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Indian Freedom Struggle (1707–1947 A.D.)

Notes gaddi with the help of English subsidiary troops. However, the British attempt proved premature. In
the war that followed fortune wavered on both sides till the two parties realised the futility of the
struggle by concluding peace at Salbai (1782) on the basis of mutual restitution of each other’s territories.
It proved a drawn struggle. Both sides had a taste of each other’s strength which ensured mutual
respect and peace for the next twenty years.
The Second Anglo-Maratha War, 1803-1806: The second phase of the struggle was intimately
connected with the circumstances created by the French menace to India. Wellesley who came to
India as Governor-General in 1798 was an imperialist to the backbone and believed that the only
possible way to safeguard India against French danger was to reduce the whole of India to a position
of military dependence on the Company. He relentlessly pursued that objective by the infamous
Subsidiary System of alliances. The Marathas refused all offers of the Governor-General for acceptance
of the subsidiary alliance, but were driven into Wellesley’s trap by their internal differences and
criminal self-seeking.
In March 1800 Nana Fadnavis, the Chief Minister at Poona, died. “With him”, remarked Colonel
Palmer, the British Residents at Poona, “departed all the wisdom and moderation of the Maratha
Government”. Nana had well understood the inherent danger of English intervention in Maratha
affairs and declined all overtures for a subsidiary alliance from Wellesley. Freed from Nana’s vigilance,
Baji Rao’s worst qualities found a free play. With his fondness for intrigue, the Peshwa sought to
keep up his position by putting the Maratha chiefs one against another. However, Baji Rao was
caught in the net of his own intrigues. Both Daulat Rao Sindhai and Jaswant Rao Holkar sought pre-
eminence at Poona. The Sindhia prevailed at first and the Peshwa passed under his virtual control.
On 12 April 1800, the Governor-General advised the Resident at Poona to exert his ‘utmost endeavours
to engage’ the Peshwa to conclude a secret treaty with the Company offering British help in turning
out the Sindhia from the Deccan.. The Peshwa did not accept the offer and in May the Resident
reported that ‘no consideration but that of unavoidable and imminent destruction will induce his
(Peshwa’s) assent to the admission of a permanent subsidiary British force into his dominions’.
Events took a serious turn at Poona. In April 1801 the Peshwa brutally murdered Vithuji, the brother
of Jaswant Rao Holkar. This brought the Holkar with a large army in the field against the Peshwa
and the combined troops of the Peshwa and the Sindhia were defeated on 25 October 1802 at Hadapsar,
near Poona. The Holkar placed Vinayak Rao, son of Amrit Rao, on the gaddi of the Peshwa. Baji Rao
II fled to Basse in and on 31 December 1802 signed a treaty of ‘perpetual and general alliance’ with
the English.
The Treaty of Bassein, 31 December 1802

1. The Peshwa agreed to receive from the Company ‘a permanent regular native Infantry, with the
usual proportion of field pieces and European artillery-men attached, and with the proper
equipment of war-like stores and ammunition’— to be permanently stationed in his territories;
2. The Peshwa agreed to cede in perpetuity to the Company territories yielding an income of 26
lakhs of rupees. The territories surrendered were to be in Gujarat; territories south of the Tapti;
territories between the Tapti and the Narbada and some territory near the Tungabhadra;
3. The Peshwa also surrendered the city of Surat;
4. The Peshwa agreed to give up all claims for chauth on the Nizam’s dominions and also agreed not
to resort to arms against the Gaekwar;
5. The Peshwa agreed to the Company’s arbitration in all differences between him and the Nizam or
the Gaekwar;
6. The Peshwa undertook not to keep in his employment Europeans of any nation at war with the
English; and
7. The Peshwa also agreed ‘neither to commence nor to pursue in future any negotiations with any
power whatever’ without giving previous notice and entering into mutual consultation with the
East India Company.

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