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Home , Baji Rao II, Battle of Khadki, Battle of Koregaon, Bhonsle, Holkar, Maratha Army

ANGLO WARS: In 1772, the Madhav Rao I died and was succeeded by his nephew . 30 August 1773, Narayan Rao was assassinated by his uncle Raghunath Rao and declared himself Peshwa. An enquiry was conducted into the matter by Ram Shastri. He declared Raghunath Rao and 49 other Maratha chiefs the prime conspirators. He ordered them to be dismissed from the service and immediate imprisonment. Bara Bhaiya: Ram Shastri then, formed a council of minister of the 12 important Maratha chiefs. They were given the responsibility to manage daily affairs of the state. Meanwhile, the posthumous son of Madhav Rao I was installed as Peshwa under the title Madhav Narayan Rao or Madhav Rao II. In 1795, Madhav Rao II committed suicide because of the dominating and over- interfering attitude of Nana Phadnavis (Machiavelli of Maratha politics). Treaty of (1775): The British East Company has been asking the to acquire the strategically important islands of Salsette and Bassein. When Raghunath Rao murdered Narayan Rao Peshwa in 1773, the Maratha chiefs under Nana Phadnavis turned against him. Raghunath Rao fled from and took shelter with the British government in Surat. He signed the Treaty of Surat (7th March 1775) with the English government in Bombay according to which: 1. English would assist Raghunath Rao with an army of 2500 to become Peshwa. 2. Raghunath Rao will have to bear the expenses of this army. 3. He would hand over Salsette and Bassein to the British. 4. The would not invade British in and Karnataka. 5. If Raghunath enter into a political alliance with any other power, the English would be a party to it. The English government at Bombay sent general Keatings to assist Raghunath Rao in Surat. The First Anglo Maratha War: The battle of Arras/Adas in 1775 was a stalemate. The causes of the first Anglo Maratha war are as follows: 1. The policy of English intervention in the internal affairs of the was the prime cause. 2. In 1767, the English government had sent an embassy led by Price in Pune in the court of Madhav Rao I. It was followed by the embassies led by Broone and Mestin in the court of Raghunath Roy. The purpose was to have the first hand information of Maratha affairs. 3. The struggle for power between leading Maratha (Madhav Rao, Nana Phadnavis and Raghunath Rao). 4. The British tried to intervene on behalf of Raghunath Rao. Battle of Aras: A British army under the command of Colonel Keating marched from Surat in March 1775. Their path was blocked by Marathas under Haripant Phadke near Adas. N.G. Rathor has written that the British were defeated and driven out of Aras. Treaty of Purandhar (1776) The Supreme Council of Bengal came to the conclusion that a direct military action against the Maratha would be detrimental. Governor General Warren signed the treaty of Purandhar with the Marathas under Peshwa (1st March 1776) according to which: 1. Both the parties agreed to keep peace with each other. 2. The British would be provided the revenue from Salsette and Broach and they would give up the cause of Raghunath Rao. 3. Raghunath Rao would be paid an annual pension of Rupees 25,000 and he would stay at Kopergaon near Pune. Meanwhile, the US war of Independence started in which the French government began to support the cause of American revolutionaries. The French sent an embassy to Pune. This created suspicion between the Marathas and the British. Governor General rejected the treaty of Purandhar and gave his assent to the treaty of Surat. He sent an army against the Marathas. The Marathas defeated the British at the battle of Talegaon in 1776. Battle of Wadagaon (1779): The English army was defeated in the battle of Wadagaon and was forced to sign the convention of Wadagaon in 1779 according to which: 1. The English had to return all the territories of the Marathas captured till 1773. 2. The English were to give up the cause of Raghunath Rao. 3. The British had to vacate Bengal and a sum of Rupees 40,00 along with two hostages (William Farmer and Charles Stewart) surrendered as security. 4. Broach was to be handed over to Scindhia. 5. The treaty was signed between Madhav Rao Scindhia and Colonel John Carnac. rejected the treaty of Wadagaon and sent two armies under Godard and Pophum from Bombay. It is also believed that Colonel John Carnac far exceeded his authority to sign such a humiliating convention. General Goddard marched through and annexed Ahmadabad in February 1780 and Bassein in December 1780. But the British forces were defeated outside Pune and were forced o retreat. General Pophum defeated Mahadji Scindhia in the battle of Sipri in February 1781. Mahadji Scindhia defeated the British under the command of Murre in 1781. By the end of 1781, both of the adversaries began to feel the after effects of constant war. The British had also gone into war with in 1780. Mahadji Scindhia and Nana Phadnavis signed the treaty of Salbhai with the British in 1782. This treaty ended the first Anglo Maratha war. 1. The British was to return to Peshwa all the territories captured during war including Bassein. 2. Salsette, its three neighboring islands and the city of Broach was to remain with the British. 3. They agreed to abandon Raghunath Roy. 4. The Peshwa was to force Haider Ali relinquish his claim to the British territory. 5. Mahadji Scindhia received huge territorial concessions in the west of river . 6. This treaty led to peace between the British and the Marathas for 20 years. Second Anglo Maratha War (1802 to 1806) In 1794, Mahadji Scindhia died and was succeeded by Daulat Rao Scindhia. Peshwa Madhav Rao II died in 1795. Nana Phadnavis died in 1800 and with his death, the wisdom of Maratha politics passed away. In 1800, a civil war started in between Kashi Raj and Daulat Rao. Kashi Rao was supported by Peshwa Baji Rao II and Daulat Rao was supported by Vithoji and Jaswant Rao . Vithoji was assassinated by Peshwa and Scindhia in 1801. This prompted Jaswant Rao Holkar to invade Pune. He defeated Peshwa Baji Rao II who took shelter with the British in Bassein. : Baji Rao II in utmost frustration signed the treaty of Bassein on 31st December 1802. The British governor general was Lord Wellesley. According to which: 1. Baji Rao II and the British agreed to assist each other. 2. The British agreed to send an army of 6000 to aide Peshwa. 3. The Peshwa agreed to pay an annual revenue of Rupees 26,00,000. 4. The Peshwa would not employ any other European to train his army. 5. The Peshwa was to subject himself to the arbitration of the British in case of dispute between Peshwa and Nizam. 6. The Peshwa was to accept the British as Paramount power in India. 7. An English resident will stay at Pune and the Peshwa will surrender his independent foreign policy to the British. 8. The Peshwa would not enter into any treaty with any foreign power without the consent of the British. P.E. Roberts has written: “This treaty made the British supreme in Deccan.” Robert Owens has written: “This treaty made the British East India Company masters of India.” J.N. Sircar has written: “The Peshwa sold India to the English through this treaty.” This treaty was opposed by all the Maratha chiefs. Even Peshwa Baji Rao II felt humiliated. Daulat Rao Scindhia and Appa Sahib made an alliance and declared war on the British East India Company. The Governor General Wellesley defeated Bhonsle in three succeeding battles: 1. Battle of 2. Battle of Assai 3. Battle of Aregaon. This series of battles ended with the Treaty of Deogaon between Arthur Wellesely and Bhonsle in December 1803. Treaty of Deogaon (December 1803) Bhonsle surrendered the regions of Cuttock, Balasore and Orissa to the East India Company. Bhonsle agreed to subject himself to the British arbitration in all of his disputes with Nizam and Peshwa. Bhonsle agreed not to employ any European or American in the army. Bhonsle accepted the English as paramount power. An English resident is to stay permanently at Pune and Bhonsle surrendered his independent foreign policy to the British. Battle of Laswari (November 1803) General Gerard Lake defeated Scindhia in the battle of Laswari. The Maratha defeat in this battle led to the treaty of Surjiarjangaon in December 1803. Treaty of Surjiarjangaon (December 1803) This treaty was signed between East India Company and Daulat Rao Scindhia in December 1803. This treaty was the direct result of the governor general Wellesley’s successful military operations in Central India. According to the terms of this treaty, Scindhia surrendered all his territories between Ganga and Yamuna. Scindhia gave up his claims over the territories of Nizam, Gaikwar and Peshwa. This treaty was negotiated twice. According to the first revision in November 1805, the territories of and Gohar were restored to Scindhia. According to the second revision in November 1817, Scindhia was granted more authority in return for helping the British in fighting . Scindhia accepted British as paramount power. He surrendered his foreign policy affairs to the British. Shah Alam entered into with the British with the treaty of in 1803. General Gerard Lake was the first British general to enter Delhi. Battle of Mukandwara Pass Maratha commander Jaswant Rao Holkar marched against the British in 1804 and defeated the British forces under Colonel William Monson in the battle of Mukandwara Pass in July 1804. The defeat of the English arms in the battle created discontent in the British parliament. Governor General Wellesley was recalled in 1805. (1804) and the Battle of Deeg Maratha commander Yashwant Rao Holkar besieged Delhi against the army of East India Company commanded Octharlony and General Burn. The Marathas were trying to expel the British and the Mughals who were defending Delhi during the Second Anglo Maratha war. The siege ended in failure. A company force led by Major General Fraser defeated the Marathas led by Yashwant Rao Holkar. Battle of Farrukhabad (November 1804) General Lake surprised and defeated the Maratha forces led by Yashwant Rao Holkar in Farrukhabad. Holkar himself narrowly escaped death. This battle is also known as the battle of Fatehgarh after a nearby town of Fatehgarh. Soon after the battle of Farrukhabad, the British forces under General Gerard Lake recaptured Deeg fort from the Maratha defenders. Siege of Bharatpur (1805) After setbacks at the battle of Deeg and the siege of Deeg Fort, Yashwant Rao Holkar took shelter with Ranjit Singh, of Bharatpur. Wellesley sent an ultimatum to the Raja of Bharatpur. Ranjit Singh, thus, joined Holkar’s forces. The joint forces of the and the Marathas repulsed all the British attempts to capture the fort. Raja of Bharatpur finally signed a truce with the British and paid them war indemnity. Treaty of Rajpurghat (December 1805) Governor General Wellesley was recalled in 1805. Before leaving India, he made the British paramount power in India. Cornwallis replaced Wellesley as the governor general of Bengal. He died after six months and was replaced by George Barlow. Barlow signed the treaty of Rajpurghat with the Marathas under the command of Yashwant Rao Holkar. 1. Holkar surrendered all his claims to the areas north of Chambal and Bundi Hills. 2. He promised not to employ any European to train his army. 3. The British promised not to invade Holkar’s possessions in . 4. They agreed to restore all his possessions south of Tapti River.

Gaikwar of Baroda entered into Subsidiary Alliance with the British in 1805.

Among all the Maratha chiefs, the Gaikwar had the friendliest relations with the British.

Holkar was the last to enter Subsidiary Alliance with the British in January 1818.

Third Anglo Maratha War (1817-1818) Third Anglo Maratha War was the final conflict between the Maratha Empire and the East India Company. The Maratha Empire had considerably declined because of the first and the second Anglo Maratha wars. The light and the of the Marathas had lost its old edge. The generals were incompetent and depended mostly of Pindaris. Causes Several Maratha commanders who formerly swore oath of loyalty to the Peshwa now went to the British. The Governor General had signed an agreement with the Gaikwar of Baroda to prevent the Peshwa from collecting revenue in that region. Gaekwar’s envoy Gangadhar Shastri was killed at in 1815. The British resident Elphinston put the blame of murder on Peshwa’s ally Trimbakji Dengle. The British put pressure on Peshwa to surrender Trimbakji and the latter was imprisoned at Thane. Peshwa sent his representatives to the rulers of Nepal, Bharatpur, and Ranjit Singh of Punjab, Kashmir and Jodhpur. The Peshwa had disbanded his army but secretly kept them well prepared for war. Several months’ pay was paid to them in advance. Several forts were fortified and alliances were made with Bhonsle, Shinde, Holkar and leaders (Karim Khan, Dost Muhammad, Setu, Imam Baksh, Tulsi, Sahib Khan and Nathu, Bapu and Kadir Baksh). Maratha and the British Military Strength In 1817, the Maratha military power consisted of 80,000 , 105,000 cavalry and 590 artillery pieces. The British army on the other hand was well equipped and well trained. Battle of (November 1817) The battle was fought between the British forces led by Captain Ford and the Maratha forces under the command of Peshwa Baji Rao II. It was the first decisive defeat of the Maratha arms by the British. Soon after the , the Peshwa was again defeated in the battle of Ashirgarh. The Maratha armies coming from Ghodnadi and Jalana accepted bribes from the British and joined them. Peshwa fled from Pune. The British reached in November 1817 and the Peshwa surrendered to the company in 1818. (January 1818) The battle of Koregaon was fought in January 1818 between the armies of Peshwa and the East India Company. A 28,000 strong infantry led by Peshwa Baji Rao II on its way to attack British controlled Pune, they were stopped by a contingent of 800 British soldiers. Battle raged for 12 hours before the Maratha army ultimately withdrew to its defensive positions. Neither the British nor the Marathas achieved decisive victory. Battle of (December 1817) The battle of Mahidpur was fought between the forces of Holkar and the British near Mahidpur in December 1817. The Marathas were led by II. He ordered his artillery to attack the British positions. The British were on the verge of collapse when Gafur Khan, a commander in Holkar’s army went over to the British. The Holkers were defeated. The battle of Mahidpur led to the destruction of Maratha military power. Baji Rao II surrendered to the British in June 1818 and the office of Peshwa was finally abolished. Results of the Anglo Maratha Wars: After the war, entire Maratha Confederacy surrendered to the British. According to the Treaty of Gwalior, Shinde surrendered the entire Rajputana to the British. Holkar signed the treaty of Mandeswar in December 1817. According to the terms of the treaty, the entire Holkar state was surrendered to the British. Peshwa’s presidency of Pune was merged into Bombay state. An obscure descendent of Chattrapati was raised on the throne of Peshwa. This obscure Peshwa adopted Nana Sahib who went on to become one of the leaders of the Rebellion of 1857.