Q. Regarding the early life and consolidation of power by Shivaji, consider the following statements:
1.Shivaji seized his first independent territory, the fort of Torna, directly from the service of the declining Bahmani Sultanate.
2.Shivaji appointed the Ashta Pradhan (Council of Eight Ministers) only after his formal coronation as Chhatrapati at Raigad in 1674 CE.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: B
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1: Incorrect. Shivaji seized Torna in 1646 CE from the Bijapur Sultanate, not the Bahmani Sultanate, which had fragmented into five separate Sultanates long before.
- Statement 2: Correct. The Ashta Pradhan, while having informal precursors, was formalized as a constitutional body—analogous to a cabinet—only after the coronation, marking the establishment of the independent Maratha Kingdom (Swarajya).
