Assertion (A): Marathas emerged as the strongest native power in India after the decline of Mughal empire. Reason (R): Marathas were the first to have clear concept of a united Indian nation.

Assertion (A) is true. Following the decline and fragmentation of the Mughal Empire in the early 18th century, the Marathas, under the Peshwas, expanded their influence across large parts of India. They defeated other regional powers and engaged in significant conflicts, including with the British, emerging as a major military and political force, arguably the strongest native power at the time. Reason (R) is false. The concept of a "united Indian nation" in the modern sense, based on a shared national identity and sovereign state encompassing the entire subcontinent, is a product of the later nationalist movement during British rule. The Maratha Confederacy, while widespread, was primarily a collection of powerful regional chiefs (like Holkar, Scindia, Gaekwad, Bhonsle) loosely bound under the nominal authority of the Peshwa. Their political objectives often revolved around regional dominance, revenue collection (Chauth and Sardeshmukhi), and power struggles, rather than the formation of a unified nation-state covering all of India. Internal rivalries within the Confederacy were common.