Wars anglo-marathes

The wars anglo-marathes are three conflicts which will see to clash, in India, the Empire marathe and the English Compagnie of the Eastern Indies helped by British troops.

The inventory of fixtures

After the death of Madhav Râo Peshwâ in 1772, his/her brother Narayan Râo becomes the Peshwâ of the Empire marathe. However this last is assassinated following a conspiracy of the palate and his/her uncle Râghunâtha Râo becomes new Peshwâ, although he is not the legal heir to the function. Indeed, the widow of Narayan Râo, Gangabai, had given rise to a son after the death of her husband and the new born one, Sawai Madhav Râo - i.e. Madhav Râo junior - is of this fact new Peshwâ. Twelve marathes chiefs, led by Nânâ Phadnis, try to put the child on the throne and to place themselves in position of regents. Râghunâtha Râo, refusing to give up its function, seek the assistance of the British with Bombay and signs with them the Treaty of Surat the March 7th 1777.

According to the treaty, Râghunâtha Râo yields the territories of Salsette and Bassein to the British, as well as part of the incomes of the districts of Surat and Baroch. N the other hand, the English Compagnie of the Eastern Indies provides to RaghunathRâo a troop of 2.500 soldiers. The the British Council of Calcutta ( British Calcutta Council ), to the other end of India, condemns the treaty of Surat and sends colonel Upton to Pouné to carry out its cancellation. The colonel must also make sign a new treaty drawing aside Râghunâtha of the capacity in exchange of a pension. The government of Bombay disallows this proposal and offers asylum to Râghunâtha. In 1777, Nânâ Phadnis violates its treaty with the Calcutta Council by granting to the French a port on the west coast. The answer of the British is the sending of the troop with Pouné.

The first war anglo-marathe (1779-1782)

The battle of Wadgaon

The British armies and marathes meet in the surroundings of Pouné. The army marathe, ordered by the general Mahadjî Sindhia, is strong of 80.000 men while British, although inferiors of number, they are 35.000, are equipped much better out of artillery and ammunition. Mahadjî involves and locks up the British army in the Ghat S close to Talegaon, then its cavalry harasses the enemy on all sides and tackles its base camp of Khopoli. Marathes also implement a scorched earth policy, setting fire to the farms and poisoning the wells. While the British start to withdraw themselves from Talegaon, Marathes attack, forcing them to make retirement in the village of Wadgaon where they are found surrounded by all shares and without water provision and food. Finally, the British go to mid-January 1779 and sign the Treaty of Wadgaon which force them to give up all the territories that they had acquired since 1775.

The British answer

The British general governor of the Bengal, Warren Hastings, rejects the treaty and sends an important military force through India under the orders of colonel Goddard. This last seizes Ahmedabad in February 1779 and Bassein in December 1780. Another detachment carried out by the Popham captain captures Gwâlior in August 1780. Hastings sends also an army led by the Camac general against Mahadji Sindhia and which demolishes it in February 1781 with Sipri.

The Treaty of Salbai

After its defeat, Sindhia proposes a new treaty between Peshwâ and the British recognizing the legitimacy of the young person Madhav Râo at the station of Peshwâ and granting a pension to Raghunath Râo. This treaty, known under the name of Treaty of Salbai, is signed in May 1782, is ratified by Hastings in June 1782 and Phadnis in February 1783. The treaty turns over to Sindhia all its territories to the west of Yamunâ and guarantees a twenty years peace between the two parts. One thus returns to the status quo of before the conflict, but allows CAIO to concentrate on others Indian principalities.

The second war anglo-marathe (1802-1804)

An unstable confederation

After the defeat of Tipû Sâhib, Marathes remain the only ones to be opposed to the British expansionist aimings in India. The war begins however because of an internal conflict to the confederation marathe. Peshwâ Baji Râo II is then with the head of the confederation, but its power is not measured with those of Daulat Râo Sindhia of Gwâlior and Jaswant Râo Holkar of Indore, and even to those of less important leaders like Gâekwâr of Baroda or Râghojî Bhonsla, the râja of Berâr.

The civil war within the confederation involves the total defeat of the forces of Peshwâ by Holkar with the Bataille of Pooné, the October 25th 1802. Bâjî Râo II is put then under British protection, and by the Traité of Bassein form an alliance with the British, yielding to them a territory and acceptor not to more treat directly with another power. The British influence increases then considerably in Western India, but Lord Wellesley always worries about possible French interferences, in particular through Perron then with the service of the armies marathes.

Lord Wellesley is determined to support Peshwâ and, his/her brother, Arthur Wellesley leads a force, which reinstalls, without opposition, Bâjî Râo in Pooné the May 13rd 1803. At the beginning of August, the negotiations with Sindhia having failed, the general governor sends against the two main forces of Marathes, an army in the Dekkan combining troops of Sindhia and râja of Berâr, strong of approximately 50.000 men, including 10.500 of regular infantry, and, in North, the army principal of Sindhia, approximately 35.000 men, and ordered by Perron. Lord Wellesley composes two armies, a first in north under the command of the general Gerald Lake, and another in the South under the orders of his brother, 11.000 men supported by a quota of 9.400 soldiers coming from Hyderâbâd.

Battles of Assaye and Argaum

The August 6th 1803, Arthur Wellesley receives the news of the failure of the negotiations and walk immediately on Ahmadnâgar. The August 8th, it seizes the city, devastates it and puts the seat under the fort of Ahmadnâgar of which it accepts rendering the August 12th. Wellesley meets the army of Sindhia and Râghojî Bhonsla to Assaye the September 23rd. Bhonsla is with the head of the troop made up from 40.000 to 50.000 men, including three brigades of regular infantry, largest under the command of the German sergeant Anthony Pohlmann. In spite of its numerical inferiority - it has only 6.000 men, whose only three European regiments, and although the quota of Hyderâbâd ordered by colonel Stevenson and intended to support it is too far to intervene in time - Wellesley is given to attack. In spite of heavy losses occurred during their frontal attack - 650 Europeans and more than 900 Indian soldiers - the small British joint army and of the CAIO gains a considerable victory but is in impossibility of continuing its enemy demolishes, who leaves on the battle fields 98 guns.

See detailed article: Battle of Assaye

Wellesley continues its advance, until it meets the army of the râja of Berâr, with most of the cavalry of Sindhia with Argaum the November 29th 1803. The army marathe account probably between 30.000 and 40.000 men, that of Wellesley some 11.000 combatants, of which the European part is made up of the survivors of Assaye, plus a Scottish brigade. Wellesley orders a frontal attack and Marathes are withdrawn, giving up 38 guns and undergoing heavy losses by the cavalry of Wellesley lasting the retirement, whereas the army of Wellesley counts only 360 losses in all.

The December 15th 1803, a wild British attack makes it possible to seize the fortress of Gawilghur. The râja of Berâr has request peace the next day and, the December 17th, it yields its province of Cuttack to the company, and of another territory to its allies.

The third war anglo-marathe or War of Pindarî (1817-1818)

Causes of the war

Under the mandates of the General governors Sir George Barlow (1805-1807) and Lord Minto (1807-1813), CAIO follows a policy non-interventionist on the face marathe. However, the states da the confederation know one period of disorder and instability. Thus, Jaswant Râo Holkar assassinates his/her brother Kasi Râo and his nephew Khande Râo. It ends up sinking in the madness and dies the October 20th 1811.

Lord Hastings, which becomes general governor in 1813, completely will change the British policy towards the confederation. In 1814, Peshwâ begins its operations to assemble the chiefs of the confederation against the British. It reinforces its army with the assistance of the chief Pathan Amir Khan and the Pindarî. During this time, according to a deliberated strategy, the British force Marathes to sign treaties more and more humiliating, with the râja of Nâgpur, the May 27th 1816, then the Treaty of Pooné with Peshwâ the June 13rd 1817. Daulat Râo Sindhia is also obliged to sign the Treaty of Gwalior, the November 5th 1817, whereby it obliges to help the British to remove the Pindarî threat. About 1817, the devastations caused by the gangsters pindarî become so important that the general governor decides to crush them. But the capacity marathe is shown so hostile in this countryside that the police operation will turn in a war against Peshwâ, Holkar d' Indore and the râja Bhonsla de Nâgpur. To fight the power marathe, the general governor constitutes two armies and takes the Large command of the personally army while the general Sir Thomas Hislop directs the army of Dekkan. These two army corps include/understand troops coming from the three presidencies of the Indies, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras and form largest forces gathered in the history of the CAIO, 91.000 regular and 24.000 Indian auxiliaries or cipayes.

Two of the probable enemies of the British will be shown less dangerous than envisaged. Sindhia, held by the Treaty of Gwalior, do not constitute the anticipated threat. Their chief pindarî Amir Khan accepts the conditions imposed by the British and disperses his forces, in exchange from what it receives a territory which becomes the state of Tonk in the Rajputana. The remaining Pindarî forces are attacked and dismantled, one their main leaders, Karim, goes while an other, Chitu, are run away in the jungle where it is killed by a tiger.

The confederation is crushed

The very same day where Sindhia sign the treaty of Gwâloir, Peshwâ Baji Râo II puts at bag and fire the British residence of Pooné. With its army of 27.000 men, it tackles then the confined British forces with Khirki and which rise with 2.800 men under the command of the colonel Burr and which make known to him a severe defeat. At this point in time Madhav Râo Holkar II takes the weapons with the support of the râja Appâ Sâhib Mudhojî II of Nâgpur. But the troops of Nâgpur know the defeat with Sitabalsi the November 27th 1817 and those of Holkar are put in rout at Mahidpur the December 21st according to.

The following year, Peshwâ east demolishes with Koregaon on January 1st 1818 and with Ashti the February 20th 1818. Finally Baji Râo goes to John Malcolm the June 3rd 1818 and it to him is granted the annual pension of 8 Lakh S of rupees against the dissolution of its government and the integration of its possessions with Pooné in the teriitoire of the presidency of Bombay. Thus, the third war anglo-marathe involves the complete destruction of the confederation, only remains the small kingdom of Sâtârâ, with at its head Pratap Simha, a descendant of Shivâjî Bhonsla, as formal but impotent chief of Marathes

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