1. The Treaty of 1805 and Its Consequences
In 1805, Daulatrao Shinde signed a treaty with the British, bringing temporary peace to the Maratha-British conflict. Meanwhile, General Lake, in pursuit of Yashwantrao Holkar, advanced to within 50 kilometers of Amritsar and threatened Maharaja Ranjit Singh with dire consequences if he assisted Holkar. Yielding to the pressure, Ranjit Singh asked Holkar to leave Punjab. In frustration, Holkar signed the Treaty of Rajghat in November 1805 and died in 1811.
2. Wasted Opportunity During Peace (1805-1817)
The 13-year period of peace between the Marathas and the British (1805-1817) was squandered by the Maratha leadership. Instead of modernizing their forces and strengthening their empire, leaders like Bajirao II and Daulatrao Shinde were preoccupied with personal indulgences. This was a crucial mistake, as peace should have been used to build military strength and address the weaknesses exposed during earlier conflicts.
3. Decline in Maratha Principalities
In the Maratha principalities, governance and military discipline deteriorated. In Nagpur, Appasaheb Bhonsle usurped the throne by killing Raghuji Bhonsle’s son, Parsoji, with British support. Shinde, engrossed in a life of luxury, neglected his duties. Unlike the period between 1783 and 1802, the years between 1805 and 1817 saw a sharp decline in the Maratha army's effectiveness and organization.
4. The Rise of the Pindaris
The Pindaris, primarily composed of disbanded Mughal soldiers from North India, with a significant percentage being Muslims, grew in strength during this period. By the early 19th century, they had become a significant force, and the British viewed them as a threat, launching campaigns to neutralize them.
5. Shinde’s Capitulation and the Loss of Forts
In 1817, Shinde surrendered the Asirgarh Fort and Burhanpur to the British, signaling a further weakening of Maratha power. These forts, which once symbolized Maratha strength, were handed over without significant resistance.
6. The Battle of Mehdipur (1817)
In 1817, Tulsibai, the widow of Yashwantrao Holkar, led a fierce battle against the British at Mehdipur. Despite her efforts, the Holkar power was decisively broken. Around the same time, Appasaheb Bhonsle of Nagpur suffered defeat and became a puppet of the British, marking the end of Maratha sovereignty in Nagpur.
7. Bajirao II’s Ill-Fated Resistance
Peshwa Bajirao II attempted to challenge the British but faced overwhelming odds without the support of Shinde and Holkar. The British forces he encountered were nearly ten times the size of his own army, leaving him little chance of success.
8. Maratha Passivity During British-Nepali Conflict
When the British Bengal Army was engaged in a war against Nepal in 1814, the Marathas chose to remain passive, mistakenly believing that British non-interference in Maratha affairs would continue indefinitely. This strategic miscalculation would soon prove disastrous.
9. Mercenaries and the Ineffectiveness of Maratha Forces
By the time of the Third Anglo-Maratha War, much of the Maratha fighting force was composed of musket-wielding mercenaries. The once-feared Maratha cavalry proved ineffective against the disciplined British infantry and artillery. The mountain forts, which had played a crucial role during Shivaji’s era, had fallen into neglect, further weakening the Maratha military's capacity. Leadership, too, was uninspiring, contributing to their final defeat.
Analysis
The final act of the Maratha struggle for empire (1817-1818) revealed the deep-rooted issues within the Maratha Confederacy—lack of modernization, ineffective leadership, and the reliance on outdated tactics. Despite some valiant efforts, the once-mighty Marathas were no match for the organized and technologically superior British forces, leading to their ultimate downfall and the consolidation of British rule in India.
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