Anglo Maratha War

Maratha Empire came into frequent clashes with the Britishers who were both trying to expand their sphere of influence in India. This led to the frequent conflicts between British and Marathas which happened over three successive Anglo-Maratha wars.

1. First Anglo Maratha war (1775-1782): Broke out due to internal territorial disputes in Maratha empire and British desire of territorial expansion. The British after facing several setbacks got an upper hand in the war. The war ended with the Treaty of Salbai to maintain peace between the two parties.
2. Second Anglo-Maratha war (1803-1805): The war started due to the internal conflict among Marathas over the position of Peshwa. In 1801, Vithuji was murdered by Bajirao II and in the response Jasvantrao Holkar attacked the armies of Sindhia and Bajirao II. Then, the Treaty of Bassein was signed by Bajirao II with the British in which large parts of Maratha territories were ceded to the British. This eventually further reduced the sovereignty of the Maratha empire.
3. Third Anglo-Maratha war (1817-1818): To protect the sovereignty of Maratha empire, Bajirao II with other Maratha chiefs attacked the British but was defeated easily by the British army under Hastings. The war ended with many treaties like Treaty of Poona, Gwalior and Madasor between the Maratha chiefs and British . The subsidiary alliance was accepted by Maratha chiefs through these treaties. This war culminated in the annexation of large parts of Maratha territories by the British, effectively bringing an end to Maratha independence and consolidating British control over much of India.

The Mughals saw a decline in the first half of the 18th century. The rule of Aurangzeb during 1658-1707 proved to be the beginning of the Mughal rule decline. Though after Aurangzeb, Muhammad Shah ruled for 29 years (1719-48), revival of the Mughal empire did not take place. During the rule of Muhammad Shah, independent states of Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh and Punjab emerged. Marathas also began to revive their glorious history as rulers during this period. Marathas uprooted the Mughals from Malwa and Gujarat and established their rule there. Though Marathas were defeated by Ahmed Shah Abdali in Third Battle of Panipat (1761), they regained their strength and within a decade reached a position of power in India. Marathas also emerged as a challenge to the British East India Company in the struggle for political supremacy in India. This led to the Anglo-Maratha wars in the last quarter of the 18th century and first quarter of the 19th century.

The Anglo-Maratha Wars were a series of conflicts fought between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Maratha supremacy in the 18th century and British desire to expand resulted in the three Anglo-Maratha wars. These wars were significant in changing the political landscape of India leading to the decline of Maratha rule and establishment of British political supremacy.

1. British expansion : Britishers were expanding all over the country and in their journey of conquest of Indian territories, Maratha empire was a big hurdle due to their vast territories and military strength in the western India.
2. Mughal decline : There was a power vacuum emerging in the western and central parts due to decline of the mughal empire. Marathas sought to assert their authority over these regions which was not acceptable to the British.
3. Alliances and Rivalries : Britishers and Marathas had different alliances with the various empires like French backed the Marathas against the British which often led to conflicts that contributed to the war.
4. Commercial interests : The British wanted to control trade routes and valuable resources in the western parts of the country. This led to conflict between Marathas and British leading to the war.

• What led to the war?
  • In 1772 after the death of Madhavrao, as the 5th Peshwa his brother Narayanrao succeeded him but Narayanrao’s uncle Raghunathrao assassinated his nephew and named himself as the next peshwa. Gangabai, Narayanrao’s widow gave birth to a son named Sawai Madhavrao who was legally the next peshwa.
  • Raghunath Rao did not want to give up his position and sought help from the British for this. He signed the Treaty of Surat with British in 1775.
  • Treaty of Surat : Raghunathrao ceded the territories of Salsette and Bassein to the British and also a portion of the revenues from Surat and Bharuch districts. In return, the British promised to provide him 2500 soldiers.
  • Treaty of Purandhar: The British Calcutta Council did not approve the Treaty of Surat and to annul it sent Colonel Upton to Pune to formulate a new treaty known as Treaty of Purandhar in which the earlier promises made in Treaty of Surat were renounced and Raghunathrao was promised a pension.
  • In 1777, Nana Phadnavis violated his treaty with the Calcutta Council by ceding a port to the French on the west coast.
  • The British in response retaliated by sending a force towards Pune which led to the breakout of 1st Anglo-Maratha war.


• What happened during the war?
  • Both the British and Maratha armies met on the outskirts of Pune.
  • Mahadji Sindhia commanded the Maratha army. He lured the British army into the mountain passes near Talegaon and trapped the British army from all sides and then attacked the Khopali supply base of British cutting off their food and water supplies.
  • He also used a strategy of burning farmlands and poisoning wells known as Scorched earth policy.
  • Marathas forced the British army to retreat to the village of Wadgaon.
  • Finally, the British army surrendered by mid-January, 1779 and signed the Treaty of Wadgaon that recovered all territories acquired by the British since 1775.
  • Warner Hastings rejected the Treaty of Wadgaon and sent Colonel Goddard with soldiers to capture Ahmedabad in February, 1779 and Bassein in December 1780. In February 1781, the British army under General Camac finally defeated Sindhia at Sipri.
  • Sindhia proposed a new treaty between the Marathas and British known as Treaty of Salbai. The treaty was signed in May 1782 and ratified by Warren Hastings in June 1782 and by Phadnavis in February 1783.


• Outcome of the war
  • Provisions of Treaty of Salbai
    • The territories conquered since the Treaty of Purandhar including Bassein to be returned to the Marathas.
    • Salsette will remain in the possession of the British.
    • The British will not offer any support to Raghunathrao and Peshwa should grant him a maintenance allowance.
    • The British will enjoy the privileges at trade as before.
    • Haidar Ali should return the territories taken from the British and Nawab of Arcot.
    • The Marathas should not support any other European nation.
    • Mahadji Sindhia will be the mutual guarantor of the treaty.

• What led to the war?
  • In 1795, Peshwa Madhavrao Narayan committed suicide. Bajirao II, son of Raghunathrao became the next Peshwa.
  • Nana Phadnavis did not want him as the Peshwa.
  • The internal conflict among the Marathas provided opportunity to the British to intervene in Maratha affairs again.
  • Nana Phadnavis died in 1800 giving the British an added advantage.


• What happened during the war?
  • In April, 1801, Vithuji, the brother of Jaswantrao Holkar was murdered by the Peshwa.
  • In reponse, Jaswant attacked the combined armies of Sindhia and Bajirao II and on 25 October,1802 defeated them at Hadaspar near Poona and placed Vinaykarao, son of Amritrao on the position of Peshwa.
  • On 31 December, 1802, Bajirao II signed Treaty of Bassein with the British.


• Treaty of Bassein: Under the treaty, a system of subsidiary alliance was imposed on Peshwa who agreed to -
  • The East India Company (EIC) will provide the Peshwa a native infantry (not less than 6,000 troops) to be permanently stationed in his territories.
  • Peshwa ceded the territories generating an income of Rs. 26 lakh to the Company.
  • Peshwa will surrender the city of Surat to the EIC.
  • Peshwa will give up all his claims for Chauth on the Nizam’s dominions.
  • Peshwa will not employ any other nation’s Europeans to be at war with the EIC.
  • EIC will control relations of Peshwa with other states.
  
  Treaty of Devgaon: After the acceptance of subsidiary alliance by Peshwa Bajirao II, Sindhia and Bhonsle attacked the British to save the independence of Marathas. But the British army under Arthur Wellesley defeated the combined armies of Sindhia and Bhonsle. Treaty of Devgaon was signed between Bhonsle and British on 17 December, 1803 in which Bhonsle also accepted the subsidiary alliance.
  Treaty of Surajianjangaon: This is the treaty signed by Sindhia with British accepting the Subsidiary alliance on 30 December, 1803.

• What led to the war?
  • Through the Charter Act of 1813, the East India’s company’s monoploy of trade in China (except tea) ended. Hence, the Company needed more markets.
  • When the Marathas became week after the 2 Anglo-Maratha wars, Pindaries who were attached to Maratha armies as mercenaries could not get regular employment. In this situation, British gave shelter to the Pindaries and charged the Marathas. Pindaries leaders Amir Khan and Karim Khan surrendered.
  • Warren Hastings’ actions against the Pindaries was seen as an exploitation of the sovereignty of the Marathas.
  • In 1817, Bajirao II together with Maratha chiefs attacked the British which led to the Third Anglo-Maratha war.


• What happened during the war?
  • The Marathas attacked the British Residency at Poona.
  • Appa Sahib of Nagpur attacked the Nagpur residency and Holkar also made preparations for war.
  • Marathas during the war were inefficient, both politically and administratively.
  • After the death of Jaswantrao Holkar, his favourite mistress Tulsi Bai came to adminster the affairs in Poona.
  • The Sindhia at Gwalior and Bhonsle at Nagpur also became weak by this time.
  • As a result, the Peshwa was defeated at Khirki, Bhonsle at Sitabuldi and Jaswantrao Holkar at Mahidpur.


• Outcome of the war
  • Treaty of Poona: The treaty was signed between Peshwa Bajirao II and British in January,1817.
  • Treaty of Gwalior: The treaty was signed between Sindhia and British in Gwalior in November, 1817.
  • Treaty of Mandasor: The treaty was signed between Holkar and British in January, 1818.
  • In June 1818, finally the Peshwa surrendered and the Maratha confederacy was dissolved. The Peshwaship of Marathas was also abolished.
  • Peshwa Bajirao II became a British retainer at Bithur near Kanpur.
  • Pratap Singh, a descendent of Shivaji was made ruler of Satara, formed out of the Peshwa’s dominions.

1. Inept leadership: The later Maratha leaders like Bajirao II, Sindhia and Jaswantrao Holkar were selfish leaders. They were no match to the British leaders like Elphinstone, John Malcolm and Arthur Wellesley who led the British army.
2. Loose political set-up of Marathas: Powerful leaders like Sindhia, Bhonsle, and Holkar established their semi-independent kingdoms. The lack of cooperation among the Maratha chiefs proved detrimental for the Maratha empire.
3. Inferior military system: The Maratha army was inferior to the British army in weapons, disciplined action and effective leadership. Maratha army’s adoption of the modern techniques of warfare was inadequate. Marathas ignored the importance of good artillery.
4. Unstable Economic Policy: Marathas did not pay proper attention to trade. There were no industries and foreign trade and hence Marathas failed to evolve any stable economic policy.
5. Superior British Strategy: The British had modern artillery and better diplomatic skill to win over allies and isolate Marathas. The East India Company maintained a spy system to gather the knowledge about strength and weaknesses of the Maratha army.

The three Anglo-Maratha Wars (1775-1818) significantly reshaped the political landscape of India. The Maratha Empire, which had risen after the Mughal decline, faced internal divisions and weakening leadership. The British East India Company capitalized on these vulnerabilities, exploiting Maratha disunity to achieve decisive victories. The wars marked a turning point towards British dominance in India, as the Company significantly expanded its colonial control over the subcontinent and demolished a big competitor.