Third Anglo-Maratha War, 1817-19, and the End of the Peshwaship

At a Glance

• What it is The last war with the Marathas
• Years 1817-19
• Governor-General Lord Hastings
• Result Peshwaship abolished; Peshwa pensioned at Bithur; Satara created for a Shivaji descendant
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: The Anglo-Maratha Wars

Where Does It Fit?

This is the fourth topic of the category on the Anglo-Maratha Wars. The previous topic covered the second war and the Treaty of Bassein. This topic covers the final war. The next topic examines why the Marathas lost. Previous topic: Subsidiary Alliance Years 1803-05 Trigger Treaty of…">Second Anglo-Maratha War, 1803-05.

What Was the Background?

Lord Hastings had the imperialist design of imposing British paramountcy. By the Charter Act of 1813 the East India Company’s monopoly of trade in China (except tea) ended, and the Company therefore needed more markets.

The Pindaris, made up of many castes and classes, were attached to Maratha armies as mercenaries. When the Marathas became weak, the Pindaris could not get regular employment, so they started plundering neighbouring territories, including those of the Company. The English charged the Marathas with giving shelter to the Pindaris. Pindari leaders like Amir Khan and Karim Khan surrendered, while Chitu Khan fled into the jungles.

The Treaty of Bassein, described as a treaty with a cipher (the Peshwa), wounded the feelings of the other Maratha leaders, who saw it as an absolute surrender of independence. Lord Hastings’s actions against the Pindaris were seen as a transgression of Maratha sovereignty and once again united the Maratha confederacy. A repentant Baji Rao II made a last bid in 1817 to rally the Maratha chiefs against the English.

How Did the War Unfold?

The Peshwa attacked the British Residency at Poona, Appa Sahib of Nagpur attacked the residency at Nagpur, and the Holkar made preparations for war. But by then the Marathas had lost almost all the elements needed for the growth of a power. The political and administrative conditions of all the Maratha states were confused and inefficient. After the death of Jaswantrao Holkar, Tulsi Bai, his favourite mistress, took charge of affairs, but although a clever and intelligent woman, she could not run the state properly because unworthy men such as Balram Seth and Amir Khan influenced her. The Bhonsle at Nagpur and the Sindhia at Gwalior had also become weak.

The English struck back vigorously and did not allow the Peshwa to exert his authority again over the Maratha confederacy.

What Happened to the Peshwa?

In June 1818 the Peshwa finally surrendered and the Maratha confederacy was dissolved. The Peshwaship was abolished. Peshwa Baji Rao II became a British retainer at Bithur near Kanpur. Pratap Singh, a lineal descendant of Shivaji, was made ruler of a small principality, Satara, formed out of the Peshwa’s dominions.

• Abolition of the Peshwaship The office that had ruled from Poona for about a century ended
• Retainer at Bithur Baji Rao II lived near Kanpur under British care
• Satara A small state for Pratap Singh, a descendant of Shivaji, carved out of the Peshwa’s dominions

What Did the End of the Maratha Power Mean?

As an analytical point, the last war was fought by a weakened confederacy against a Company that had already contained the Pindaris and surrounded the Maratha states by subsidiary treaties. Its consequence went beyond the Marathas. With the Peshwa gone, the English were the paramount power from the Sutlej to the south, apart from the Sikh state, which is covered in the later topics on Punjab. The Third Anglo-Maratha War is also the point at which the British stopped treating Indian states as equals. The Treaty of Bassein, studied in Second Anglo-Maratha War, 1803-05, had set the pattern.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• End of the strongest rival The war ended the last great Indian power that could challenge the Company
• Direct facts The three battles, the three treaties, Bithur and Satara are standard Prelims items
• Imperial design It shows the British policy of paramountcy under Hastings

What Came Next?

The next topic examines why the Marathas lost the three wars. Next topic: Why the Marathas Lost.

Key People and Terms

• Pindaris Mercenary bands attached to Maratha armies who turned to plunder
• Paramountcy Supreme authority of the British over Indian states
• Residency The office of the British Resident at an Indian court
• Bithur The place near Kanpur where Baji Rao II lived after 1818
• Satara The small principality given to a descendant of Shivaji
• Retainer A person who lives on the support of another

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask about the causes and results of the last war. These points add depth.

• Pretext Hastings used the Pindari menace to move against Maratha sovereignty
• Unity too late The Marathas united only at the end, and without a strong leader
• Result The Peshwaship ended and the English gained paramountcy