On which one of the following conditions did the Marathas agree to serve the Mughal king with a cavalry contingent of 15,000 in the early 18th century ?
[amp_mcq option1=”Grant of the jagir of Malwa province” option2=”Control of the resources of Gujarat” option3=”The right to levy chauth and sardeshmukhi in the Deccan and South India” option4=”The right to mint coins in their own name” correct=”option3″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2020
In the early 18th century, particularly after the decline of Aurangzeb and during the reign of his successors, the Mughal Empire struggled to contain the Marathas. Through negotiations and military pressure, the Marathas, under leaders like Shahu, secured the right to collect chauth (one-fourth of the revenue) and sardeshmukhi (an additional tenth) from the six subahs (provinces) of the Deccan, including Mysore, Trichinopoly, and Tanjore in South India. This right was formally granted by the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar in 1719 through a treaty negotiated by the Syed Brothers, in exchange for military service and maintaining order in the Deccan. The cavalry contingent of 15,000 likely refers to the obligation associated with these rights, where the Marathas were to provide troops for the Mughal Emperor when needed.