There is mention of three communities in the story: the Marathas, the Mughals, the Anglo-Indians. Which language do you think they used within their communities and while speaking to the other groups?

In the context of the historical period involving the Marathas, Mughals, and Anglo-Indians, the languages used within each community and during interactions with other groups would likely vary.

1. Marathas: The Marathas predominantly spoke Marathi, as it was their native language and the language of the region they inhabited. Marathi would have been the primary language used within their community for communication, administration, and cultural expression. However, given the diverse nature of the Maratha Empire, which encompassed various linguistic and cultural groups, other languages and dialects may have also been spoken among different Maratha subgroups.

2. Mughals: The Mughals were of Central Asian origin and initially spoke Chagatai Turkic, which later evolved into what is known as Urdu. Urdu, Persian, and Turkish were the primary languages used within the Mughal court and administration. Urdu, in particular, became a lingua franca among the diverse communities of the Mughal Empire and was used for communication within the Mughal community as well as with other groups.

3. Anglo-Indians: The term "Anglo-Indians" typically refers to individuals of mixed British and Indian descent. During the colonial period, English was the dominant language of the British colonial administration and was widely used among Anglo-Indians for administrative, educational, and social purposes. Therefore, English would have been the primary language used within the Anglo-Indian community and also during interactions with other groups, particularly the British colonial authorities.

During interactions between these communities, especially in contexts such as trade, diplomacy, or military affairs, multilingualism and the use of interpreters would have been common. However, individuals within each community would likely have made efforts to learn and communicate in the languages of other groups, especially if they were involved in cross-cultural interactions on a regular basis.