Q. With reference to the tenure of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (Nana Sahib I) (1740–1761 CE), consider the following statements:
1.He successfully annexed the state of Hyderabad following the decisive Maratha victory at the Battle of Rakshasbhuvan.
2.The Treaty of Sangola (1750 CE), signed during his period, legally transferred all executive and military power from the Chhatrapati to the Peshwa.
3.His attempt to intervene in Punjab and Kabul against the forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali led directly to the Third Battle of Panipat.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: B
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1: Incorrect. The Battle of Rakshasbhuvan (1763) was fought by his successor, Madhav Rao I, against the Nizam of Hyderabad.
- Statement 2: Correct. Following Shahu’s death, the Treaty of Sangola was a bloodless revolution that cemented the Peshwa’s position as the de facto ruler of the Maratha Confederacy, formalizing the shift of the capital and power center to Pune.
- Statement 3: Correct. Balaji Baji Rao’s aggressive northern policy, which extended Maratha control up to Attock and Lahore (Punjab), directly clashed with the interests of Ahmad Shah Abdali, leading to the Third Battle of Panipat (1761).
