The Marathas and the crisis of leadership

As Mughal authority declined, the Marathas became a major political and military power. Under the Peshwas, the Maratha state expanded into a confederacy of influential houses with separate territorial bases.

Major Maratha houses

Why unity weakened

• The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) weakened Maratha power.
• The death of Peshwa Madhavrao I in 1772 further weakened central control.
• Succession disputes and rivalry among chiefs opened opportunities for British intervention.
• The Company increasingly used treaties with individual Maratha leaders to isolate their rivals.

First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782)

Background: the Peshwa succession

After Madhavrao I died in 1772, his brother Narayanrao became Peshwa. Following Narayanrao’s assassination, his widow gave birth to a son, Sawai Madhavrao, who was recognised by a group of Maratha chiefs led by Nana Phadnavis. Raghunathrao, Narayanrao’s uncle, sought to claim the Peshwaship and turned to the English in Bombay for support.

Treaty of Surat (1775)

• Raghunathrao agreed to cede Salsette and Bassein and part of the revenues of Surat and Bharuch.
• In return, the Bombay government promised him military assistance, including 2,500 soldiers.
• The British authorities in Calcutta opposed the arrangement.

Treaty of Purandhar (1776)

Colonel Upton negotiated with the Maratha regency. The agreement renounced Raghunathrao’s claim and promised him a pension. The Bombay government subsequently rejected the settlement and continued to support him.

Wadgaon and the Treaty of Salbai

Battle and Treaty of Wadgaon (1779)

Maratha forces led by Mahadji Scindia used the difficult terrain near Talegaon to surround the British army. Maratha forces disrupted its supplies, and the British were forced to surrender at Wadgaon in January 1779.

The Treaty of Wadgaon required the Bombay government to relinquish territories acquired since 1775. However, Warren Hastings rejected the agreement and sent additional forces, extending the war.

Treaty of Salbai (1782)

• Salsette remained with the English.
• Most territories acquired since the Treaty of Purandhar, including Bassein, were to be restored to the Marathas.
• The English withdrew support from Raghunathrao, who was to receive a maintenance allowance from the Peshwa.
• The treaty secured peace between the two sides for about twenty years.
• Mahadji Scindia acted as a guarantor of the settlement.

Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805)

Background

Following further internal disputes, Bajirao II became Peshwa in 1796. Rivalries among the Peshwa, Scindia and Holkar weakened the confederacy. After Yashwantrao Holkar defeated the combined forces of Bajirao II and Scindia near Poona in October 1802, the Peshwa fled to Bassein.

Treaty of Bassein (31 December 1802)

Bajirao II accepted a subsidiary alliance with the English. Important terms included:

• A permanent Company force of at least 6,000 troops, with artillery support, stationed in his territories.
• Cession of territories yielding revenue of about Rs 26 lakh.
• Surrender of Surat and renunciation of certain claims to chauth.
• British control over the Peshwa’s relations with other states.
• Restrictions on employing Europeans from countries at war with the English.

British victories and Maratha resistance

Scindia and the Bhonsle ruler of Nagpur resisted the new arrangement. The Company used its military organisation and the Peshwa’s treaty to expand its influence.

Major developments

• Arthur Wellesley led British operations against Scindia and Bhonsle in western and central India.
• The British defeated the combined forces at Assaye in September 1803.
• Bhonsle was defeated and concluded the Treaty of Deogaon in December 1803.
• Scindia was defeated and signed the Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon in December 1803.
• Yashwantrao Holkar continued resistance, but his attempt to form a broader coalition against the English failed.

The conflict weakened the Maratha chiefs and left them increasingly isolated from one another. Holkar’s resistance continued beyond the main campaign and ended with a settlement in 1806.

Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818)

Causes

• Lord Hastings sought to establish British paramountcy over Indian powers.
• The Treaty of Bassein remained a source of resentment among Maratha chiefs, who saw it as a surrender of independence.
• The British campaign against the Pindaris was viewed by Maratha leaders as interference in their sovereignty.
• Political divisions and weakened leadership made coordinated resistance difficult.

Course of the war

In 1817, Bajirao II attacked the British Residency at Poona. Appa Sahib of Nagpur also attacked the British Residency there, while Holkar forces prepared for war.

• The Peshwa was defeated at Khirki.
• The Bhonsle forces were defeated at Sitabuldi.
• Holkar was defeated at Mahidpur.

The end of Maratha political supremacy

Important settlements

Political results

• The Maratha Confederacy was dissolved and the Peshwaship abolished.
• Bajirao II became a British retainer at Bithur near Kanpur.
• Pratap Singh, a descendant of Shivaji, was installed as ruler of the smaller state of Satara.
• The Company emerged as the paramount political power over most of the Indian subcontinent, although some princely states continued under British supremacy.

Understanding the decline of Maratha power

The Marathas possessed considerable military resources, but several political and strategic weaknesses made it difficult to resist the Company over the long term.

Major factors

• Disunity: the Peshwa, Scindia, Holkar, Bhonsle and Gaekwad often pursued competing interests.
• Succession disputes: internal conflicts gave the Company opportunities to intervene in Maratha politics.
• Diplomatic isolation: the British made separate agreements with individual rulers and prevented a durable coalition.
• Military organisation: the Company often benefited from disciplined forces, logistical support and coordinated command.
• Strategic treaties: the Treaty of Bassein gave the Company a direct position in the Peshwa’s territories and weakened collective Maratha autonomy.
• Political instability: changing alliances and weak central authority hindered sustained resistance.

Compare the three Anglo-Maratha Wars

UPSC question approach

For chronology questions, remember the treaties and their rulers. For analytical questions, connect the wars to the Company’s use of succession disputes, subsidiary alliances and divide-and-rule diplomacy.

Essential dates for UPSC

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UPSC practice: Anglo-Maratha Wars

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