Anglo-Maratha Wars: Resistance Against the British Advance

The late 18th and early 19th centuries marked a crucial turning point in Indian history. The once-mighty Maratha Confederacy, which had filled the power vacuum left by the declining Mughals, now found itself face to face with a new imperial force—the British East India Company. The Anglo-Maratha Wars were not just military confrontations; they were the final battles for control over India between two powerful entities—one indigenous, the other colonial.

Background: Two Powers on a Collision Course

By the 1770s, the Maratha Empire, though internally divided, remained one of the last major indigenous powersstanding in the way of British expansion. The East India Company had already consolidated Bengal, Bihar, and parts of southern India.

The Marathas, spread across a loose confederacy led nominally by the Peshwa in Pune, included powerful houses like:

  • The Holkars of Indore

  • The Scindias of Gwalior

  • The Gaekwads of Baroda

  • The Bhonsles of Nagpur

Each maintained their own armies and political agendas, making a unified resistance difficult.

First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782): A Rare Maratha Victory

The first war began when the British supported Raghunath Rao, an uncle of the deceased Peshwa, in his claim to the throne. This move was opposed by the actual Maratha regents, and war broke out.

Despite British military superiority, the Marathas:

  • Resisted strongly across western India

  • Forced the British to retreat in several battles

  • Ultimately negotiated the Treaty of Salbai (1782), which restored status quo and ensured British non-interferencefor the next 20 years

This was a rare example of an Indian power successfully negotiating from a position of strength.

Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805): Cracks Begin to Show

By the early 1800s, internal rifts among Maratha chiefs grew worse. The British exploited these divisions.

  • Peshwa Baji Rao II, facing pressure from the Holkars, sought British protection through the Treaty of Bassein (1802)

  • This treaty was seen as a betrayal by other Maratha leaders

  • The Scindias and Bhonsles declared war, but were defeated in key battles at Assaye and Argaon by Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington)

The war ended with the Treaties of Deogaon and Surji-Anjangaon, severely weakening Maratha independence. The British gained territorial and political advantages, including control over Delhi and parts of central India.

Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818): The Endgame

This was the final blow.

With increasing British interference, even the loyal Peshwa Baji Rao II rebelled. The British, prepared for an all-out confrontation, launched simultaneous campaigns against the Holkars, Scindias, Bhonsles, and Peshwa forces.

  • The Maratha armies, though valiant, were now outgunned and disunited

  • The British captured key forts and cities

  • By 1818, the Marathas were decisively defeated

The Peshwa was deposed and exiled, and the remaining Maratha territories were absorbed into the British Empire. The Maratha Confederacy was officially dissolved.

My Final Thoughts

The Anglo-Maratha Wars reflect not just the clash of arms but the struggles of a divided polity against a unified colonial force. While the Marathas had courage, capable leadership, and popular support, their lack of unity and a central command structure proved fatal in the face of British diplomacy, military strategy, and ambition.

The fall of the Marathas marked the end of large-scale indigenous resistance until the Revolt of 1857. It also symbolized a transition: from regional Indian powers contesting empire to a single colonial authority ruling the subcontinent.

In their rise, we see the resilience of Indian political ambition. In their fall, we see the cost of disunity in the face of imperialism.


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