Anglo-Maratha Struggle for Supremacy

Mughal Empire declined. Marathas, got a chance to rise in power.
Third Battle of Panipat (1761), defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali.
Bajirao I (1720-40), Peshwas - expanding Maratha power, led by the senapati Dabodi but in the name of the then Maratha king, Shahu.
Bajirao I to Madhavrao I worked cordially but the Third Battle of Panipat (1761) changed everything.
Death of Madhavrao I weak the Peshwas position.
Clashing thrice for political supremacy, English emerging victorious in the end.
Bombay wanted to establish a government, lines of the arrangement made by Clive in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, succession divided the Marathas

First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82) - Treaties of Surat and Purandhar

death of Madhavrao in 1772, his brother Narayanrao succeeded him as the fifth peshwa.
Narayanrao’s uncle, Raghunathrao, had his nephew assassinated and named himself as the next peshwa.
Narayanrao’s widow, Gangabai, gave birth to a son, newborn infant was named ‘Sawai’. Twelve Maratha chiefs (Barabhai), led by Nana Phadnavis effort to make child as New peshwa.
Raghunathrao, unwilling to give up his position, help from the English at Bombay and signed the Treaty of Surat in 1775.
Later British Calcutta Council, make a new treaty (Treaty of Purandhar, 1776), Make Raghunathrao a pension.
Maratha army was commanded by a brilliant general named Mahadji Sindhia, trapped the English from all sides. Marathas also utilised a scorched earth policy, burning farmland and poisoning wells.
English surrendered by mid-January 1779 and signed the Treaty of Wadgaon.
Treaty of Salbai (1782) - Warren Hastings, rejected the Treaty of Wadgaon, sent a large force of soldiers under Colonel Goddard who captured Ahmedabad in February 1779, Bassein in December 1780, Gwalior in August 1780.
Treaty between the Peshwa and the English, and the Treaty of Salbai was signed in May 1782;

Second Anglo Maratha War (1803-1805)

Peshwa Madhavrao Narayan committed suicide in 1795, Bajirao II, the worthless son of Raghunathrao, became the Peshwa.
English with an opportunity to intervene in Maratha affairs.
Death of Nana Phadnavis (Chief Minister) in 1800 gave the British an added advantage.
Peshwa brutally murdered the brother of Jaswantrao, Jaswant defeated the armies of the Peshwa and Sindhia, placed Vinayakrao, son of Amritrao, on the Peshwa’s seat

Treaty of Bassein (1802)

Reduced to Vassalage, After the Peshwa accepted the subsidiary alliance, Sindhia and Bhonsle attempted to save Maratha independence.
But Army of the English under Arthur Wellesley defeated the combined armies of Sindhia and Bhonsle & forced them to conclude separate subsidiary treaties with the English.
1804, Jashwantrao Holkar, Fight against british but unsuccessful.

Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-19)

Charter Act of 1813, company needed more markets.
Pindaris, made up of many castes and classes, Marathas became weak So Pindaris could not get regular employment.
Pindaris plundering neighbouring territories, including those of the Company, English charged the Marathas with giving shelter to the Pindaris.
Lord Hastings’ actions Pindaris affect sovereignty of the Marathas.
Repentant Bajirao II made a last bid in 1817 by rallying together the Maratha chiefs against the English in course of the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
Attacked the British Residency at Poona, Appa Sahib of Nagpur attacked the residency at Nagpur & Holkar made preparations for war.
Death of Jaswantrao Holkar, Tulsi Bai, the Holkar’s favourite mistress, came to the helm of affairs in Poona.
Influenced by some unworthy men such as Balram Seth and Amir Khan, Bhonsle at Nagpur & Sindhia at Gwalior.
Peshwa was defeated at Khirki, Bhonsle at Sitabuldi, and Holkar at Mahidpur

In June 1818, the Peshwa finally surrendered and the Maratha confederacy was dissolved.

Reason for Marathas Lost

Inept Leadership - Bajirao II, Daulatrao Sindhia and Jaswantrao Holkar were worthless and selfish leaders
Defective Nature of Maratha State - rise of the Maratha state was based on the religio-national movement, No efforts to organised communal improvement, spread of education or unification of the people.
Loose Political Set-up - lack of a cooperative spirit in Maratha chiefs
Inferior Military System - inferior to the English in organisation of the forces, in war weapons, in disciplined action and in effective leadership
Unstable Economic Policy - no industries or foreign trade openings
Superior English Diplomacy and Espionage - disunity among the Maratha chiefs
Progressive English Outlook - Traditional social hierarchy

UPSC Community Blog