List of battles involving the Maratha Confederacy
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This is a list of the battles involving the Maratha Confederacy, and earlier the Maratha Kingdom from its founding in 1674 under Shivaji till it's dissolution in 1818.
Early Wars[edit]
Maratha Resurrection[edit]
Restoration of Maratha suzerainty in the North[edit]
Under Madhavrao Peshwa, Maratha authority in North India (including Delhi) was restored ten years after the battle of Panipat. The Rohillas were defeated and were forced to pay a heavy war indemnity. Delhi was captured by Mahadji Scindia in late 1770 and restored Mughal emperor Shah Alam II to the throne of Delhi in 1772.
Battle of Uruli[edit]
Battle of Alegaon[edit]
The Battle of Alegaon was fought between Nizam Ali Khan of Hyderabad and Raghunathrao of the Maratha Empire against Peshwa Madhavrao of the Maratha Empire. Raghunathrao had established an alliance with Nizam Ali Khan of Hyderabad. When conflict arose between Raghunathrao and Madhavrao I, a joint campaign between Nizam Ali Khan and Raghunathrao resulted in Madhavrao I being heavily defeated. Nizam Ali Khan got all of his previously lost territories that were lost at the Battle of Udgir. Peshwa Madhavrao submitted to his uncle, Raghunathrao.[1]
Battle of Rakshasbhuvan[edit]
The Battle of Rakshasbhuvan was fought on 10 August 1763.[2] While the Marathas were fighting amongst themselves during a civil war, the Nizam decided to attack. The Nizam however failed. The Nizam gave up territory he gained during the Battle of Alegaon in an attempt to sue for peace.[3]
Capture of Delhi, 1771[edit]
The forces of Mahadji Shinde captured Delhi in 1771 and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II was restored to the throne. Marathas capture Delhi by defeating Afghans under Najib khan. With this battle they regained their lost supremacy in North India after the Third Battle of Panipat and conquered much of the lost territories which they lost after the Third Battle of Panipat.
Marathas in Rohilkhand[edit]
After taking control of Delhi, Marathas sent a large army in 1772 to "punish" Afghan Rohillas for Panipat. Maratha army devastated Rohilkhand by looting and plundering and also took the members of royal family as captives. Maratha general Mahadaji was "very much pleased with the revenge taken by his men" for Panipat[4]
Siege of Etawah, 1770[edit]
Marathas under Ramchandra Ganesh captured Etawah and hoisted Peshwa's flag onto it.
Battle of Chandighat[edit]
Marathas under Visaji Krushna Biniwale and Mughals Under Najaf Khan Defeated Rohilla forces near Haridwar.
Conflict with the Kingdom of Mysore[edit]
Battle of Channapatna[edit]
Hyder Ali led an expedition against the Marathas with the objective of capturing Channapatna. He successfully defeated the Maratha commander, Gopal Hari, and captured Channapatna.
Battle of Rattihalli[edit]
In 1764, following the attack by Hyder Ali on Nawabs of Savanur, who were a tributary to the Marathas, Maratha army led by Peshwa Madhav Rao met the forces of Hyder Ali at Rutehalli Fort. Hydar Ali tried to avoid pitched battles against Maratha Forces however Maratha forces intercepted Mysore forces near Rutehalli Fort in Karnatic and a crushing defeat was imposed upon them, Hydar Ali lost well over 1,000 men and himself fled into the local forest to save his life.[5]
Battle of Jadi Hanwati[edit]
The Battle of Jadi Hanwati took place on December 1, 1764. The Peshwa himself led the Maratha army as they advanced towards Haidar's camp with 54 artillery pieces. Eight guns were positioned on a small hill on the left side of Haidar's camp. Ismail Khan, one of Haidar's officers, captured Maratha's guns. However, Haidar sent another officer named Haji Muhammad to prevent the Marathas from recapturing them.The Marathas rushed towards the captured guns, but Ismail Khan and the Portuguese commandant were killed along with their men. Haidar suffered heavy losses, around 2,000 men, and was himself injured in the battleIn summary, during the battle of Jadi Hanwati, the Peshwa led the Maratha army in capturing eight guns from Haidar's camp. However, Haidar sent another officer to prevent their recapture, resulting in heavy losses for both sides. The Marathas showed no mercy towards their enemies after the battle ended.
Siege of Sira and Madgiri[edit]
In 1767, Maratha army led by Peshwa Madhav Rao defeated the forces of Hyder Ali at Sira and Madgiri. Marathas conquered the forts of Haskote and Nandigarh and laid siege to Bednur where Hyder Ali was taking shelter.[6]
Battle of Ooscota[edit]
In 1768 Maratha under Maurari rao Ghorpade made Hyder Ali retreat in a pitched battle Haider lost nearly 500 men while Marathas lost only 18.
Siege of Saunshi[edit]
Hyder Ali of Mysore attempted to try to regain his lost territories of Malabar and Coorg from the Marathas. Hyder Ali who was the prime minister to maharaja of Mysore decided to attack the Marathas at Saunshi. Hyder Ali decided to send his General, Muhammad Ali to attack the Maratha position. The result of the battle was a victory for Mysore against the Maratha forces. Maratha Chief Konher Rao was killed and Pandurang Rao was caught by the Mysore forces.[7]
Capture of Kabbaldurga[edit]
This military expedition was led by Hyder Ali against Murari Rao of Gooty. Hyder Ali defeated Murari Rao and captured Kabbaldurga, and then proceeded to capture Gooty and its surrounding areas. He imprisoned Murari Rao and his family at Bangalore, where Murari Rao passed away in prison in 1779 CE.
Siege of Nargund[edit]
The first Siege of Nargund occurred when Hyder Ali, the sultan of Kingdom of Mysore, besieged Nargund. In 1778, and ended with a victory for Mysore.[8]
Second siege of Nargund[edit]
The Second siege of Nargund occurred when Mysore sent Burhanuddin to besiege Nargund in 1785. It ended with a victory for Mysore.[8]
Siege of Adoni[edit]
The siege of Adoni occurred between the forces of Tipu Sultan of the Kingdom of Mysore and the Maratha Empire allied with the Nizam of Hyderabad. Tipu Sultan surprised Haripant when he decided to advance for Adoni. In 1786, Adoni was besieged for one month and then captured by Tipu Sultan.[9]
Battle of Savanur[edit]
The Battle of Savanur concluded in October, 1786, with the victory of Tipu Sultan over the Marathas. Tipu strategically lured the Marathas out of their position on a height near Savanur and unleashed a barrage of heavy fire on them. This devastated the Maratha army, making them retreat and Tipu Sultan conquered Savanur soon after.
Siege of Bahadur Benda[edit]
The siege of Bahadur Benda happened between the forces of Tipu Sultan of Mysore and the Maratha forces of Haripant. Tipu Sultan defeated the Maratha forces. Following this battle, a peace agreement was signed between the [kingdom of Mysore] and the Maratha Empire, which allowed for Tipu Sultan to focus his resources into combating the British Empire.[10]
Treaty of Gajendragad[edit]
The Treaty of Gajendragad was agreed in June 1786, during the Maratha–Mysore War. An army of the Maratha Empire led by Tukoji Rao Holkar, defeated the army of Tipu Sultan and captured the town and fortress at Gajendragad. Mysore was obligated to pay 4.8 million rupees as a war cost to the Marathas, and an annual tribute of 1.2 million rupees.[11]
First Anglo Maratha War (1775 - 1783)[edit]
Battle of Wadgaon[edit]
The Battle of Wadgaon occurred when an exposed British force, which had run out of supplies and was retreating from an attempt to meet a compatriot force moving from Bengal, became surrounded by men led by Mahadji Shinde at Wadgaon. The British had to surrender and agree to a treaty in February 1779.[12]
Battle of Patan[edit]
The Battle of Patan was fought on June 20, 1790 between the Maratha Empire and the Rajputs of Jaipur and their Mughal allies. Many Rajput kingdoms like those of Jaipur and Malwa were threatened by the Marathas. In early 1790, hoping to completely rid the Rajputana of Maratha interference, Rajput nobility allied with Mughal general Ismail Beg. The European armed and trained battalion of Benoît de Boigne defeated the Jaipur army at battle of Patan. Marathas managed to gain Ajmer and Malwa from the Rajputs.[citation needed]
Battle of Merta, 1790[edit]
The forces of Mahadji Shinde under de Boigne routed the Marwar army.
Capture of Shimoga[edit]
Battle of Kharda[edit]
The Battle of Kharda took place in February 1795 between the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah II and Peshwa Madhavrao II, in which Nizam was badly defeated. Governor General John Shore followed the policy of non-intervention despite that Nizam was under his protection. So this led to the loss of trust with British and rout of the Hyderabad army. This was the last battle fought together by all Maratha chieftains together.
Battle of Malpura[edit]
Combined force of Rathores and Kachhawaha Rajputs were defeated by the Maratha Force under Daulat Rao Scindia.[13]
Second Anglo Maratha War (1803–1805)[edit]
Battle of Delhi, 1803[edit]
Battle of Bharatpur[edit]
Third Anglo-Maratha War[edit]
The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an invasion of Maratha territory by 110,400 British East India Company troops, the largest ever British controlled force amassed in India. The troops were led by the Governor General Hastings and he was supported by a force under General Thomas Hislop. It resulted in the formal end of the Maratha Empire with the actual supremacy and firm establishment of the British East India Company in almost the entire Indian subcontinent. They defeated small states in north India like Punjab, Nepal etc.[citation needed]
Conflict with Rajputs (1715-1813)[edit]
Battle of Pilsud[edit]
The Battle of Pilsud was an early conflict between Maratha and rajputs where rajputs under Jai Singh defeated Marathas.
Battle of Mandsaur[edit]
The Battle of Mandsaur was fought by Malhar Rao Holkar during northern expansion of Baji Rao where Marathas crushed rajput forces.
Battle of Kakkor[edit]
In November, the Rajputs came out with a force of roughly 4000, led by Jai Singh Nathawat, to attack the Marathas. With his superior numbers and artillery, Malhar enveloped the Kachhwahas at Lakhori and completely crushed them, slaying 20 of their captains. Malhar next laid siege to Barwara, defended by Vikaramjit Rajawat, and some Shekhawat captains. Calling up his troops from Rampura, he forced the garrison to capitulate.[14]
Siege of forts of Barwara and Tonk[edit]
Marathas and Rajputs fought bravely but resulted in stalemate.
Battle of Mangrol[edit]
Madho Singh of Jaipur fought Malhar Rao Holkar. The Jaipur army had 10,000 men while the Holkar army had 6,000 men from Indore and 3,000 men supplied by the Rao of Kota. After a 2-day battle the Jaipur army was completely destroyed. However Malhar Rao was not able to plunder Dhundhar for long as he was recalled to Bundelkhand because of rebellions and threats of invasion by Shuja-Ud-Daula of Awadh.[15]
Battle of Lalsot[edit]
Marathas were defeated by Vijay Singh this was a big victory for Rajput as they were able to make Mahadaji shinde retreat but couldn't achieve a needed victory many historians consider this battle indecisive.
Battle of Patan[edit]
Mahadji Shinde destroyed forces under Vijay Singh.
Battle of Merta[edit]
Maratha delecsively defeated rajputs under Vijay Singh.
Battle of Fatehpur[edit]
Marathas were defeated by rajput in a one month siege.
Battle of Malpura[edit]
Marathas defeated combined armies of Jaipur and Jodhpur.
Maratha invasion of Rajputana[edit]
A series of conflict happened between Marathas and Rajputs when marathas invaded Rajputana for chauth collection. It was last conflict between Maratha and Rajputs which resulted in Maratha victory forcing rajputs to signing alliance with British
Conflict with Jats[edit]
The Jat raja Suraj Mal was compelled to pay tribute to the Marathas under Raghunathrao. Khanderao Holkar was killed by an unexpected cannonball from the fort.[16]
Madho Singh with help of Marathas and bundi state defeated ishvari Singh and Suraj Mal.
Marathas defeated and beheaded Rana Bhim Singh as well as captured Gwalior in 1755.
List of conflicts[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Jacques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
- ^ "History - Maratha Period". Nasik District Gazetteer. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
- ^ Jacques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 838. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
- ^ The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia p.9
- ^ Mehta, Jaswant Lal (January 2005), Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813, Sterling Publishers Pvt., p. 457, ISBN 9781932705546
- ^ Mehta, Jaswant Lal (January 2005), Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813, Sterling Publishers Pvt., p. 458, ISBN 9781932705546
- ^ Jacques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 979. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
- ^ a b Sen, Sailendra Nath (1994). Anglo-Maratha Relations, 1785-96. Popular Prakashan. pp. 42–44. ISBN 978-81-7154-789-0.
- ^ Sailendra Nath Sen (1994), Anglo-Maratha Relations, 1785-96, Volume 2, Popular Prakashan, p. 53,54, ISBN 9788171547890
- ^ Mohibbul Hasan (2005), History of Tipu Sultan, Aakar Books, pp. 105–107, ISBN 9788187879572
- ^ Naravane, M. S (1 January 2006). Battles of the Honourable East India Company: Making of the Raj. APH. ISBN 978-81-313-0034-3.
- ^ Eaton, Richard M. The Marathas - Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4). p. 164.
- ^ Gupta, R.K.; Bakshi, S.R. (2008). Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs (Set Of 5 Vols.). Sarup & Sons. p. 261. ISBN 978-81-7625-841-8.
- ^ Sarkar, Jadunath (1934). Fall Of The Mughal Empire Vol.2.
- ^ Gokhale, B. G.; Sharma, Dasharatha (July 1969). "Rajasthan through the Ages". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 89 (3): 642. doi:10.2307/596636. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 596636.
- ^ Sarkar, Jadunath (2007). Fall of the Mughal Empire:vol one. Orient Black Swan. p. 326.
the siege of Kumher dragged on for four months. At last in the middle of may, peace was made, Rupram, on behalf of his master, gave a written bond to pay the Marathas 30 lakhs by installments in three years. In addition to this, the two krores which had been previously imposed by Imad as peshkash due from the Jat rajah to the emperor, was now agreed to be paid to Imad and the Marathas instead. So the siege ended, Imad left the place on 18th May and Raghunath Rao on the 22nd, and both came to Mathura.
Sources[edit]
- Lobato, Alexandre (1965). Relações luso-maratas, 1658-1737 (in Portuguese). Centro de Estudos Históricos Ultramarinos.
Further reading[edit]
- "The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India : The Struggle for Control of the South Asian Military Economy" by Randolf G. S. Cooper, Publisher: Cambridge University, ISBN 978-0521036467
- Samant, S. D. - Vedh Mahamanavacha
- Parulekar, Shyamrao - Yashogatha Vijaya durg, Vijay Durg (1982)
- Kasar, D.B. - Rigveda to Raigarh making of Shivaji the great, Mumbai: Manudevi Prakashan (2005)
[[Category:History of India]