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

Historical books online

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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 ... during the late confederacy in India, against the Nawab Tippoo Sultan Bahadur by Edward Moor 1794 Google Books
• A History of the Mahrattas Volume 2, 1740-1785 by James Grant Duff 1826 Google Books. Also Volume 1 and Volume 3
• "Diary of Samuel Hickson 1777-1785" in Bengal Past and Present, Volume 49 ,Part 1 1935 is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website, commencing computer page 12. The author fought in campaigns against Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan. (Note the website details for this volume record the language as bengali). Refer Online books-Digital Library of India for more details about this site.
• A history of the Maratha people, Volume 3 (1750-1818) by C.A Kincaid and R B D B Parasnis 1918 Archive.org