Second Anglo-Maratha War

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Second Anglo-Maratha War
Part of the
Anglo-Maratha Wars

The Battle of Assaye, a painting by J.C. Stadler
Date11 September 1803 – 24 December 1805
Location
India
Result British victory
Belligerents

United Kingdom

Maratha Confederacy

Supported by:

Mughal Empire

Maratha Confederacy

Commanders and leaders
Units involved

Lake & Wellesley:[1]

  • 4 regiments European cavalry
  • 8 regiments Native cavalry
  • 2 regiments British infantry
  • 17 sepoy battalions
  • Artillery
 Shock infantry forces
Political map of India in 1792, compared to yellow borders of 1700.

The Second Anglo-Maratha War (from 1803 –1805) was a large conflict within the

British East India Company
. It resulted in major loss of territory for the Marathas, including regions around Delhi and in present-day Gujarat falling into direct Company rule.

Background

The British had supported the

Raghunathrao in the First Anglo-Maratha War, and they continued with his son, Baji Rao II. Though not as martial in his courage as his father, the son was "a past master in deceit and intrigue". Coupled with his "cruel streak", Baji Rao II soon provoked the enmity of Yashwant Rao Holkar when he had one of Holkar's relatives killed.[2]

The Maratha Empire at that time consisted of a confederacy of five major chiefs: the Peshwa (Prime Minister) at the capital city of

British India had repeatedly offered a subsidiary treaty to the Peshwa and Scindia, but Nana Fadnavis
refused strongly.

In October 1802, the combined armies of Peshwa Baji Rao II and

British East India Company, ceding territory for the maintenance of a subsidiary force and agreeing to treaty with no other power. The treaty would become the "death knell of the Maratha Empire".[2]

War

Battle of Assaye, 1st Battalion 8th Regiment of Native Infantry charge at the cannon, led by Captain Hugh Macintosh

This act on the part of the

Scindia rulers of Gwalior and the Bhonsale rulers of Nagpur and Berar
contested the agreement.

The British strategy included Maj. Gen. Arthur Wellesley securing the Deccan Plateau, Lt. Gen. Gerard Lake taking Doab and then Delhi, Powell entering Bundelkhand, Murray taking Badoch, and Harcourt neutralizing Bihar. The British had available over 53,000 men to help accomplish their goals.[2]: 66–67 

With the logistic assembly of his army complete (24,000 men in total) Wellesley gave the order to break camp and attack the nearest Maratha fort on 8 August 1803.[3] On the same day he took the walled Pettah of Ahmednagar (town adjacent to the fort) by escalade.[4][5]

The

Godavari.[6]

In September 1803,

Bhonsle forces at Argaon (now Adgaon) on 29 November 1803.[7]

Conclusion

On 17 December 1803,

Raghoji II Bhonsale of Nagpur signed the Treaty of Deogaon[2]: 73  in Odisha with the British after the Battle of Argaon and gave up the province of Cuttack (which included Mughal and the coastal part of Odisha, Garjat/the princely states of Odisha, Balasore Port, parts of Midnapore
district of West Bengal).

On 30 December 1803, the

Laswari
and ceded to the British, Hisar, Panipat, Rohtak, Rewari, Gurgaon, Ganges-Jumna Doab, the Delhi-Agra region, parts of Bundelkhand, Broach, some districts of Gujarat and the fort of Ahmmadnagar.

The British started hostilities against Yashwantrao Holkar on 6 April 1804. Yashwantrao was somewhat successful as he harassed the British forces by guerilla warfare. However, he didn't receive the expected help from Scindia who had already signed a treaty with the British. He went to Punjab and sought Ranjit Singh's help with no success. The lack of resources compelled him to come to terms with British.

The Treaty of Rajghat, signed on 24 December 1805, forced Holkar to give up Tonk, Rampura, and Bundi to the British.[2]: 90–96 

See also

References

  1. ISBN 0-521-82444-3
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-81-313-0034-3
    .
  3. ISBN 978-0-00-713750-3
    .
  4. ^ Fitchett, William Henry (1911). Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769–1852. London: G. Bell. pp. 102–104.
  5. ^ Duke of Wellington (1859). "Camp at Ahmednuggur, 17th Aug., 1803". In Wellesley, Arthur Richard (ed.). Supplementary despatches and memoranda of field marshal Arthur duke of Wellington 1797–1819 with a map of India. J. Murray. p. 151.
  6. ^ Holmes 2002, p. 74.
  7. ISBN 978-0-19-533756-3
    .

Further reading

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Preceded by
Anglo-Maratha Wars
 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Indo-British conflicts Succeeded by
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