Which of the following Maratha administrative offices was the prime minister or chief executive officer heading the council of ministers known as the Ashtapradhan?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Peshwa served as the prime minister and chief executive officer heading the Ashtapradhan council established by Chhatrapati Shivaji, later wielding supreme administrative authority during the later Maratha confederacy. Other officials like Amatya looked after the exchequer, Sumant managed foreign affairs, and Nyayadhish administered justice. Understanding the specific portfolios of the Maratha administration is a recurrent theme in medieval Indian history exams.