THE FIRST ANGLO-Mararha WAR FIRST PHASE (1774-1776
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THE FIRST ANGLO-MARArHA WAR FIRST PHASE (1774-1776) Chapter III - THE SISOE AND GAPTURB OF SASHTI (SALSETTB) FORI geqarapMgal m a p n o . 1 MAuABAa "ILLS AWAGALI WCRlCF .ewoM/*i MAHlMS;\coi.Ay« ' ^ MS5W ^OHAity BOM BAVr ot«lAy7t>WN '*'»jF0Rr "**-V£UMAXOA >cuNpRy i. MWL/ \5. ' V - ^ mWNG-IN WINTER ~ELEt:HAMTA C=<J o 1 a 3 Mii.es MAP or t h e port a n d islan d ISLANDS !72^^ ( reproduced f r o m BOMBAY TOWN AND ISCANd) M AP NO. 3 ROUTE OF THE MARATHA TROOPS ON THEIR W A V T O SASHTI (1774) : PUNE TO THANE .f t H S S l ! IHrtNV: KALAVA *«^TA1jOJE #CHIKHLE • CH O W K k h o p o l i m a n DAL A ^ M B H G A O • k u s g a o • '^HANDKHED *#VAKED PUJ^ 1 IMCH = 16 MtLES \ M AA> N O . 5 PLAN OF THE SIEGE Of- THE SASHTI FORT i SCALE- FOR p l a n OF FORT : t"=200 FOR SHOWING BRITISH POSITJONS: 1 MILE N i HANUMANT BURUJ KALAVE BRITISH BATTERy CHENDANI KRISHNASHET G u j a r 's h o u s e CHAPTER I I I THE SIEQS k m e i W j t OF SASHTI (SALSSTTE) FORI There are three phases of the First Anglo-Maratha War, The first phase started with the British attack on the fort of Sashti (Salsette) and came to an end with the Treaty of Purandar in March 1776. During this phase, there were two major engagements between the larathas arKi the British, the siege of Sashti (Thane) fort in the Konkan region and the battle of Adas in Gujrat, The second phase of the War started after the conclusion of the treaty of Purandar and ended with the Treaty of Vadgao in January 1779. During this phase, the first Borghat expedition resulting in the battle of Talegao was the major encounter between the Marathas and the British, llie third and the final phase of the War started when the Bombay and the Calcutta Governments# refused to abide by the articles of the Treaty of Vadgao and renewed hostilities against the Marathas. This final phase ended with the conclusion of the Treaty of Salbai in 17^^2, The present chapter discusses the first phase of the First Anglo-Maratha War. It was the Bombay Government which precioitated the First Anglo-Maratha War by attacking the fort of Sashti without any provocation from the ;^aratha side. It was a masterpiece of political opportunism on the part of the British. In the second half of the l^^th century'the East India 53 H Homoany desired annexation of several islands on the western coast of India. These were the islands of Sashti, Vasai, Khanderi, Hog, Slephanta and Karanja. They were then in the possession of the \arathas. In the IJ^th cen tury all these islands as well as the Bombay island were separate from one another. There were a number of causes, political, economic and mill&aryi which attracted the attention of the r.ourt of Directors of the Bast India foiapany to the above islands, rheee islands together formed the hinterland of the island of Bombay. The safety and accessibility of the Bombay harbour at all seasons of the year, its vicinity to the Marathas, particxilarly to one of the passes (i .e . the Borghat pass) through which the whole of the country above the Ghats might be supplied with the articles of England, were the factors which chiefly engaged the attention of the liir^ctoss cr| Hompany in the acquisition of the islands. Their calcula tions were perfectly just, as woollen and other staples of England were sold at Bombay and the other nearby markets to the tune of Rs. fourteen lakhs annually. Besides this, due to the convenience of the Bombay harbour, the British and those who carried on trade under their protection, secured monopoly of trade in Indian commodities with the adjacent Maratha country.^ For a considerable time commerce alone engaged the attention of the Bombay Company; but the construction of 55 the docks and excellent timber with a number of artificers readily procurable there, made it strategically important. Even the commanders of the King of England’ s squalidrons found that Bombay was the only port on the western coast of 2 India where their ships could be properly repaired. Being aware of the growing importance of Bombay and its defenceless state, the Court of Directors sent Colonel Campbell to Bombay in 176^ to inspect the state of fo r t ifi cations there, following Campbell’s report, they consider ably enlarged the military establishments at Bombay.^ Notwithstanding the natural inconveniences of the Bombay island due to want of springs and streams of fresh water and the poorness of its natural produce from the time of its possession by the English, its population increased considerably. Many people were attracted there by freedom granted to all religions and the mildness of the government. At the time the Bombay island came into possession of the British, its population was 10,000. In the year l?t>4 it increased to 50,000. The Bombay Government was aware that the increase of population in the Bombay island would bring distress in future. It had realised that it had not only to meet its own expenses but also to supply capital to the Company for its investment in Europe and China. But this could be achieved only by acquiring new territories yif^lding more revenue. It was felt that the capture of the islands of 56 Saehti and Vasal as well a8 appropriation of the revenues of Surat claimed by the Marathas viould meet their require- ment. Bombay could safety rely on Sashti, Karanja and Vasai for provisions of all kinds, llie possession of Vasai and its surrounding territories ensured a steady supply of timber for the British marine yard at Bombay. It was very dangerous from the point of view of the Bombay Government to remain the Sashti, Vasai and other adjacent islands in the Maratha hands, because in case hostilities broke out with the Marathas or the French, the docks at Bombay vfould have been rendered almost useless, as could not have secured regular supply of timber from these areas.^ Today a large part of the island of Sashti has been Joined to the island of Bombay and this extended area to gether with the original Bombay island is known as Greater Bombay. The boundary of Greater Bombay extends from Kolaba in the south to Bhayandar-Ghodbandar in the north and U Thane-Mulund -to the east. In the I H h century, however, the geographical situation of the Bombay island was quite different. ITien the area of the Bombay island proper s extended from Kolaba in the ^outh to Kurla in the north. Mahim was the north-west point of the Bombay island and Turbhe (Trombay) was its north-east point. The northern boundary of the island stretching from 4ahim to Turbhe was completely separated from the island of Sashti by the 57 Mahim-Kurla creek. The Island of Sashti was to the north of the Bombay » island, from which it was divided by a narrow channel of about half a mile in breadth. Vandre (Bandra) was its southernmost point and Vandre-Kurla (old) - Ghatkopar was its southern boundary line. Dongri-Bhayandar - Ghodbandar - Gaimukhbandar was its northern boundary. In the north, the island of Vasal was separated from the island of Sashti by the Vasai Creek and Ulhae river. The western coast-line of the Faehti island Stretched from Dongri to Vandre and its eastern coast-line extended from the river Ulhas upto S Kurla (old), 'fhe fort of $ashti island proper i.e. Thane iVicit was on the eastern coast-line of the ^ashitl island. This eastern coast-line was separated from the main land (extending from Persik-Belapur upto the Borghat) by Ulhas river and the narrow creek of Thanel. The chief produce of the Sashti island was ride. There was much scope for increasing the production of rice, as only two third of the land had been brought under cultiva tion, The fort of Thane, commanding a fordable channel dividing Saehti from the main land, was in the middle of the eastern side of the island. The possession of Sashti would have added an income of Rs. 3,50,000 per annum to the revenue of Bombay. Karanja was a small island on the east of Bombay forming a part of the eastern side of the harbour, Xts chief produce 5« was also ride. By 1775 it produced rice worth about Rs, 6000 per annum and there was every scope for improve ment in the yield, Elephanta was a small island which yielded a revenue of about Rs, ?H)0 per annum. ITie islands 6 Hog and Kanheri were little more than barren rocks. Vasal was a peninsula formed by x;he river Vaitarana on the north, by Arabian Sea on the west and by the creek of Vasai and river Ulhas on the south^ the last two dividing it from the island of Sashti which was to its south. It produced rice, many fruits and particularly sugarcane of fine quality. The fort of Vasal which was situated to the south-west point of the island, was strategically important as it commanded the Vasai Creek between Vasai and Sashti islands and was useful for guarding the southern coast of the Vasai island and the northern coast of the Sashti island.