Second Anglo-Maratha War.html



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Second Anglo-Maratha War
Date 1802-1805 Location Result Decisive British victory
Belligerents
British East India Company	Maratha Confederacy
Commanders
General Lake, Arthur Wellesley	Daulatrao Sindhia, Raghoji II Bhonsle

The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803 - 1805) was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India.

Background

The overarching ambition of Raghunathrao, Peshwa Baji Rao II's father, and the latter's own incompetence since coming into his inheritance, had long caused much internecine intrigue within the Maratha confederacy; Peshwa Baji Rao II no longer commanded the deference his predecessors had.

In October 1802, Peshwa Baji Rao II was defeated by the Holkar ruler of Indore, at the Battle of Poona. He fled to British protection, and in December the same year concluded the Treaty of Bassein with the British East India Company, ceding territory for the maintenance of a subsidiary force and agreeing to treaty with no other power. The British also had to check the French influence in India.

The War

The Battle of Assaye, a painting by J.C.Stadler

This act on the part of the Peshwa, their nominal overlord, horrified and disgusted the maratha chieftains; in particular, the Sindhia rulers of Gwalior and the Bhonsle rulers of Nagpur and Berar contested the agreement. They were defeated, respectively, at Laswari and Delhi by Lord Lake and at Assaye and Argaon by Sir Arthur Wellesley. The Holkar rulers of Indore belatedly joined the fray and compelled the British to make peace.

Conclusion

On 17 December 1803, Raghuji Bhonsale (II) of Nagpur signed the Treaty of Deogaon with the British after the Battle of Laswari and gave up the province of Cuttack including Balasore.

On 30 December 1803, the Scindia signed the Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon with the British after the Battle of Assaye and ceded to the British Ganges-Jumna Doab, the Delhi-Agra region, parts of Bundelkhand, Broach, some districts of Gujarat, fort of Ahmmadnagar.

Yashwantrao Holkar, however began hostilities with the English by securing the alliance of the Raja of Bharatpur. By the Treaty of Rajghat, Holkar got back most of his territories. The Holkar Maharajas retained control and overlordship over much of Rajasthan.

See also

• Yashwantrao Holkar
• Battle of Bharatpur
• History of India
• Napoleonic Wars
• Alexander Adams

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