, crowned at Raigad in 1674.
    • ✓After Shivaji, the Marathas outlasted Aurangzeb and, under Tarabai and the Peshwas, expanded across India, recapturing Delhi in 1771.
    • ✓Maratha governance featured salaried officials, the aṣhṭa pradhāna council, chauth and sardeshmukhi, forts, a strong navy and panchāyat justice.
    • ✓The Marathas challenged European naval dominance, with Kanhoji Angre demanding passes from Europeans.
    • ✓Leaders like Ahilyabai Holkar and Serfoji II drove a cultural revival, and the British took India from the Marathas more than from any other power.

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Stage a short classroom play of the Agra escape or the Pratapgad encounter, as the chapter suggests.
    • →Read Shivaji's letter on trees aloud and ask students to list the values it shows.
    • →Show a physical map of the Sahyadris and Konkan coast to explain forts and the navy.
    • →Make an aṣhṭa pradhāna 'org chart' as a list and let students match each minister to their role.
    • →Compare chauth and sardeshmukhi with a simple calculation on a sample revenue of 100 rupees.
    • →Hold a gallery walk of biographies: Tarabai, Ahilyabai Holkar, Kanhoji Angre, Mahadji Shinde, Serfoji II.
    • →Discuss the statement 'The British took India from the Marathas more than from the Mughals' using timeline evidence.

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the student describe three key events in Chhatrapati Shivaji's life with dates?
    2. Can the student explain why forts and the navy were central to Maratha power?
    3. Can the student name members of the aṣhṭa pradhāna and explain chauth and sardeshmukhi?
    4. Can the student outline Maratha expansion after Shivaji, including Tarabai, the Peshwas, Panipat 1761 and Delhi 1771?
    5. Can the student give examples of the Maratha cultural contribution (Ahilyabai Holkar, Thanjavur, Sanskrit seal)?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Exploring Society: India and Beyond - Social Science Class 8

    1. 1. Natural Resources and Their Use
    2. 2. Reshaping India’s Political Map
    3. 3. The Rise of the Marathas
    4. 4. The Colonial Era in India
    5. 5. Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System
    6. 6. The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive
    7. 7. Factors of Production