First Anglo-Maratha War

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Introduction
The First Anglo-Maratha War was fought between the Maratha Army and the British East India Company. The British Forces were ultimately defeated in the series of battles that took place during the period between 1775 and 1882.


The treaty of Salbai was made and the regions that were conquered by the British East India Company after the Treaty of Purandar were returned to the Marathas. However, British retained control over Salsette.
The war started as a result of the Treaty of Surat. The war come to an end with the Treaty of Salbai.
Background
Madhav Rao, the Maratha Peshwa, died on 18 th November, 1772, in a young age of twenty eight. His brother Narayan Rao became the new Peshwa. In August, 1773, Narayan Rao Peshwa was murdered. Raghunath Rao, the uncle of Madhav Rao and Narayan Rao, took charge of the new Peshwa. But a few days later, it was known that a conspiracy, hatched by Raghunath Rao Peshwa, led to the murder of Narayan Rao Peshwa. As the news of the plot of murdering Narayan Rao Peshwa came on the surface, the Maratha Sardars of Pune wanted to discard Raghunath Rao from Peshwaship.
Under the leadership of Nana Phadnavis a Regency Council known as Barobhai was formed. This Regency council took the charge of the Maratha administration after removing Raghunath Rao and nominating the minor son of Narayan Rao, Madhu Rao Narayan, the new Peshwa.
Treaty of Surat
The Maratha leaders now tried to curb the power and influence of Raghunath Rao. Raghunath Rao tried to secure help from Sindhia and Holkar. But he failed. Then Raghunath Rao signed the treaty of Surat with the English on 6 March, 1775. The English welcomed the golden opportunity of intervening into the Maratha Kingdom, taking advantage of the internal feud of the Marathas. Raghunath Rao gave away the wide regions of Gujarat, Salsette and Basin to the Bombay Council of the English Company, in compliance with the provisions of the Treaty of Surat.
Raghunath Rao also agreed to make a monthly payment of Rs. 1 lakhs to the Company as maintenance charge of 2500 English troops. The image of Raghunath Raowas further tarnished in the eyes of the Marathas after this humiliating Surat Treaty. The inevitable consequence of the Surat Treaty was the First Anglo-Maratha War. At this juncture, Mahadji Sindhia, an influential Maratha leader made significant efforts to bring out an understanding between the Barobhai Council and Raghunath Rao. But Raghunath Rao refused to enter into any understanding with the Maratha leaders as he considered the English as his more trusted ally. Mahadji Sindhia then joined hands with the Barobhai Council. The Council of Pune got significant military assistance from Sindhia.
The Initial Stage of the Battle
After the Treaty of Surat in 1775, the combined forces of the English general Keating and Raghunath Rao defeated the Maratha forces . The Bombay and Madras Councils of the English Company were only answerable to the Court of Directors in London up to 1773. But the Regulating Act of 1773 made it imperative for the Bombay and Madras Councils to get clearance for each and every action from the Governor General and his Council in Calcutta. The Governor General Warren Hastings and his Calcutta Council did not approve of the Surat Treaty. Hasting wanted to consolidate the control over the newly acquired province of Bengal at first, and then try for the expansion of British trade in India. But the prime concern of the Company authorities in Bombay was to secure enlarged rights and advantages over the private trade of the Company servants. They had already occupied one of the most important ports of Western India, Surat (1759). The leaders of the Bombay Council Horn Bee, Mostin etc. thought that if they could make Raghunath Rao, the Maratha Peshwa and their commercial interest would be protected in the entire Maratha region. Hence the Bombay Council was interested in entering into a deal with Raghunath Rao through the Surat Pact.
Treaty of Purandar
But Warren Hastings annulled the Treaty of Surat and signed the Treaty of Purandar in March, 1776, with the Barobhai Regency Council of Pune. By the terms of the treaty the English recognized Madhu Rao Narayan as the Maratha Peshwa. The English secured Salsette and Basin along with the right of collecting revenue from Broach. The Marathas paid Rs. 12 lakhs to the English as war indemnity. The Marathas also agreed to pay an annual allowance to Raghunath Rao. The English in return had withdrawn support from Raghunath Rao.
Nullification of Treaty of Purandar: The Bombay Council expressed dissatisfaction over the Treaty of Purandar in an appeal to the Court of Directors in London. The court of Directors did not recognize the Treaty of Purandar and nullified it. The Anglo-Maratha war became inevitable.
Battle of Talegaon
Nana Phadnavis was the leader of the Barobhai Council of Pune. He appointed Mahadji Sindhia his chief military adviser. Within a few days of cancellation of the Treaty of Purandar, Raghunath Rao along with an English force proceeded towards Pune. The Maratha warriors adopted the burnt clay policy and disastrously defeated the English forces in the battle of Talegaon. The English were compelled to sign the Treaty of Wadgaon with the Marathas on 16 January, 1779. The English agreed to return Salsette along with other islands and also to submit Raghunath Rao to the hands of the Maratha Council of Pune. They also agreed to withdraw forces sent from Bengal in the region.
Final War and the Treaty of Salbai
But the Governor General Hastings did not accept the humiliating Treaty of Wadgaon. He sent a large army to invade Mahadji Sindhia’s jagir in Malwa. In August, 1780, an English general occupied the fort of Gwalior. Mahadji Sindhia soon came to Malwa for defending his own kingdom. Sindhia was defeated by an English commander in the Battle of Sipri. But the English could not stage a final victory and the war continued. By this time the hostile camp of Warren Hastings in the Calcutta Council became active and lodged a complaint against him to the Court of Directors. The English Company was also involved in a war against Haidar Ali and it became almost impossible for the English to continue wars in two different fronts against the two formidable enemies. Moreover, Hastings was very much apprehensive of the formation of an anti-English coalition by the Indian powers. Realizing the complexity of the situation Hastings proposed for a peace with Sindhia. Sindhia accepted the proposal and accordingly the Treaty of Salbai was signed between the English and Sindhia on 17 May, 1782.
Conclusion
The English agreed not to give any further support to Raghunath Rao and recognized the Peshwaship of Madhu Rao Narayan. The English company only kept Salsette and Broach with them. They left to the marathas the remaining conquered areas including Basin. Mahadji Sindhia got back all his territories, situated on the western banks of the Jamuna River. In the clause 16 of the Treaty of Salbai it was stated that Mahadji Sindhia would act as a guarantor for mutual agreement of the provisions. In 1783, the leader of the Maratha Council, Nana Phadnavis ratified the treaty. The First Anglo-Maratha War came to a close.

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The Second Anglo-Maratha War started in August, 1803. Arthur Wellesley captured Ahmednagar on 12 August. Wellesley’s aggressive war strategy all along kept the Maratha forces busy. On 23 September, the British got victory over the troops of Sindhia and Bhonsle in the Battle of Assaye.

One after another, Burhanpur, Asirgarh and the strong fortress of Gwalior were captured by the British East India Company. Sindhia’s forces faced defeat in Delhi and Laswari.





General Lake captured Agra and Delhi in November, 1803. The Maratha forces were com*pletely routed in every front. On 17 December, Raghuji Bhonsle II was compelled to sign the Treaty of Deogaon with the British. By the terms of the treaty, Bhonsle ceded Balasore and Cuttack of Orissa and the entire region in the Western banks of the Wardha River to the English.

On December 30, 1803, Daulat Rao Sindhia signed the treaty of Surji-Anjangaon with the English. The region between the Ganga and the Jamuna, entire area including the forts situated in the north of Rajputana, Ahmednagar, Broach and the territories in the west of the Ajanta hills were obtained by the English from Sindhia. On 27 February, 1804, Sindhia accepted the Subsidiary Alliance of the English.

So long Jaswant Rao Holkar had been observing the humiliating defeats of Sindhia and Bhonsle with apathy and indifference. But now he became active to form an anti-English confederacy of the Indian powers. He rallied the support of the Rajputs, the Sikhs as well as the Rohillas behind him and started war against the English. In the early stage of the war Jaswant Rao Holkar was crowned with illuminating success. His success so much annoyed the Court of Directors in London that the Company authorities directed Wellesley to leave India in 1805. The Court of Directors thought that the English Company’s burden of debt increased owing to the aggressive policy of Wellesley. Under these circumstances Sir George Barlow came as the new Governor General in India. On January 7, 1806, Barlow signed a treaty with Holkar. The English left their claim over Kooch, Rampura, Bundelkhand, Tonk, Bundi, and territories in the north of Chambal. Sindhia got back Gwalior. The Second Anglo-Maratha War ended.

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The conflict between the English and the Pindaris paved the way for the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818) as the English suspected that the Marathas were providing clandestine help to the Pindaris.

The Peshwa with a view to increasing the income of the state introduced certain stringent measures in his revenue affairs. The English accused him of maladministration and oppression. On the other hand, Sindhia and Holkar were involved in a tussle in the border regions in order to satisfy their increasing demand for revenue.





Relentless intervention of the British Residents in the internal affairs, particularly in the dispute regarding succession of the Indian states almost shattered their admin*istrative structure. Moreover, bitter factional feuds sprang up among the subdued chiefs. But in no time, the real intentions of the English were exposed to the Maratha sardars and in 1817 they decided to give their last fight for freedom against the English. The English had posted huge troops very near to the Maratha kingdom for suppressing the so called Pindari adventurers.

Although the Peshwa Baji Rao II accepted the Subsidiary Alliance of the English, but he became eager to make himself free from the English control. With the help of his trusted minister Trimbak Rao, Baji Rao II tried to form an anti English confederacy. But Elphinstone, the British Resident of Puna had a strong disliking for Trimbak Rao and he used to keep a close watch over the latter’s activities. The Gaikawad of Baroda had close links with the English. In 1815 Gaikawad sent his Prime Minister Gangadhar Shastri to the Peshwa headquarters at Puna for negotiating on certain important issues. But Trimbak Ralo hatched a plot against Gangadhar Shastri and eventually murdered him. The murder of Gangadhar made Elphinstone angry and he told Peshwa to submit Trimbak Rao to the hands of the English. After much hesitation, Baji Rao II surrendered Trimbalk Rao to Elphinstone. The English kept Trimbak under confinement in the fortress of Thana. This incident gave a serious blow to the dignity of the Peshwa and he was out to take revenge against the English. In the beginning of 1817, the Peshwa made serious attempts to organize against the English a confederacy of the Maratha Chiefs. For this purpose, Baji Rao II sent one of his ministers, Balaji Kunjar to several Maratha sardars. He also opened negotiations with the Pathan Chief Amir Khan and the Pindaris. He repaired the old forts of his kingdom and tried to increase the strength and efficiency of his army. Elphinstone realised that the Marathas were preparing for a final show*down with the English.

By this time, Earl of Moira, better known as the Marques of Hastings came as the Governor General (1813). With his arrival the British policy of neutrality had thoroughly been reversed. The English compelled the Maratha leaders to make pacts with them. After the death of Raghuji Bhonsle a dispute regarding succession arose. Ignoring the claim of his on Parsaji Bhonsle his nephew Appa Sahib became the successor to Raghuji’s kingdom. By the terms of .the Nagpur Treaty signed on May 27, 1816, Appa Sahib accepted the Subsidiary Alliance of the English. On June 13, 1817, the Peshwa was also compelled to sign a treaty with the English at Puna. The Peshwa pledged not to take any initiative to form an anti English confederacy. He also ceded Konkan along with some other territories to the English. By the terms of the Gwalior Treaty signed on 5 November, 1817, Daulat Rao Sindhia promised to cooperate with the English.

But not a single Maratha chief did accept these humiliating treaties imposed upon them by the English. They desired to make a last effort to free themselves from the British control.

On 5 November, 1817, the Third Anglo-Maratha War or conflict began. Bapu Gokhale suffered defeat at the hands of the English in two successive battles. Peshwa Baji Rao II fled to Purandar. At this stage, Appa Sahib Bhonsle and Malhar Rao Holkar, the son of Jaswant Rao Holkar, declared war against the English. On 27 December, 1817, the English defeated Bhonsle in the battle of Sitabaldi and defeated Holkar on 21 December in the same year. On January 6, 1818, Holkar was compelled to accept Subsidiary Alliance by the terms of the Treaty of Mandasore.

Holkar also left his claim over the Rajput territories and gave the entire region situated in the south of the river Narmada to the English. The English also annexed the kingdom of Appa Sahib Bhonsle. The Peshwa fought two more battles with the English – at Koregaon on January 1, 1818, and at Peshti on February 20, 1818. He suffered defeat in both the battles and his able general Bapu Gokhale died in the second. On 3 June, 1818, Peshwa Baji Rao II surrendered to the English. Baji Rao II had to stay on a pension of 8 lakhs a year. His dominions were placed under the English contrail. Satara was given to Pratap, a descendant of Sivaji. With the suppression of the Marathas there was no power left to resist the growth of the British power in India. British influence and authority spread throughout the country with magical celebrity.