1st Maratha War

First Maratha War
1777 to 1782
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
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Location:
Combatants:
East India Company	Maratha Empire
Result: British victory
Medals:
Links:
Category: 1st Maratha War

	See our interactive map of 1st Maratha War locations and routes on Google Maps

Summary

The British became involved in a dispute beween rival claimants to the throne of the Maratha Empire. The Presidencies of Calcutta and Bombay took opposing views on the matter. Nana Phadnis, the leader of the Maratha chiefs, broke the terms of the treaty with Calcutta and a force under Colonel Cockburn was sent towards Poona. The British were roundly defeated at the Battle of Wargaum (Wadgaon) and forced to sign a treaty relinquishing all territory acquired after 1775. Warren Hastings rejected this treaty and sent another force under Colonel Goddard. After a series of victories the British prevailed and the Treaty of Salbai was signed in 1782.

Poona Expeditionary Force

Colonel Charles Egerton commanding

• 591 European troops
• 2,278 Sepoys
• 500 gun lascars

Bengal Relief Force

Col Leslie (succeeded by Col Thomas Goddard) commanding

• 1st Btn of Bengal Native Infantry (900 men)
• 2nd Btn of Bengal Native Infantry (900 men)
• 4th Btn of Bengal Native Infantry (900 men)
• 5th Btn of Bengal Native Infantry (900 men)
• 6th Btn of Bengal Native Infantry (900 men)
• 7th Btn of Bengal Native Infantry (900 men)
• One Regiment of Native Cavalry
• One Company of Gholundauz (Native Artillery) (100)
• Nawab of Oudh's Candahar Horse (500)

Total 6,600 fighting men with 103 European officers

• Servants and followers 19,000
• Bazaar Department 12,000

Related articles

For further details of events during this period see the following articles

Annexation of Thana	12 December 1774
Battle of Arass	18 May 1775
Battle of Wargaum	12-13 January 1779
Occupation of Dubhoy	18-20 January 1780
Battle of Ahmadabad	15 February 1780
Capture of Lahar	7 February 1780
Battle of Gwalior	3 August 1780
Siege of Bassein Fort	11 December 1780
Battle of Deeg	1780

Biographies

Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906
Thomas Goddard (1740?-1783)
Warren Hastings (1732-1818)
Nana Farnavis (1741?-1800)
William Popham (1740-1821)

External Links

• Maratha Empire Wikipedia
  
• First Anglo-Maratha War 1777-82 Wikipedia
  
• Captain Little's Detachment & the Fort of Jaigarh (or Jaigur) from Nick Balmer’s Sepoys and Griffins
  
• Maratha History Museum at the Deccan College, Pune

Historical books online

• Selections from the Letters, Despatches, and Other State Papers preserved in the Bombay Secretariat: Maratha Series edited by Sir George Forrest 1885 Archive.org
  • Volume 1, Part 1 (to 1774), Volume 1 Part 2: First Maratha War
• Transactions in India, from the commencement of the French War in seventeen hundred and fifty-six, to the conclusion of the late peace, in seventeen hundred and eighty-three: Containing a history of the British interests in Indostan, Chapter IX, page 305 by John Moir 1786 Google Books
• A history of the Maratha people, Volume 3 (1750-1818) by C.A Kincaid and R B D B Parasnis 1918 (archive.org)
• History of the Mahrattas Vol II by James Grant Duff 1878 (archive.org). Two volume edition. Originally published 1826 in three volumes.

A History of the Mahrattas, Volume II of a 1921 two volume reprint edition by James Grant Duff. Revised annotated edition with an Introduction by S M Edwardes, late of the Indian Civil Service. (Volume I) Archive.org.

• A journal of the march of the Bombay detachment, across the Mahratta country, from Culpee to Surat, in 1778; commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Goddard: together with the proceedings of the Bombay army, under Colonel Egerton, in their march towards Poonah 1779 Archive.org
• "Extract of a letter from Bombay dated 15 January 1779" The Manuscripts of the Earl of Dartmouth, Volume 1, page 420 Google Books
• "Extract of a letter from an Officer in Bombay March 16, 1778 [?1779]" The Gentleman's and London Magazine 1779 (September) Google Books
• The Origin and Authentic Narrative of the Present Marratta War; and also, the late Rohilla War, in 1773 and 1774 ...: To which is added the unaccountable proceedings in the military store-keeper's office, in Bengal 1781 Google Books
• An Historical Account of the Settlement and Possession of Bombay, by the English East India Company, and of the Rise and Progress of the War with the Mahratta Nation by Samuel Pechel 1781 Google Books
• "The History of Europe: Chapters 1-4 commencing "Affairs in India -The Mahrattas"" The Annual Register for the Year 1782, pages 1-95. Contents Google Books
• A free inquiry into the various causes of the alarming state of our affairs in the East Indies: wherein the measures of the several governments of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, are fairly discussed. With some cursory observations on the military talents and conduct of Hyder Aly by James Capper 1783 includes
  • "Narrative of the Expedition to Poona", page 67
• A retrospective view and consideration of India affairs; particularly of the transactions of the Mahratta War, from its commencement to the month of October, 1782 1783 Archive.org
• A short review of the transactions in Bengal during the last ten years by Major John Scott 1782 Google Books
• Memoirs of the late war in Asia: With a narrative of the imprisonment and sufferings of our officers and soldiers Volume 1, Volume 2 by an Officer of Colonel Baillie’s Detachment (William Thomson) 1788 Google Books
• A Narrative of the operations of Captain Little's Detachment, and of the Mahratta Army commanded by Purseram Bhow; During the late confederacy in India, against the Nawab Tippoo Sultan Bahadur by Edward Moor 1794 Google Books

Archive.org version, from Central Archaeological Library, New Delhi. Plates may be better.

Archive.org version, from Granth Sanjeevani, Asiatic Society of Mumbai.

• "Diary of Samuel Hickson 1777-1785" in Bengal Past and Present, Volume 49, Part 1 1935, pages 5-54 Archive.org, Digital Library of India Collection. The author fought in campaigns against Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan.
• Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency Volume 18, Part 2 Poona (1885) has a section on Mahratha history, including details of the English Expedition in 1778, from page 263 Archive.org
• "Authentic Anecdotes of the Military Life of Major General Hartley" from The Asiatic Annual Register for the year 1799 Second Edition Google Books
• Memoir of the late Lieut.-Colonel Richard Scott (From his Private Journals) from The Naval and Military Magazine Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 1827-1828 Google Books

Part 1– Appointed 1768, Part 2- Sir Eyre Coote's Campaigns of 1781, 1782, and 1783, Part 3- Campaigns in India –includes General Stuart's Operations; General Goddard's March; and the Proceedings of the Bombay Army and its Government, Part 4- includes Popham’s Capture of Gwalior; General Goddard’s Operations, Campaigns of Lord Cornwallis, Siege of Bangalore, Part 5 March to Seringapatum, Part 6, Part 7

"Lieutenant -Colonel Richard Scott" from The East India Military Calendar: Containing the Services of General and Field Officers of the Indian Army, Volume 1, page 315 by by John Philippart 1823 Google Books

• The History of Ayder Ali Khan, Nabob-Bahader: or, New Memoirs Concerning the East Indies by M. M. D. L. T. [M. Maistre De la Tour, the French commandant of Hyder Ali’s artillery] 1784 Volume 1, Volume 2. Original Edition in French Volume 1, Volume 2 1783 Google Books
• Appendix to the Fifth Report from the Committee of Secrecy, appointed to enquire into the causes of the war in the Carnatic, and of the British possessions in those parts. Great Britain Parliament. House of Commons Committee of Secrecy 1782 Archive.org Part 1 Appendix 1-57, Part 2 Appendix 58-169

This link gives details of the reports page 143 A General Index to Reports from Committees of the House of Commons (Google Books) 1803

• A History of the Mahrattas: To which is Prefixed an Historical Sketch of the Decan… by Edward Scot Waring 1810 Archive.org.
• "Account of the Last Battles and Death in India of Colonel William Baillie of Dunain 1780-1782" by Charles Fraser- Mackintosh Part 1: Page 1-6, and Part 2: pages 41-45 The Celtic Magazine Volume II November-December 1876 Archive.org