Explore the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1819), its key events, treaties, and the dissolution of the Maratha Confederacy. Understand its long-term consequences on India’s colonial history.

Background of the Third Anglo-Maratha War

• Lord Hastings had imperialistic designs on imposing British paramountcy. The Charter Act of 1813 ended the East India Company’s monopoly on trade, and the Company sought more markets.
• The Pindaris, mercenaries in the Maratha armies, became a threat as the Marathas weakened. Without regular employment, they began plundering neighboring territories, including those of the Company. The English charged the Marathas with providing 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),” angered other Maratha leaders who saw it as a complete surrender of independence.
• Lord Hastings’ actions against the Pindaris were seen as an infringement on Maratha sovereignty, leading to the reunification of the Maratha confederacy.
• Bajirao II made a final attempt in 1817 to rally Maratha chiefs against the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War.

Course of the Third Anglo-Maratha War

• The Peshwa attacked the British Residency at Poona, while Appa Sahib of Nagpur attacked the residency at Nagpur, and the Holkars prepared for war. However, the Marathas were politically and administratively disorganized.
• After the death of Jaswantrao Holkar, Tulsi Bai, the Holkar’s favorite mistress, assumed control in Poona, but her leadership was ineffective, influenced by corrupt advisors.
• The Bhonsles at Nagpur and the Sindhias at Gwalior were weakened, allowing the British to effectively prevent the Peshwa from regaining control of the Maratha confederacy.

Result of the Third Anglo-Maratha War

• The Peshwa was defeated at Khirki, Bhonsle at Sitabuldi, and Holkar at Mahidpur.
• Several key treaties were signed:
• (i) June 1817, Treaty of Poona with the Peshwa.
• (ii) November 1817, Treaty of Gwalior with Sindhia.
• (iii) January 1818, Treaty of Mandasor with Holkar.
• In June 1818, the Peshwa finally surrendered, and the Maratha confederacy was dissolved. The Peshwaship was abolished, and Bajirao became a British retainer at Bithur near Kanpur. Pratap Singh, a descendant of Shivaji, became the ruler of a small principality, Satara, formed from the Peshwa’s former territories.