Anglo-Maratha Wars (1775-1818) and Maratha History

The Anglo-Maratha war was fought between the Maratha Army and the English East India Company. The Surat Treaty was the direct provocation for the first war between Maratha Army and the British East India Company. The consequences of this war was Bombay became the capital of Bombay presidency.

Peshwa Baji Rao II was the last Peshwa of Maratha Emperior. He signed the Subsidiary Treaty in Bassien in 1802. Which is also known as Treaty of Bassien which was signed between British East India Company and Peshwa baji Rao II.

The Treaty of Salbai was signed on May 17, 1782, by representatives of the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company after long negotiations to settle the outcome of the First Anglo-Maratha War. Under its terms, the Company retained control of Salsette and Broach and acquired guarantees that the Marathas would defeat Hyder Ali of Mysore and retake territories in the Carnatic. 

The Treaty of Salbai resulted in a period of relative peace between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company until the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1802. David Anderson concluded the Treaty of Salbai on behalf of the East India Company.

The Treaty of Surat was a treaty by which Raghunathrao, one of the claimants to the throne of the Peshwa, agreed to cede Salsette and Bassein Fort to the English, in consideration of being himself restored to Poona.The first Anglo-Maratha war fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Empire in India was the result of this treaty. The combined Maratha forces fought with the forces of the British and Raghunath Rao at Wadgaon. The British were badly defeated in this war which ended with Treaty of Saibai.

Following the death of Nana Phadnavis in 1800, the Maratha confederacy faced a power vacuum. The two prominent chiefs who vied for control over the Peshwa were Daulat Rao Scindhia and Yashwant Rao Holkar.

Nana Saheb was the adopted son of last Peshwan baji Rao II. As the adopted son of the exiled Maratha Peshwa Baji Roa II, he entitled to a pension from English East India Company. Nana Sahib was born as Dhondu Pant, was an Indian Maratha aristocrat and fighter, who led the rebellion in Kanpur during the 1857 uprising.

The battle of Assaye took place on 23 September 1803. This battle was the major battle of Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between Maratha Empire and British East India Company. In this battle the Maratha Army was lead by Daulat Sindhia and Raja of Berar and the British Army was lead by Commander General Arthur Wellesely.

The battle of Argaon was fought during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. This battle was fought between British East India Company and the forces of Bhosle of Berar and Sindhia of Gwalior on 29 November 1803.

The Siege of Ahmednagar was the first battle of Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between Maratha Army and British East India Company. This battle was took place in 1803. The main cause of the second Maratha war due to the defeat of the peshwa
Baji Rao II by the Holkars, one of the prominent Maratha clans, as a
result of which he accepted British protection by signing the Treaty of
Bassein in December 1802.

The Battle of Deeg was fought during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The battle was fought of 13 November 1804 between Maratha Empire and British East India Company. A force of the British East India Company led by Major General Fraser defeated Maratha Army.

The Battle of Deeg occurred on November 13, 1804, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. It was a significant engagement between the forces of the British East India Company and the Maratha forces led by Holkar.

The Peshwa surrendered, and was permitted to reside at Bithur, near Cawnpore (Now Kanpur) , on a pension of 8 Lakh Rupees per year. His adopted son Nana Sahib later led the Mutiny of 1857.

Baji Rao II was paid an annual pension of 8 lakh rupees. The Marathas lost its power and the British became the paramount power of India.

The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company (EIC) and the Maratha Empire in India. Peshwa Baji Rao II’s forces, supported by those of Mudhoji II Bhonsle of Nagpur and Malharrao Holkar III of Indore, rose against the EIC. Pressure and diplomacy convinced the fourth major Maratha leader, Daulatrao Shinde of Gwalior, to remain neutral even though he lost control of Rajasthan.

The First Maratha War broke out between the Marathas and the British, under the governor generalship of Warren Hastings in 1775. The British supported the claims of Raghunath Rao against Peshwa Madhav Rao II. Most of the Maratha chiefs were united in favour of the young Peshwa and the Maratha leader Nana Phadnavis.

Hyder Ali's growing power and his friendly relations with the French became a matter of concern for the English East India Company. This led to the First Anglo-Mysore War. The Treaty of Madras was signed in 1769. Both the sides agreed to restore places.

The first Anglo-Maratha war was fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Empire in India. The combined Maratha forces fought with the forces of the British and Raghunath Rao at Wadgaon. The British were badly defeated and this resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Saibai. Under its terms, the Company retained control of Salsette and Broach and promised to support Marathas in case they attack Hyder Ali of Mysore and retake the territories of Carnatic.

The third Anglo-Maratha war was the decisive battle between the Britishers and the Marathas fought in 1817-1818. The war ended with the victory of Britishers,  resulting in the breakup of the Maratha Empire and the loss of Maratha independence. Dominions of the Peshwa Baji Rao II were annexed and made a part of the Bombay presidency.