Modern History

Anglo – Maratha
War
(Theory + MCQ)
By – Indo Pathshala
Contact Number – 9123206137
https://www.youtube.com/@indopathshala400

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 The First Anglo-Maratha war was one of the three Anglo-Maratha wars between the late
18th century and the beginning of the 19th century which was fought between the Maratha
Empire and the British East India Company. The First Anglo-Maratha war took place
between 1775 – 1782

 These wars played a crucial role in shaping the political landscape of India. The defeat of
the Marathas contributed to the consolidation of British power, ultimately leading to the
establishment of British paramountcy over the Indian subcontinent.

 The Anglo-Maratha Wars were instrumental in the transformation of India from a mosaic of
regional powers to a unified British-controlled entity in the 19th century

 The rise of the Marathas in India occurred as the Mughal Empire declined. They had control
over a sizable portion of the continent and were paid tribute by nations who were not
directly under their rule

 By the mid-18th century, they had aspirations of becoming rulers of the north Indian
empire and played a significant role in the Mughal court as kingmakers

 Although Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated them in the Third Battle of Panipat (1761), which
altered the situation, they were able to regroup, regain their strength, and take control of
India within a decade

 The most renowned Peshwa of all time, Bajirao I (1720–40), founded a coalition of
prominent Maratha chiefs to oversee the rapidly expanding Maratha power and, to some
extent, appease the Kshatriya faction of the Marathas, led by Senapati Dabodi

 Each prominent family under a chief was given a sphere of influence within the Maratha
confederacy’s organisational structure, which he was expected to subdue and rule over in
the name of the then-Maratha monarch, Shahu

 Several prominent Maratha families emerged within this confederacy, including the
Gaekwad of Baroda, the Bhonsle of Nagpur, the Holkars of Indore, the Sindhias of Gwalior,
and the Peshwa of Poona. The confederacy operated cordially under the leadership of
Bajirao I to Madhavrao I

 Under Bajirao I to Madhavrao I, the confederacy ran smoothly, until the Third Battle of
Panipat (1761) changed everything

 Although the confederacy’s leaders occasionally united, such as when fighting the British
(1775–82), they usually fought among themselves

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First Anglo-Maratha War (1775 – 1782)
Background & Course of War
 The third Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao died in 1761 due to shock after his defeat at the Third
Battle of Panipat.

 His son Madhavrao I succeeded him. Madhavrao I was able to recover some of the Maratha
power and territories which they had lost in the Battle of Panipat.

 In 1772, Madhavrao, the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire died. there was a tussle for
power in the Maratha camp. His brother Narayanarao succeeded him as the fifth Peshwa

 However, Narayanrao’s uncle, Raghunathrao, had his nephew assassinated and named
himself the next Peshwa, although he was not a legal heir.

 Narayanrao’s widow, Gangabai, gave birth to a son named Sawai Madhavrao, who was the
legitimate heir to the Peshwa title

 Raghunathrao’s claim to be the next Peshwa was disputed by Sawai Madhavrao who was
the legal heir to become the next Peshwa

 A group of twelve Maratha chiefs, led by Nana Phadnavis, supported the infant Madhavrao
and sought to rule on his behalf as regents

 Raghunathrao, unwilling to give up his position in power, sought help from the English at
Bombay and signed the Treaty of Surat in 1775. The First Anglo-Maratha war began with
this treaty

 The Treaty of Surat was signed between the British in Bombay and Raghunathrao (one of
the claimants to become Peshwa) on 6 March 1775.

 Under the treaty, Raghunathrao ceded the territories of Salsette and Bassein to the English,
along with a portion of the revenues from the Surat and Bharuch districts

 In return to this, the British in Bombay agreed to support Raghunathrao by providing him
2500 soldiers

 However, the Calcutta Council, the governing body of the English in Calcutta, disapproved of
the Treaty of Surat

 The then Governor General Warren Hasting sent Colonel Upton to Pune in order to nullify
the Treaty of Surat
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 Thus a new treaty called Treaty of Purandhar was signed between the British Calcutta
Council and Nana Phadnavis on 1 March 1776. Under this Treaty

 The Treaty of Purandhar promised Raghunathrao a pension and revoked his claim to the
Peshwa title. British recognised Savai Madhav Rao as the new Peshwa

 Maratha accepted not to favour the French existence in India, Salsette was retained by the
British The Bombay government rejected this and gave refuge to Raghunath

 In 1777, Nana Phadnavis, who had sided with Raghunathrao and the English, violated the
treaty by granting the French a port on the west coast

 In response, the English sent a military force towards Pune to confront the Marathas

 The Maratha army and the British Force fought the First Anglo-Maratha war on the
outskirts of Poona

 Though the Maratha army had more soldiers than the English, the latter had superior
ammunition and cannons

 However, the Maratha army was commanded by a brilliant general named Mahadji
Sindhia (also known as Mahadji Shinde)

 Mahadji lured the English army into the ghats (mountain passes) near Talegaon and
trapped the English from all sides, and attacked the English supply base at Khopali

 The Marathas also implemented a scorched earth policy, causing further difficulties for the
English by destroying farmland and poisoning wells

 The British army was trapped by the Maratha army from all sides and their food supplies
were cut off

 The English, under the command of Colonel Egerton, attempted to retreat to Talegaon but
were pursued and attacked by the Marathas

 The English surrendered by mid-January 1779 and signed the Treaty of Wadgaon that
forced the Bombay government to relinquish all territories acquired by the English since
1775

 The Battle of Wadgaon was a significant setback for the English in their quest for
dominance over the Marathas. The Marathas demonstrated their military prowess and
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 effectively defended their territories, forcing the English to retreat and accept unfavorable
terms in the subsequent treaty.

Treaty of Salbai (1782)

 Warren Hastings, the Governor-General in Bengal, rejected the Treaty of Wadgaon and sent
a large force of soldiers under Colonel Goddard, who captured Ahmedabad in February
1779, and Bassein in December 1780.

 Another Bengal detachment led by Captain Popham captured Gwalior in August 1780. In
February 1781, the English, under General Camac, finally defeated Sindhia at Sipri

 Finally after the defeat of Sindhia at Sipri by the British, the First Anglo-Maratha war was
brought to an end by signing the Treaty of Salbai

 The Treaty of Salbai was signed in May 1782. It was ratified by Hastings in June 1782 and
by Phadnavis in February 1783

The main provisions of the Treaty of Salbai

 Salsette, a territory acquired by the English, would remain under their possession

 The whole of the territory conquered since the Treaty of Purandar (1776), including
Bassein, should be restored to the Marathas

 Fateh Singh Gaekwad would retain his territory in Gujarat and continue to serve the
Peshwa as before

 The English should not offer any further support to Raghunathrao, and the Peshwa should
grant him a maintenance allowance

 Marathas were to defeat Mysore’s Hyder Ali and take back all his Maratha possessions in
the Carnatic. The English would maintain their trading privileges as before

 The Peshwa should not support any other European nation. Both the Peshwa and the
English would ensure that their respective allies remained at peace with each other

 Mahadji Sindhia, a prominent Maratha leader, would act as a mutual guarantor to ensure
the proper observance of the treaty’s terms

 The British accepted Madhavrao II (Narayanrao’s son) as the rightful Peshwa and
pensioned off Raghunathrao
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  The Treaty of Salbai which ended the First Anglo-Maratha war, established peace between
the Marathas and the British for the next twenty years

 It addressed territorial disputes, alliances, trade privileges, and the position of various key
individuals within the Maratha power structure. However, tensions and conflicts between
the English and the Marathas would continue in subsequent phases of the Anglo-Maratha
Wars

Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805)

Background & Course of War
 The Second Anglo-Maratha War took place from 1803 to 1805. The Second Anglo-Maratha
War started in circumstances similar to those of the First

 After Peshwa Madhavrao Narayan committed suicide in 1795, Bajirao II, the worthless son
of Raghunathrao, became the Peshwa. However, his rule was marred by ineffectiveness and
he was heavily influenced by his ministers

 During that time, Lord Wellesley introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system according to
which the Indian rulers were supposed to pay subsidy inorder to maintain the British army
in India. Nana Phadnavis refused to accept the Subsidiary Alliance system, as he was aware
of the British intentions

 Nana Phadnavis, a fierce opponent of Bajirao II, was appointed as chief minister. The
dissensions among the Marathas created an opportunity for the English to engage in
Maratha affairs

 The internal conflicts and power struggles within the Maratha Empire provided an
opportunity for the British to interfere in Maratha affairs

 Soon Daulat Rao Sindhia gained superiority at Poona and Peshwa passed under his virtual
control. The British made a secret proposal to the Peshwa of Poona (Baji Rao II) to sign a
treaty under which the British would help the Peshwa to drive out Sindhia. However,
Peshwa declined the offer.

 On April 1, 1801, the Peshwa brutally murdered the brother of Jaswantrao Holkar, Vithuji.
Jaswant arrayed his forces against the combined armies of Sindhia and Bajirao II, This was
called the Battle of Poona

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  The turmoil continued, and on October 25, 1802, Jaswant defeated the armies of
the Peshwa and Sindhia decisively at Hadapsar near Poona and placed Vinayakrao, son of
Amritrao, on the Peshwa’s seat.

 Bajirao II fled to Bassein and signed the Treaty of Bassein with the English on December
31,1802

Treaty of Bassein (1802):

 The treaty made the Peshwa a subsidiary ally of the British East India Company, meaning
he had to accept their protection and abide by their advice in matters of external affairs

 To receive from the Company a native infantry with the usual proportion of field artillery
and European artillerymen attached to be permanently stationed in his territories

 To cede to the Company territories yielding an income of Rs 26 lakh. To surrender the city
of Surat to the British East India Company

 The territories to the South of River Tapti, territories that lie in between Narmada and
Tapti, few territories near the river Tungabhadra and Gujarat were ceded to the British
East India Company

 In case of differences between the him and the Gaekwad or Nizam, the Company’s
arbitration was to be accepted

 Not to keep in his employment Europeans of any nation at war with the English

 To subject his relations with other states to the control of the English

 Not to enter into any trade or communication with any other ruler without the prior
consent of the British

 After the Peshwa accepted the subsidiary alliance but Sindhias and Bhonsle did not accept
the terms of the treaty and thus led to the Second Anglo-Maratha War

 But the well-prepared and organised army of the English under Arthur Wellesley defeated
the combined armies of Sindhia and Bhonsle. It forced them to conclude separate
subsidiary treaties with the English

 Yashwant Rao Holkar formed a coalition of Indian rulers and fought against the British in
1804 But his attempt proved unsuccessful

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  However, the British defeated the Marathas and isolated them from one another

Second Anglo-Maratha War’s outcome

 In these battles, the Maratha army was completely routed by the British.An infant was
installed on the throne under British guidance.

 The Peshwa gave up in 1818.After being removed, he withdrew to a small estate in Bithur
(near Kanpur). The Bombay Presidency took over most of his territory.

 His adopted son, Nana Saheb, served as the revolt’s leader in Kanpur in 1857.The Central
Provinces of British India were created from the Pindaris’ territories.

 The outcome of this fight was the demise of the Maratha Empire. The Maratha kingdoms
were all seized by the British.

 An unidentified Chhatrapati Shivaji ancestor was appointed as the Maratha Confederacy’s

ceremonial leader in Satara.

 The British were given the territory of Rohtak, Ganga-Yamuna Doab, Gurgaon, the Delhi-
Agra region, Broach, numerous Gujarati districts, portions of Bundelkhand, and the
Ahmednagar fort when the Scindias signed the Surji-Anjangaon Treaty in 1803.

 The Treaty of Deogaon, which was signed by the Bhonsle in 1803, gave the English control
over Cuttack, Balasore, and the area west of the Wardha River.

 In 1805, the Holkars agreed to the Treaty of Rajghat, which gave the British Tonk, Bundi,
and Rampura.

 The British took over substantial portions of central India as a result of the conflict

 The Second Anglo-Maratha War further diminished the power and influence of the Maratha
Empire, while strengthening the British position in India. It marked another phase of
British expansion and control in the Indian subcontinent

Anglo-Maratha War III (1817–19)

Background & Course of War

 Third Anglo-Maratha war was the final conflict in the series of wars that was fought
between the British and the Maratha empire

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 The Third Anglo-Maratha War took place from 1817 to 1819 with Lord Hastings, who
aimed to establish British paramountcy, leading the British forces.

 By the Charter Act of 1813 the East India Company’s monopoly of trade in China (except
tea) ended, and hence the company needed more markets.

 The Pindaries were the hordes of marauders who were from many castes and classes. Their
main occupation was looting and laundering.These Pindaries were attached to the Maratha
army as mercenaries

 After the defeat of Marathas in the second Anglo-Maratha war, the Maratha empire began to
decline, the Pindaris were left without regular employment

 As a consequence, they started plundering neighbouring territories, including those of the

Company. The English accused the Marathas of harboring the Pindaris

 The British charged the rulers of the Maratha Empire for giving shelter to these Pindaries.
The Northern Force under the command of Warren Harstings and Deccan Army under the
command of Sir Thomas Hislop attacked the Pindaris

 By the end of 1817, the Pindaris were driven across the River Chambal and their bands
were destroyed by the British.

 Amir Khan and Karim Khan, two Pindari chiefs, surrendered, while Chitu Khan escaped
into the forests

 Other Maratha chiefs were hurt by the treaty of Bassein, which was regarded as "a treaty
with a cipher (the Peshwa)." They viewed the pact as a complete loss of independence

 Lord Hastings’ actions taken against the Pindaris were seen as a transgression of the
sovereignty of the Marathas; they served to unite the Maratha Confederacy once again

 In 1817, Bajirao II, repentant and seeking to challenge the English, rallied the Maratha
chiefs together in a final attempt during the Third Anglo-Maratha War

 The Peshwa attacked the British Residency at Poona. Appa Sahib of Nagpur attacked the
residency at Nagpur, and the Holkar made preparations for war

 However, the Marathas had already lost the crucial elements necessary for building and
sustaining power

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  The political and administrative conditions in the Maratha states were chaotic and
ineffective. After the death of Jaswant Rao Holkar, Tulsi Bai, Holkar’s favored mistress, took
control in Poona

 Despite her intelligence, she struggled to govern the state properly due to the influence of
untrustworthy individuals like Balram Seth and Amir Khan

 The Bhonsle at Nagpur and the Sindhia at Gwalior had also become weak. So the English,
striking back vigorously, succeeded in not allowing the Peshwa to exert his authority again
on the Maratha confederacy

Third Anglo-Maratha War’s outcome

 The Marathas were defeated by the British in the third Anglo-Maratha war. Baji Rao II was
defeated at Khirki and in June 1817, Treaty of Poona was concluded with him. The British
gained sovereignty of the land north of the Narmada River and south of the Tungabhadra
River as a consequence of the pact

 The Treaty of Gwalior was signed in 1817 between Shinde and the British, even though he
had not been involved in the war. As per this treaty, Shinde gave up Rajasthan to the
British. The Rajas of Rajputana remained the Princely States till 1947 after accepting
British sovereignty

 Holkar was defeated at Mahidpur and the Treaty of Mandsaur was signed with them in
January 1818, An infant was placed on the throne under British guardianship

 In June 1818, the Peshwa finally surrendered, and the Maratha Confederacy was dissolved.
The Peshwaship was abolished

 Peshwa Bajirao became a British retainer at Bithur near Kanpur. Pratap Singh, a direct
descendant of Shivaji, was appointed as the ruler of a small principality called Satara, which
was created from the Peshwa’s former dominions

 The territories annexed from the Pindaris became the Central Provinces under British
India. This war led to the end of the Maratha Empire. All the Maratha powers surrendered
to the British

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Imp Question related to Anglo Maratha wars
Which treaty ended the First Anglo-Maratha War?

a) Treaty of Salbai

b) Treaty of Bassein

c) Treaty of Lahore

d) Treaty of Allahabad
Answer - A

Which treaty was signed before the Second Anglo-Maratha War by Peshwa?

a) Treaty of Salbai

b) Treaty of Bassein

c) Treaty of Salsette

d) Treaty of Sugauli
Answer – B

The Treaty of Surat signed by the English and Raghunath Rao became the cause for _____________ .

a) the First Anglo-Maratha War

b) the Third Carnatic War

c) the Third Anglo-Maratha War

d) the Third Anglo-Mysore War

Answer – A

After which war did Lord Wellesley resign from his post and returned to England?

a) First Anglo-Maratha War

b) Second Anglo-Maratha War

c) Third Anglo-Maratha War

d) Fourth Anglo-Maratha War

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Answer – C

The Marathas were defeated in the Third Panipat War at the hands of ___________.

a) Nadir Shah

b) Feroz Shah

c) Ahmad Shah Abdali

d) Muhammad Shah
Answer – c

In which of the year, the treaty of Salbai was signed?

a) 1817
b) 1769
c) 1800
d) 1782

Answer – D

In which year Surat treaty was signed?

a) 1775
b) 1782
c) 1803
d) 1818

Answer – A

The Treaty of Mandsaur brings an end to the -------- Anglo-Maratha War.

a) First
b) Second
c) Third
d) None

Answer – C

Which treaty was signed as a result of the Third Anglo-Maratha War between the British and
Peshwa in 1817?

a) Treaty of Poona
b) Treaty of Mandeswar
c) Gwalior Treaty
d) Treaty of Deogao
Answer – A
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Which treaty was signed as a result of the Third Anglo-Maratha War between the British and
Scindia?

a) Treaty of Poona
b) Treaty of Mandeswar
c) Gwalior Treaty
d) Treaty of Deogao

Answer – C

Which treaty was signed as a result of the Third Anglo-Maratha War between the British and
Holkar?

a) Treaty of Poona
b) Treaty of Mandeswar
c) Gwalior Treaty
d) Treaty of Deogao

Answer – b

Who was the Governor-General during the First Anglo-Maratha War?

a) Lord Hastings
b) Lord Wellesley
c) Warren Hastings
d) Lord Cornwallis

Answer – C

Who was the Governor-General during the Second Anglo-Maratha War?

a) Lord Hastings
b) Lord Wellesley
c) Warren Hastings
d) Lord Cornwallis

Answer – B

Who was the Governor-General during the Third Anglo-Maratha War?

a) Lord Hastings
b) Lord Wellesley
c) Warren Hastings
d) Lord Cornwallis

Answer – A

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Which of the following treaties was not signed after the third Anglo-Maratha War?

a) Treaty of Poona
b) Treaty of Mandeswar
c) Gwalior Treaty
d) Treaty of Deogao

Answer – D

The Surji Anhagaon treaty was signed in which year?

a) 1775
b) 1782
c) 1803
d) 1817

Answer - C

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