(i) The Chief Minister is the real executive head of the state administration.
(ii) He allocates the portfolios among the ministers.
(iii) The Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to the State Legislature.
(iv) All the ministers work as a team under the Chief Minister.
(v) The Chief Minister formulates programmes and policies for the welfare of the people of the state.
(vi) The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the state.

(i) The term MLA stands for a Member of Legislative Assembly.
(ii) He / She is elected through a general election and represents a particular constituency.
(iii) It is not necessary for one to be a member of a political party to become a MLA.
(iv) He / She can contest the election as an independent candidate also.

1) The Governor is an integral part of the State Legislature
2) Governor is the head of the state executive and he has enormous powers.
3) All the administration is carried on in his name.
4) He is the chancellor of Government universities in the state.
5) All bills become law only after his assent. He appoints important officials of the state government such as Advocate General, Chairman and members of state Public Service Commission, State Election Commissioner, Vice chancellors of state universities etc.

Shivaji's political system consisted of three circles. At the centre was the swaraj. Shivaji would not allow the people to be harassed in any way. In the second circle, Shivaji claimed suzerainty, He protected the people from loot and plunder for which they were required to pay chauth (one fourth of the revenue as protection money) and sardeshmukhi (an extra one-tenth, as the chieftain's due). In the third circle, Shivaji's only objective was plunder. Deshmukhs held sway over rural regions and their control was over between twenty and hundred villages. Each village had a powerful headman (patil), who was assisted by a village accountant of a keeper of records (kulkami).
Army:
Shivaji gave utmost attention to his army and training of its personnel. In the beginning, the backbone of his army was the infantry. In the plains, his cavalry force grew in size and importance. Every soldier was selected personally by Shivaji. Retired captains holding a high reputation were put in charge of guarding the forts.
Ashtapradha
Shivaji designated eight ministers as the Ashtapradhan, each holding an important portfolio. Peshwa was the equivalent of a modem prime minister in the Maratha Empire. Originally, they were subordinates to the Chhatrapati.Shivaji was influenced by the Mughal revenue system. The assessments were made on the actual yield, with three-fifths left to the cultivator and two-fifths taken by the government. In judicial administration, civil cases continued to be decided by the panchayat, the village council, while criminal law was based on the shastras, the Hindu law hooks.
Responsibilities of the Astarpradhan:
Pantpradhan / Peshwa - Prime Minister
Amatya / Mazumdar - Finance Minister
Shurunavis/Sacheev - Secretary
Waqia-Navis - Interior Minister
Sar-i-Naubat / Senapati  - Commander-in-Chief
Sumant / Dubeer - Foreign Minister
Nyayadhish - Chief Justice
Panditrao - High Priest

(i) Akbar was a great patron of learning.
(ii) His personal library had more than four thousand manuscripts.
(iii)  He patronised scholars of all beliefs and all shades of opinions.
(iv) He extended his benevolence to authors such as Abul Fazl, Abul Faizi and Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, the great storyteller Birbal, competent officials like Raja Todar Mal, Raja Bhagwan Das and Raja Man Singh.
(v) The great composer and musician Tansen and artist Daswant adorned Akbar's court as well.

Land revenue administration:
Land revenue administration was toned up during the reign of Akbar. Raja Todar Mal, Revenue Minister of Akbar, adopted and refined the system introduced by Sher Shah.
Zabt System:
(i) According to Zabt system, after a survey, lands were classified according to the nature and fertility of the soil.
(ii) The share of the state was fixed at one-third of the average produce for 10 years.
Jagir:
(i) The Mughal emperors enforced the old iqta system, renaming it jagir. It is a land tenure system developed during the period of Delhi Sultanate.
(ii) Under the system, the collection of the revenue of an area and the power of governing it were bestowed upon a military or civil official now named Jagirdar.
(iii) Every Mansabdar was a Jagirdar if he was not paid in cash. The Jagirdar collected the revenue through his own officials.
Zamindars:
(i) Those appointed to collect the revenue from the landholders were called zamindars.
(ii) Zamindars collected taxes and maintained law and order with the help of Mughal officials and soldiers.
(iii) The local chieftains and little kings were also called zamindars.

The main causes of the decline of the Vijayanagar empire were
(i) After Krishna Devaraya, the rulers were inefficient in the Vijayanagar empire. Making use of the situation the commanders declared independence.
(ii) There were frequent wars between Vijayanagar and Bahmani kingdom which made the country economically weak.
(ii) Finally, the sultans of Deccan kingdoms formed a league against Vijayanagar. The combined forces of the enemies defeated Vijayanagar in the Battle of Talikota in 1565 A.D.
(iv) These Sultans destroyed the buildings, palaces, temples and the capital city of Hampi.