Correct Option
The correct option isMalwa and Gujarat
Explanation
Following the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire began to disintegrate. Under the leadership of Peshwa Baji Rao I (1720–1740), the Marathas adopted a policy of northward expansion, aiming to strike at the "trunk of the withering tree" (the Mughal Empire) rather than just the branches. This period marked the transition of the Marathas from a regional power to a dominant pan-Indian force.
Detailed Analysis
- Malwa and Gujarat (Correct): By the 1720s, the Marathas had successfully penetrated the Mughal provinces of Malwa and Gujarat.
- Malwa: The Marathas invaded Malwa repeatedly during the early 1720s. In 1728, at the Battle of Amjhera, the Marathas defeated the Mughal Subedar of Malwa, Girdhar Bahadur, effectively establishing their authority.
- Gujarat: Maratha incursions into Gujarat began earlier, but by the 1720s, Maratha sardars (such as the Gaekwads) had established firm control and were collecting Chauth and Sardeshmukhi from the region.
- Bengal and Orissa (Incorrect): Maratha expansion into Bengal and Orissa occurred later, primarily during the 1740s and 1750s under Raghuji Bhonsle of Nagpur. The Marathas secured the cession of Orissa only in 1751.
- Punjab and Sindh (Incorrect): The Marathas extended their influence into Punjab much later. Raghunath Rao captured Lahore and extended Maratha power up to Attock in 1758, well after the 1720s.
- Awadh and Hyderabad (Incorrect):
- Hyderabad: While the Marathas defeated Nizam-ul-Mulk at the Battle of Palkhed (1728) and forced him to recognize Shahu as the Maratha King, Hyderabad remained an autonomous state under the Nizam rather than a province under direct Maratha authority.
- Awadh: Awadh established itself as an independent successor state under Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk (1722) and was not under Maratha authority in the 1720s.
Key Takeaway
Peshwa Baji Rao I initiated the critical phase of Maratha expansion in the 1720s, successfully wresting control of the strategic and wealthy Mughal provinces of Malwa and Gujarat, thereby accelerating the disintegration of the Mughal Empire.