12. Progression of the Empire

• (1) She took the charge of the Indore administration. — Ahilyabai Holkar
• (2) The most capable and brave man in Bhosale family of Nagpur. — Raghuji Bhosale
• (3) He reinstated the Emperor on the throne of Delhi. — Mahadji Shinde
• (4) He managed the politics in South. — Nana Phadnavis

The correct chronological order of the events is:

1. (2) Maratha dominance over Odisha. (1751 CE)
2. (3) The British flew the Union Jack in Pune. (1817 CE)
3. (1) The battle of Ashti. (1818 CE)

After the death of her husband Khanderao and father-in-law Malharrao, Ahilyabai assumed the reins of the Indore administration. She was an excellent and astute administrator who established new laws for agricultural cess and revenue collection. She strove to bring more land under cultivation, dug wells for farmers, promoted trade and industry, and built lakes and tanks. Furthermore, she constructed temples, Ghats, Maths, Dharamshalas, and drinking water facilities at important pilgrimage sites across India, which played a crucial role in the country's cultural integration. She also personally looked into judicial matters to dispense justice, bringing peace, order, and happiness to her people.

Mahadji Shinde was a brave General and an astute statesman who was instrumental in re-establishing Maratha supremacy in North India after the severe defeat at Panipat. Realising that traditional guerrilla tactics would not be suitable for warfare in the northern plains, he trained his army and modernised his artillery under the guidance of a French military expert, de Boigne. With this highly trained army, he successfully subdued the Rohillas, the Jats, the Rajputs, and the Bundellas. He defeated the British to reinstate the Emperor on the throne of Delhi, and later defeated Ghulam Kadir to recover the looted royal treasure, effectively controlling the politics of India.

Khanderao Dabhade and his son Trimbakrao laid the foundation of Maratha power in Gujarat. After the death of Khanderao, his capable wife Umabai routed the Mughal Sardar of Ahmadabad and conquered the fort there, strengthening the Maratha hold. Later on, the Gaikwads made Vadodara in Gujarat a prominent seat of their power.

The decline of the Maratha power began after the death of capable and prominent leaders like Mahadji Shinde and Nana Phadnavis. At that crucial time, Bajirao II was the Peshwa; however, he lacked essential leadership qualities and had many personal vices. He was unable to unite the various Maratha Sardars, and the resulting internal strife severely weakened their collective power. Taking full advantage of this disarray, the British systematically replaced the Marathas, captured Pune in 1817 CE, and finally defeated the remaining Maratha forces in the battle of Ashti in Solapur district in 1818 CE, completely bringing the Maratha rule to an end.