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Anglo-Maratha War II (1803–05)

The Second Anglo-Maratha War was a significant conflict that took place between 1803 and 1805, involving the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in Central India. This war emerged due to several key factors and had lasting consequences for the Maratha Empire.

Causes and Initiating Events

1. Defeat of Peshwa Baji Rao II

   • The seeds of the second Maratha war were sown when the Holkars, one of the major Maratha clans, defeated Peshwa Baji Rao II, the head of the Maratha Empire.

2. Treaty of Bassein (December 1802)

   • Following his defeat, Peshwa Baji Rao II sought British protection and signed the Treaty of Bassein in December 1802.

3. Resistance by Other Maratha Kings

   • Not all Maratha rulers accepted this agreement. Leaders like the Scindias of Gwalior and the Bhonsles of Nagpur and Berar resisted British influence and chose to confront them.

4. Outbreak of the Second Anglo-Maratha War

   • Consequently, hostilities broke out in Central India in 1803, leading to the second Anglo-Maratha War.

Outcome of the Second Anglo-Maratha War

5. Decisive British Victory

   • In the battles that ensued, the British forces achieved a resounding victory over the Maratha army.

6. Installation of an Infant Peshwa

   • As a result of their triumph, an infant was placed on the Maratha throne under British guidance.

7. Peshwa's Surrender (1818)

   • Peshwa Baji Rao II eventually surrendered in 1818 and retreated to a small estate in Bithur near Kanpur.

8. British Annexation of Territory

   • The Bombay Presidency assumed control over a significant portion of his territory.

9. Role of Nana Saheb

   • Baji Rao II's adopted son, Nana Saheb, later emerged as a prominent leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, serving as a leader in Kanpur.

10. Formation of Central Provinces

    • The territories formerly held by the Pindaris were used to create the Central Provinces of British India.

11. Demise of the Maratha Empire

    • The ultimate outcome of this war was the decline and dissolution of the once-mighty Maratha Empire. The British seized control of the Maratha kingdoms, signaling the end of their sovereignty.

12. Ceremonial Maratha Leader

    • An unidentified ancestor of Chhatrapati Shivaji was appointed as the ceremonial leader of the Maratha Confederacy in Satara.

13. Territorial Gains via Treaties

    • Through various treaties, the British secured extensive territories, including Rohtak, Ganga-Yamuna Doab, Gurgaon, the Delhi-Agra region, Broach, several Gujarati districts, portions of Bundelkhand, and the Ahmednagar fort from the Scindias through the Surji-Anjangaon Treaty in 1803.

14. Control Over Additional Regions

    • The Treaty of Deogaon in 1803 granted the English authority over Cuttack, Balasore, and the area west of the Wardha River, courtesy of the Bhonsles.

15. Treaty of Rajghat (1805)

    • In 1805, the Holkars consented to the Treaty of Rajghat, which handed over Tonk, Bundi, and Rampura to the British.

16. Central India under British Control

    • As a result of the conflict, the British extended their control over significant portions of central India, consolidating their territorial holdings and influence in the region.