M.A. (HISTORY) PART–II PAPER–II : GROUP C, OPTION (i) HISTORY OF INDIA (1772–1818 A.D.) LESSON NO. 2.4 AUTHOR : PROF. HARI RAM GUPTA FALL OF MARATHAS, 1798–1818 A.D. The Position of Marathas in 1798 A.D. The Marathas had been split up into a loose confederacy. At the head of the Maratha empire was Raja of Sitara. His power had been seized by the Peshwa Baji Rao II was the Peshwa at this time. He became Peshwa at the young age of twenty one in December, 1776 A.D. He had the support of Nana Pharnvis who had secured approval of Bhonsle, Holkar and Sindhia. He was destined to be the last Peshwa. He loved power without possessing necessary courage to retain it. He was enamoured of authority, but was too lazy to exercise it. He enjoyed the company of low and mean companions who praised him to the skies. He was extremely cunning, vindictive and his sense of revenge. His fondness for wine and women knew no limits. Such is the character sketch drawn by his contemporary Elphinstone. Baji Rao I was a weak man and the real power was exercised by Nana Pharnvis, Prime Minister. Though Nana was a very capable ruler and statesman, yet about the close of his life he had lost that ability. Unfortunately, the Peshwa also did not give him full support. Daulat Rao Sindhia was anxious to occupy Nana's position. He lent a force under a French Commander to Poona in December, 1797 A.D. Nana Pharnvis was defeated and imprisoned in the fort of Ahmadnagar. Daulat Rao Sindhia's father-in-law, Sarza Rao Ghatge thoroughly ransacked Poona in search of money. Public opinion forced Daulat Rao to release Nana in July, 1798 A.D. Lord Wellesley, Governor-General of India, 1798–1805 A.D. Richard Colley Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, came to India as a governor- general in 1798 A.D. when England was involved in a war with Napoleon. P.E. Roberts considers him the greatest Governor-General under the East India Company. He was thirty- seven years old and possessed a brilliant mind. A few months in office by him revealed to Indian statesmen what lay in store for them. Tipu Sultan told a Maratha agent : "You must realize that I am not all your enemy. Your real enemy is the Englishman of be no escape from destiny". On the fall of Mysore, Nana Pharnvis remarked : "Tipu is finished; the British power has increased; the whole of East India is already there. Poona will be the next victim." Wellesley's aim was to make the British a sovereign power and all India 92 M.A. (History) Part-II 9 3 Paper-II powers subordinate. He succeeded to a large extent in achieving this object. But in doing so, he brooked no opposition, he completely ignored the feeling of Indian princes, he made unjust interpretation of previous treaties, and adopted unscrupulous methods. There is only one justification for his imperious conduct. He stopped mutual warfare among Indian rulers and gave greater peace and perhaps prosperity to some extent to the masses of people and unity to the country. He achieved this objective by the application of his subsidiary system. The Subsidiary System His subsidiary alliances implied : 1. Control of foreign policy of allied ruler by the British government. 2. Expulsion of non-English Europeans in the service of the allied princes. 3. Keeping an Indian force in command of British offices at his capital to maintain peace and order in the state. 4. To cede territory in full sovereignty to the British Government to meet its expenses. 5. Maintaining British Resident at the court to conduct his foreign relations. 6. Not to make war with any power whether Indian or foreign. 7. Not to carry any negotiations with any other government Indian or alien without the consent of the British. 8. To pay a nominal tribute to the British Government in token of supreme authority. 9. To place his troops at the disposal of the paramount power whenever required to do so. 10. Full freedom in internal administration and full protection from foreign aggression was assured to the ally. Wellesley's Maratha Policy Wellesley's main principle of Maratha policy was first to bring to Peshwa into his net and then deal with the heads of Maratha confederacy one by one. The Peshwas Four days after his assuming office Wellesley wrote to Peshwa Baji Rao II to remain on friendly terms with the British Government. As a token of his good will towards Peshwa he returned the jewellery which his father Raghunath Rao had deposited with British by way of security. Palmer, the British Resident at Poona, was directed to persuade the Peshwa to dismiss the French officers and to keep a British force on payment of its expenses. Due to the influence of Nana Pharnvis the proposals were not accepted. The offer was repeated in 1799. Nana Pharnvis died in March, 1800 A.D. Palmer observed : M.A. (History) Part-II 9 4 Paper-II "With him has departed all the wisdom and moderation of the Maratha government." Daulat Rao Sindhia tried to take the position of Nana Pharnvis. He came to Poona and won over Baji Rao II, Jaswant Rao Holkar was also ambitious to become the Prime Minister of Poona. He defeated the combined forces of Peshwa and Sindhia in October, 1802. The Peshwa escaped to Bassein and sought British protection. The new Resident, Colonel Close, joined him on 16th December, 1802 A.D. The negotiations resulted in the Treaty of Bassein signed by Baji Rao and Close on 31st December, 1802 A.D. It was ratified by Wellesley on 18th March, 1803 A.D. Its terms were the following : Treaty of Bassein : 1. The Peshwa as head of the Maratha confederacy entered into subsidiary alliance. 2. He accepted British supremacy and his own subordinate position. 3. He surrendered his foreign relation to the British Government. 4. He recognised the British Resident who was already at Poona. 5. He agreed to have British force of 5,000 Indian infantry, European artillery with full supplies of arms and ammunition. 6. To meet with expenses of this force, he surrendered territory in perpetuity worth twenty-six lakh annually. 7. In addition to this territory, the city of Surat was also permanently ceded. 8. He undertook to respect the treaty of June, 1802 A.D. between the British and Gaekward. 9. He promised to expel all foreigners except the English from his service. 10. He approved the British arbitration in his dealings with Gaekwar and Nizam. He abandoned for ever his claims for Chauth and Sardeshmukhi in Nizami's territory. Baji Rao was restored to his office in Poona in May, 1803 A.D. In our view, this treaty ended the Maratha independence. Wellesley had succeeded in stationing British troops at four capitals of Indian rulers at Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mysore and Poona. The Gaekwad of Baroda The Gaekwad territory consisted of Gujarat and Kathiawar. Its capital was at Baroda. Its ruler was Fateh Singh. He formed a treaty with the British in January, 1780 A.D. at Kandhla. It was an offensive and defensive alliance. Fateh Singh was to help the British with 3,000 cavalry. He also surrendered a large part of Surat district to the English. Warren Hastings concluded the Treaty of M.A. (History) Part-II 9 5 Paper-II Salabi with Mahadji Sindhia in May, 1782 A.D. Its article VIII concerned Fateh Singh. His territory remained intact. He was to pay to the Peshwa a fixed amount of tribute, but he was exempted from payment of previous arrears. He remained subordinate to the Peshwa, and was to render him usual services. Fateh Singh passed away in 1789 A.D. From 1793 A.D. a regency council managed the state affairs. In 1793 A.D. Govind Rao became the ruler. Peshwa demanded from him a sum of one crore and twenty lakhs as a tribute and succession duty. He paid about eighty lakhs of rupees and remained in arrears by forty lakhs. Govind Rao died in 1800 A.D. His son Anand Rao succeeded him. He was weak ruler. The state finances were in ruins. The army was clamouring for payment of arrears. The administration was in great confusion. The minister Raoji sought assistance from Bombay Government. As a result a convention was signed at Camby in March, 1802 A.D. A subsidiary force of 2,000 Indian soldiers was to be stationed at Baroda in return for cession of territory worth about 10-1/2 lakhs annually to meet its expenses. Anand Rao ratified it in June 1802 A.D. The Arab soldier was disbanded on payment of 17½ lakhs. The Peshwa's claims were settled at forty two lakhs. The British Resident Walkar with two Englishmen, Carnck and William, controlled the state affairs. In the Treaty of Bassein the Peshwa recognised the Gaekwar's treaty of Cambey. The Second Anglo-Maratha War, 1803–1805 A.D.– Sindhia and Bhonsle Of the five members of Maratha Confederacy, its head the Peshwa and one of its chiefs, the Gaekward, had been brought into the subsidiary alliance system. Three remained to be entrapped. Wellesley first of all turned towards Daulat Rao Sindhia. He wanted dismissal of about 3000. Frenchmen in Sindhia's army because the English were at war with French in Europe. He instructed Colins, British Resident at Sindhia's court to place before Daulat Rao two alternatives. He was either to approve of the Treaty of Bassein and accept the subsidiary alliance or to face war.