Sambhaji, the elder son of Chhatrapati Shivaji, became the ruler of the Maratha kingdom in the year:

Sambhaji, the elder son of Chhatrapati Shivaji, became the ruler of the Maratha kingdom in 1680, after Shivaji's death.

How Sambhaji came to power:

• Shivaji died in April 1680 at Raigad.
• Some ministers tried to place Sambhaji's younger half-brother on the throne.
• Sambhaji, who was at Panhala fort, gained the support of the army and seized power.
• He was formally crowned in 1681.

About Sambhaji:

• He was born in 1657 at Purandar, the son of Shivaji and his first wife, Saibai.
• As a boy, he was sent as a hostage to the Mughal court under the Treaty of Purandar (1665), and accompanied Shivaji to Agra in 1666.
• In 1678, he briefly defected to the Mughals, but returned to his father.
• He was a capable warrior and a scholar; he wrote "Budhbhushanam" in Sanskrit.

His reign:

• He fought against the Mughals, the Siddis of Janjira, the Portuguese and the Mysore kingdom.
• He gave shelter to Aurangzeb's rebel son, Prince Akbar, which made Aurangzeb determined to crush the Marathas.
• Aurangzeb came to the Deccan with a huge army.

His capture and death:

• In 1689, Sambhaji was captured by the Mughals at Sangameshwar.
• He refused to submit to Aurangzeb and was tortured and executed at Tulapur, near Pune, in March 1689.
• He is remembered by the Marathas as "Dharmaveer" for refusing to give up his faith.

After his death:

• His younger half-brother became the ruler and continued the war against the Mughals from Gingee (Jinji) in the south.
• After the half-brother's death in 1700, his widow, Tarabai, led the resistance on behalf of her young son.
• Sambhaji's son, Shahu, was held prisoner by the Mughals and released in 1707.

Honours:

The city of Aurangabad was renamed "Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar" in 2023.

Why not the other options?

• ✗1674 was the year of Shivaji's coronation.
• ✗1689 was the year of Sambhaji's execution.
• ✗1700 was the year of the death of his half-brother.