1) State whether true or false:
(a) Nadir Shah invaded Bengal.
Answer: False. Nadir Shah invaded Delhi, not Bengal.
(b) Sawai Raja Jai Singh was the ruler of Indore.
Answer: False. Sawai Raja Jai Singh was the ruler of Amber, not Indore.
(c) Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth Guru of the Sikhs.
Answer:True. Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth Guru of the Sikhs.
(d) Poona became the capital of the Marathas in the eighteenth century.
Answer: True. Poona became the capital of the Marathas in the eighteenth century.
2) How were the Sikhs organised in the eighteenth century?
Answer: In the eighteenth century, Sikhs were organized into numerous bands called jathas, later forming misls. Their collective forces, known as dal khalsa, made decisions at Amritsar during Baisakhi and Diwali, employing a taxation system called rakhi for cultivator protection.
3) Why did the Marathas want to expand beyond the Deccan?
Answer: The Marathas desired expansion beyond the Deccan for access to new resources and trade routes, to counter Mughal power, and to establish their sovereignty over a wider territory.
4) Do you think merchants and bankers today have the kind of influence they had in the eighteenth century?
Answer: While merchants and bankers today are influential, their role is different from the eighteenth century. Modern economic systems and regulations have diversified power and influence, reducing the direct political influence merchants and bankers once had.