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The third Anglo-Maratha war began on 5 November 1817 and ended in the year of February 1818. It is the last war between the British East India Company and the Maratha Confederacy. It ended with the victory of Britisher who won a major part of India. As a matter of fact, the Britishers were outnumbered by the erstwhile Marathas but still managed to win their war. The war was followed by many other fights by the Peshwa’s armies which led to his getting captured and placed in a small place near Bihar.
Table of Contents
Role, Leaders and Action
Refer to the below table to know the important players of the war and what they did throughout the war.
| Key Players | Role | Actions |
| British East India Company | Invading force from the British side | Troops led by Governor General Hastings Supported by General Thomas Hislop |
| Maratha Leaders | Role | Actions |
| Pindaris | Band of Muslim mercenaries and Marathas from central India | Operations initiated against the Pindaris |
| Peshwa Baji Rao II | Leader of Maratha forces | Forces rose against the East India Company |
| Mudhoji II Bhonsle of Nagpur | Maratha leader from Nagpur | Supported Peshwa Baji Rao II |
| Malharrao Holkar III of Indore | Maratha leader from Indore | Supported Peshwa Baji Rao II |
| Daulatrao Shinde of Gwalior | Maratha leader from Gwalior | Initially neutral, pressured to remain Lost control of Rajasthan |
Why did Maratha lose the third Anglo-Maratha war?
The reason why the Marathas lost the war was the division inside the Maratha confederacy.
- They failed to understand the British tactic to rule the nation.
- Moreover, not maintaining good relations with other princes and dynasties was yet another reason to lose this war.
- Maratha chiefs did not maintain good relations with each other which led to the divide-and-rule ideology of the British East India Company to make their way into the decan parts of India.
Also Read – The Treaty of Purandar Between Maratha and British
Result of the Third Anglo-Maratha War
After the war, to maintain peace, several treaties were signed by different leaders of the Maratha Confederacy.
- Treaty of Poona- In June 1817, the Peshwa of Maratha and the British East India Company signed this which gave Britishers control of the Northern area of Narmada river, and the Southern area of the Tungabhadra river.
- Treaty of Gwalior- In 1817, it was signed between the East India Company and Shinde wherein Britishers took control of Rajasthan. However, the Rajputana Rajas of the princely states remained in their positions.
- Treaty of Mandsaur– The Holkar dynasty was one of the signees of this treaty, the other one was, of course, the British East India Company, after losing the battle of Mahidpur. As per this treaty, Holkars lost the final chunk of the Maratha confederacy and was asked to incorporate the British Raj.
This was all about the third Anglo-Maratha war. If you want to read more articles like this, you can get Short notes on the Modern History of India here. Also, you can visit our general knowledge page on Indian History!