1.
Maratha Strategies and British Adaptation
The Marathas
were adept at disrupting British supply lines during the early stages of
conflict. To counter this, the British organized a corps of bullocks to
transport supplies and employed the Banjara tribe as traveling tradesmen to
ensure steady provisions for their army.
2.
British Control and Maratha Leadership Crisis
Marching
from the south, the British installed Bajirao II as Peshwa under the terms of
the Treaty of Bassein. They sought to exploit internal divisions within the
Maratha Empire by trying to separate Yashwantrao Holkar from Daulatrao Shinde.
Meanwhile, Raghuji Bhonsle assumed leadership among the Marathas but struggled
to unite the factions.
3.
Maratha Forces and Internal Betrayal
The Maratha
army comprised the forces of Shinde and Bhonsle. However, their
European-trained troops, under the command of Pohlman and Peron, were
unreliable. Pohlman requested to be relieved, and Begum Sumru was secretly in
communication with the British. Peron, the chief of Shinde’s European-trained
forces, also began negotiating to switch sides.
4. The
Battle of Assaye: A Turning Point
The Battle
of Assaye marked a critical moment in the war. The Marathas’ greatest failure
was in their intelligence capabilities, as they failed to track the movements
of British forces. The battle, which lasted barely three hours from 3:00 PM to
6:00 PM, saw the British suffer 1,200 casualties while the Marathas lost around
2,000 soldiers. Despite the heavy losses, Shinde’s army retreated towards the
Ajanta Ghat. The British forces, under Wellington, were too weakened to pursue
them, but the damage to Maratha morale was significant.
5. The
Absence of Bhonsle’s Army
Notably,
Raghuji Bhonsle's army did not engage in the battle. The Marathas had hoped to
avoid giving the British a pitched battle, but the lack of coordination
weakened their overall efforts.
6.
Aftermath of Assaye: A Blow to Maratha Reputation
Although the
British faced tough resistance, the Battle of Assaye was a psychological
victory for them. It severely dented the reputation of Shinde's forces, and the
morale of the Maratha army took a significant hit. Had Holkar joined forces
with Shinde and Bhonsle, the outcome could have been very different. This
battle stands as one of the most decisive in Indian history.
7. The
Battle of Laswari: Fierce Resistance in the North
In the
north, the Battle of Laswari, fought near Agra, pitted General Lake against
Shinde’s army. The battle featured intense hand-to-hand combat and demonstrated
that, under capable leadership, Indian soldiers could still offer fierce
resistance. The battle also marked the end of Shinde’s European-styled
battalions. After the defeat of Abuji Ingle at Laswari, Shinde initiated peace
talks with the British.
8. The
Collapse of Maratha Power
Following
the defeat at Laswari, Raghuji Bhonsle also sought peace, ceding the province
of Cuttack in Orissa to the British and Bidar to the Nizam. Shinde was confined
to a small region around Ujjain. With Shinde and Bhonsle out of the fight, the
British now focused their efforts on subduing Holkar. The Marathas, who had
once dreamed of an Indian empire, were now fighting for survival.
9.
Yashwantrao Holkar: The Last Maratha Leader
Yashwantrao
Holkar was a brilliant cavalry leader and maintained strong relations with the
Jats and Sikhs. In 1804, he fought the British fiercely. His victories briefly
caused local princes and rulers to desert the British and join the Maratha
cause. However, by January 1805, General Lake had surrounded Bharatpur Fort,
leading to a prolonged siege. Continuous fighting strained both sides, and in
April 1806, the British offered a truce to the Jats.
10. Peace
Under Lord Cornwallis
When Lord
Cornwallis became Governor-General, he sought peace with the Marathas. A treaty
was signed in which the British gave up most of their conquests from the Second
Anglo-Maratha War. This marked the beginning of the end for Maratha power.
Analysis
of the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805)
1. End of
the Maratha Confederacy
The Second
Anglo-Maratha War, which lasted for two years, marked the end of the Maratha
Confederacy. A lack of unity, intelligence failures, and poor coordination
among the Maratha leaders contributed to their downfall. The absence of a fully
functioning government outside Pune weakened their ability to respond
effectively to the British.
2.
Reliance on European Mercenaries
The
Marathas’ heavy reliance on European mercenaries, many of whom had divided
loyalties, was a significant reason for their defeat. French soldiers in the
Maratha ranks kept their wealth in British banks and depended on British ships
to return to Europe, making their commitment questionable.
3. The
Decline of Maratha Ideology
Shivaji’s
ideology of Hindavi Swarajya had faded by this time. Peshwa Balaji
Vishwanath had accepted the status of the Marathas as Mughal vassals, leading
to a perception of the Marathas as mere tax collectors for the Mughals outside
Maharashtra.
4.
Composition of the Maratha Army
By the time
of the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the Maratha armies were Maratha in name only.
Many of the soldiers were Muslims, Jats, Sikhs, or recruits from Awadh, and
they shared close ties with Indian soldiers in the Bengal British Army.
5.
Inferior Weapons and Tactics
The Marathas
suffered from inferior weaponry, especially in artillery. The war rockets,
which had been effective in previous conflicts, were not used in this war. The
British ensured that no Indian had access to the magazines and laboratories
where explosives and ammunition were manufactured.
6. Lack
of Local Support
The
Marathas, who had once relied on strong local support in their wars against the
Mughals, found themselves without such support in their battles against the
British.
7.
Complacency During Peace
When
Cornwallis made peace with the Marathas, they became complacent. However, peace
should have been a time for the Marathas to strengthen themselves. Meanwhile,
the British, strengthened by the Industrial Revolution, were only becoming more
powerful.
8. The
Final Conflict (1818-1823)
The last
phase of the Maratha-British struggle took place between 1818 and 1823, marking
the final defeat of the Marathas and the consolidation of British dominance
over India
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