Question

write a detailed report on how the British overcome the power of the marathas

Answer 1

Three Anglo-Maratha wars were fought between
1775-1818.The British supported the ageing
Raghunath Rao for the post of peshwa, while
the rest of the Marathas, under the leadership
of Nana Phadnavis were in favour of the young
Madhav Rao II. This resulted in the first Anglo-
Maratha War. After fighting for almost four years,
the British were forced to accept Madhav Rao II
as the peshwa. After the death of Nana Phadnavis
in 1800, the Maratha chiefs began fighting openly
among themselves. The British took advantage
and comprehensively defeated the Marathas in
the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818). The
post of the peshwa was abolished and large parts
of the Maratha kingdom were annexed by the
British.

Answer 2

Peshwa Baji Rao II's forces, supported by those of Mudhoji II Bhonsle of Nagpur and Malharrao Holkar III of Indore, rose against the EIC. Pressure and diplomacy convinced the fourth major Maratha leader, Daulatrao Shinde of Gwalior, to remain neutral even though he lost control of Rajasthan.

British victories were swift, resulting in the breakup of the Maratha Empire and the loss of Maratha independence. The Peshwa was defeated in the battles of Khadki and Koregaon. Several minor battles were fought by the Peshwa's forces to prevent his capture.[3]

The Peshwa was eventually captured and placed on a small estate at Bithur, near Kanpur. Most of his territory was annexed and became part of the Bombay Presidency. The Maharaja of Satara was restored as the ruler of his territory as a princely state. In 1848 this territory was also annexed by the Bombay Presidency under the doctrine of lapse policy of Lord Dalhousie. Bhonsle was defeated in the battle of Sitabuldi and Holkar in the battle of Mahidpur. The northern portion of Bhonsle's dominions in and around Nagpur, together with the Peshwa's territories in Bundelkhand, were annexed by British India as the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories. The defeat of the Bhonsle and Holkar also resulted in the acquisition of the Maratha kingdoms of Nagpur and Indore by the British. Along with Gwalior from Shinde and Jhansifrom the Peshwa, all of these territories became princely states acknowledging British control. The British proficiency in Indian war-making was demonstrated through their rapid victories in Khadki, Sitabuldi, Mahidpur, Koregaon, and Satara.[4]