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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 ?
Explanation
In 1719, during the early 18th century, the Maratha ruler Shahu entered into a significant pact with the Saiyid brothers, who were acting on behalf of the Mughal Emperor [2]. Under this agreement, the Mughal Emperor (Rafi-ud-Darajat) granted Shahu the legal right to levy 'chauth' (one-fourth of revenue) and 'sardeshmukhi' (an additional 10%) across the six provinces of the Mughal Deccan [2]. In exchange for these lucrative revenue rights, Shahu recognized nominal Mughal suzerainty and committed to maintaining a contingent of 15,000 cavalry troops for the Emperor's service to maintain order and prevent rebellion in the region [2]. While the Marathas later expanded into Malwa and Gujarat, the specific condition for providing the 15,000-strong cavalry contingent was the formal grant of chauth and sardeshmukhi rights in the Deccan [2].
Sources
- [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chauth