Mahadaji Scindia was the first major Maratha leader to realize that traditional guerrilla tactics were insufficient against modern European armies. He hired European mercenaries, most notably the Frenchman Benoit de Boigne, to raise and train elite “Compagnies d’Infanterie” equipped with muskets and advanced artillery. This modernized force made the Scindias the most powerful military unit in India during the late 1700s. ANSWER: (B) Mahadaji Scindia