RAS question
The Ashta Pradhan (Council of Eight Ministers) was a feature of the administration of:
Correct answer: (D) Shivaji.
The Ashta Pradhan, or Council of Eight Ministers, was a feature of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's administration.
Explanation
The Ashta Pradhan was Shivaji's council of eight ministers and is therefore linked to Maratha administration under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The eight offices were Peshwa for prime ministerial duties, Amatya for finance, Sachiv for correspondence, Mantri for internal affairs, Senapati as commander-in-chief, Sumant for foreign affairs, Nyayadhish for justice, and Panditrao for religious affairs. The Press Information Bureau release places this in the same administrative context by stating that Shivaji Maharaj established principles in administration and that his Ashta Pradhan Mandal was a Council of Eight Ministers. That is why Shivaji, not a Vijayanagara, Mughal, or Mysorean ruler, is the correct match.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Krishnadevaraya is not the match because the Ashta Pradhan was Shivaji's council, while Krishnadevaraya had a different administrative system.
- (B) Akbar is not the match because the question points to Shivaji's Ashta Pradhan, whereas Akbar's administration is associated with his own system and Mansabdars.
- (C) Tipu Sultan is not the match because the Ashta Pradhan belonged to Shivaji's administration, not to Tipu Sultan's Mysorean administration.
Concept
This tests medieval Indian administrative institutions, especially the ability to associate offices and councils with the correct ruling system. It recurs in RAS because polity-style history questions often ask for ruler-institution matching rather than narrative detail.