1 1 MAHARASHTRA ON – THE EVE OF BRITISH CONQUEST UNIT STRUCTURE 1.0 Objectives 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Political conditions before the British conquest 1.3 Economic Conditions in Maharashtra before the British Conquest. 1.4 Social Conditions before the British Conquest. 1.5 Summary 1.6 Questions 1.0 OBJECTIVES : 1 To understand Political conditions before the British Conquest. 2 To know armed resistance to the British occupation. 3 To evaluate Economic conditions before British Conquest. 4 To analyse Social conditions before the British Conquest. 5 To examine Cultural conditions before the British Conquest. 1.1 INTRODUCTION : With the discovery of the Sea-routes in the 15th Century the Europeans discovered Sea route to reach the east. The Portuguese, Dutch, French and the English came to India to promote trade and commerce. The English who established the East-India Co. in 1600, gradually consolidated their hold in different parts of India. They had very capable men like Sir. Thomas Roe, Colonel Close, General Smith, Elphinstone, Grant Duff etc . The English shrewdly exploited the disunity among the Indian rulers. They were very diplomatic in their approach. Due to their far sighted policies, the English were able to expand and consolidate their rule in Maharashtra. 2 The Company’s government had trapped most of the Maratha rulers in Subsidiary Alliances and fought three important wars with Marathas over a period of 43 years (1775 -1818). 1.2 POLITICAL CONDITIONS BEFORE THE BRITISH CONQUEST : The Company’s Directors sent Lord Wellesley as the Governor- General of the Company’s territories in India, in 1798. He was destined to transform the British Empire in India into British Empire of India before he was recalled in 1805 for, charges of ‘rapacity, Oppression, cruelty and fraud’ and also overstepping the legal limits of the powers delegated to him. He used to system of subsidiary alliances to trap and isolate the powerful Maratha Chiefs. The beginning of the nineteenth century opened a new chapter in the history of Maharashtra and for that matter consequently of India. The Company’s new Governor General Lord Wellesley’s arrival in India when the Company owed a debt of seventeen millions to the British Government. Napoleonic wars were being fought in Europe and the Egyptian expedition of Napoleon had created panic in the British dominion in India, Lord Wellesly was however fortunate to find that the Maratha Country was passing through a difficult period. The death of Pashwa Madhavrao II (Madhavrao Narayan) in October 1795 without a child had led to the civil war in Maharashtra in 1797. The succession claims to Peshwaship between the adopted son of Raghunathrao (the grandfather of the deceased Peshwa) and Reghunathrao’s own son involved the Maratha Sardars-Shindes and Holkar in the dispute. The two families of Shinde and Holkar were traditional enemies of each other. Shinde supported Bajirao, son of Raghunathrao and Holkar supported adopted son of Raghunathrao named Amritrao. The illustrious head of the rival families of Shinde and Holkar namely Mahadji Shinde and Ahilyabai Holkar (Daughter in law of Malharrao Holkar) were dead and succeeded by Daultrao Shinde and Yeshwantrao Holkar who were in their twenties. Yeshwantrao Holkar attacked the combined armies of Bajirao II and Daulatrao Shinde and defeated them at Hadapsar near Pune in October, 1802. Peshwa fled to the Konkan and appealed to Jonathan Duncan, Company’s Governor of Bombay. The Peshwa was given the protection by the English East India company. On December, 31, 1802 the Peshwa concluded a subsidiary treaty with the Company at Bassein. The Treaty of Bassein bartered away the independence of the Maratha Country to the Company for Protecting the Peshwa from his hostile sardars. 3 1.2.1 Lord Wellesly and his Subsidiary Alliances (1798 – 1805) Lord Wellesley the Governor General (1798-1805) was extremely happy at the turn of events as now a lawful right was established to interfere in the preservation of the Peshwa’s authority, wherever it should be attacked.... “As already referred to above the Peshwa was the defacto head of the Maratha State. The fugitive Peshwa’s action was resented by the Maratha Chiefs-Yeshwantrao bitterly remarked “Bajirao has destroyed the Maratha State”. It was however Daulatrao Shinde and Raghuji Bhosle of Nagpur who decided to resist the interference of the Company. They refused to give their accord to the Treaty of Bassein. Lord Wellesley’s vigorous diplomacy succeeded in keeping Gaikwad of Baroda neutral and Yashwantrao out of spite for Shinde decided to proceed to Mahva to await the result of the struggle. The two allies decided to declare war in August 1803. We are not concerned with the details of the wars and the activities of the Peshwa and the other Maratha Chiefs that forms the part of Maratha History paper. We shall however point out whatever is relevant to our particular purpose of describing the political conditions in Maharashtra. The Capital of the Maratha State that is Pune had put on a miserable look during the two decades after the death of Madhavrao II. The war between the Company holding the fugitive Peshwa under its arms and the two Maratha Chiefs ended in failure of the two allies - Shinde and Bhosle. The war was fought in two different zones. In the south General Arthur Wellesley and in the north Lord Lake the commander - in - Chief of the Company’s forces were leading the compaigns. There was no glory in the victory of the Company as the treachery of the European officers precipitated the defeat of the Marathas. The strong fort of Ahmednagar was surrendered to General Arthur Wellesley by Shinde’s European officer who went over to the English Company. At Assirgarh the Keeper of the fort received seven lakhs from the English and surrendered the fort. Many European officers in Shinde’s service changed his side. In the north also the European officers played the same trick. Perron the Commander of Shinde’s forces who should have fought against Lord Lake surrendered Aligarh without firing a shot. Grant Duff expressed surprise. He says “the rapidity of the conquests and the speedy termination of the war surprise all India”. His information not upto date at that time. The defeat of Shinde and Bhosle and the consequent treaties concluded in December ,1803 changed the political equation. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II was now placed under Company’s 4 protection and thus end of Mughal Empire was signalled in 1803. Yeshwantrao Holkar after wasting the precious time in the "wait and watch' game stirred up and attacked Jaipur which had entered into an alliance with the Company in 1803. The Company Government started war with Holkar in April, 1804. They fought the war for two years. In the meanwhile Lord Wellesley was recalled in 1805 as the shareholders of the Company had become nervous because of the dangerous policy of wars of expansion in India. The Company ‘s debt rose from 17 millions in 1797 to 31 millions in 1806. The Company reversed its policy and once again followed the policy of non-intervention. 1.2.2 Role of Mountstuart Elphinstone as Resident in 1811 As a result of the change in the policy of the Company, Peshwa Bajirao II enjoyed a subdued peace from 1805 to 1811. Colonel Close had accompanied the Peshwa in 1803 and restored him to his Peshwaship at Pune. He was resident upto 1811. Then came Moutstuart Elphinstone as Resident in 1811 and Bajirao’s troubles started. The jagirdars who were harassed by the Peshwa sought the intervention of the Resident. The grievances of the Jagirdars were settled by Elphinstone by his Pandharapur Award in 1812. The jagirdars were assured full protection by the Award. Elphinstone also helped the rulers of Kolhapur and Sawantwadi to be practically independent of the Peshwa. Elphinstone had a very low opinion about the abilities of the Peshwa , and considered him timid and lazy. Bajirao II now turned his attention to the work of strengthening his state army (Huzarat) by raising a disciplined corps of infantry with the permission of the Governor General Lord Minto (1807-1813). He put Captain John Ford in command of that corps on the conditions that he would remain loyal to him. The Peshwa needed large amount of money to finance such a programme. He adopted a new system of raising funds for that. He was able to collect a handsome amount. He now felt confident that with a strong and well- equipped army he could seize the right opportunity to get rid of the white masters. He was however not at peace with his own men. He had added to the sufferings of common man by his exactions and the political climate was filled with suspicion, deceit, fear and intrigues. Peshwa Bajirao II began to rely more and more on men of doubtful character, like Mankeshwar Raste, modi, Pingle and Trimbakji Dengle. Their activities hastened his downfall. 1.2.3 Murder of Gangadhar Shastri (1815) The incident which created a sensation throughout Maharashtra was the murder of Gangadhar Shastri in July, 1815. He was deputed by 5 Fatesingh Gaikwad the ruler of Baroda to settle the outstanding claims of payment to the Peshwa in February, 1814. The latter had claimed the share of revenue from Baroda to the Central Government at Pune. The amounts were to be paid from 1753 onwards. The envoy from Baroda was unable to agree to the unreasonable demands and thus the negotiations continued for a long time. Peshwa who had successfully extracted money from the land - lords by his system of farming of taxes would not brook any further delay.