Previous Year Question

Aurangzeb died in 1707 CE. At that time, the actual leadership of the Maratha struggle and government was in the hands of Maharani Tarabai.

The sequence is important. After Shivaji's death, his son Sambhaji became the Maratha ruler. In 1689, Sambhaji was captured and executed by the Mughals. Thereafter, Shivaji's second son Rajaram assumed Maratha leadership.

Rajaram continued the resistance against Aurangzeb, but he died at Sinhagad in March 1700. At that time, his wife Tarabai was about twenty-five years old.

After Rajaram's death, Tarabai proclaimed her minor son Shivaji II as successor and herself assumed authority as regent and effective ruler of the Maratha state.

From 1700 to 1707, Tarabai led the Maratha resistance against Aurangzeb. She kept the Maratha chiefs organized, maintained continuous pressure on Mughal forces and extended Maratha military operations beyond Maharashtra.

Material published by the Government of India's Publications Division states that after Rajaram's death, Tarabai ruled Maharashtra continuously for seven years and posed a severe challenge to Aurangzeb.

Therefore, when Aurangzeb died in 1707, both Sambhaji and Rajaram were already dead, while Jijabai had died much earlier in 1674. Maratha leadership at that time was clearly in the hands of Tarabai.

After Aurangzeb's death, the Mughals released Shahu from captivity. A struggle for Maratha leadership then developed between Shahu and Tarabai, significantly reshaping subsequent Maratha politics.