Yashwant Rao Holkar (c. 1776-1811) also known as Jaswantrao Holkar belonging to the

Holkar The Holkar (Pronunciation: �o(ː)ɭkəɾ dynasty was a Maratha clan of Dhangar origin in India. The Holkars were generals under Peshwa Baji Rao I, and later became Maharajas of Indore in Central India as an independent member of the Marat ...

dynasty of the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...

was the

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

of the

. He was a gifted military leader and educated in accountancy as well as literate in

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Jadunath Sarkar, Fall of the Mughal Empire:1789-1803. pg 140-141 as per

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

rites and in May, 1799, he captured

Ujjain Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: �d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...

. He was conferred with regal titles by the

Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

and the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

recognized him as a sovereign king. He started campaigning towards the north to expand his empire in that region. Yashwant Rao rebelled against the policies of the

Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later, ...

Baji Rao II Shrimant Peshwa Baji Rao II (10 January 1775 – 28 January 1851) was the 13th and the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He governed from 1795 to 1818. He was installed as a puppet ruler by the Maratha nobles, whose growing power prompted him ...

. However he was loyal towards Maratha Ruler of Satara as Holkars were paying tribute towards Satara Chhatrapati. In May 1802, he marched towards

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

, the seat of the Peshwa. This gave rise to the

Battle of Poona The Battle of Pune took place on 25 October 1802 near Pune between the rival factions of the Maratha empire. The forces of the Scindia (Shinde) and the Peshwa Bajirao II were attacked by the Holkars. While the British East India Company was no ...

in which the Peshwa Baji Rao II was defeated. After the defeat, the Peshwa fled Pune. The Conquest of Pune left Holkar in charge of the administration and he took some constructive steps to rebuild the

. R. C. Majumdar (general editor) and A.D. Pusalker (assistant editor).

The History and Culture of the Indian People ''The History and Culture of the Indian People'' is a series of eleven volumes on the history of India, from prehistoric times to the establishment of the modern state in 1947. Historian Ramesh Chandra Majumdar was the general editor of the serie ...

. Bombay

umbai Umbai is a mukim and town in Jasin District in the Malaysian state of Malacca. Tourist attractions * Sultan Ali of Johor Mausoleum ( ms, Makam Sultan Ali Johor) * Umbai Floating Ikan Bakar Village ( ms, Perkampungan Ikan Bakar Terapung Umbai) ...

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1951. Realising the growing British strength in India, Holkar decided to make a stand against the British. Accompanied by Raghuji Bhonsale and

Daulat Scindia Shrimant Daulat Rao Shinde (also Sindhia; 1779 – 21 March 1827) was the Maharaja (ruler) of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. His reign coincided with struggles for supremacy within the Maratha Empire, and war ...

, Holkar on 4 June 1803 decided to fight against the British force after their meeting at

Bodwad Bodwad is a small town in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra in India. It is the administrative center of the state Maharshtra in Bodwad Taluka. Demographics According to the 2011 population census, Bodwad has a population of 24,221, of which ...

. However, after a conspiracy against him, he decided not to be a part of the

Maratha Confederacy The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...

. To curb the power of the British, Yashwant Rao Holkar wrote letters to different Indian rulers and welcomed them to unite with him and fight against the British power and expel the East India Company from the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

permanently. But, all his plans and appeal went in vain as all the kings had already signed treaties with the British. Afterwards, Yashwant Rao decided to fight against the British on his own. He defeated the British army, led by Colonel Fawcett, at Kunch, in Bundelkhand and he also attacked the capital

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

to control over the

Shah Alam II Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar (or Ali Gauhar), was the seventeenth Mughal Emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal empire. His powe ...

, who was new restricted monarch by the British like marathas and attacked the army of Colonel

Ochterlony Ochterlony or Ouchterlony may refer to: * Ouchterlony Valley, or O' Valley, a town in Gudalur Taluk, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India People with the surname Ochterlony *David Ochterlony (1758–1825), Massachusetts-born general of the East In ...

and Berne. The

Siege of Delhi (1804) The siege of Delhi (8–19 October 1804) was conducted by the Maratha leader Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar against the forces of the British East India Company, who were assisting the Mughals in defending Delhi during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. ...

lasted for more than a week, but Holkar could not succeed because Mughal Emperor sent army for siege and defend From maratha with Colonel Ochterlony was supported by

Lord Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Background He was ...

. Yashwant Rao Holkar was bestowed the title of "''Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar Alija Bahadur''" as a token of admiration by Mughal Emperor Shah Alam for his bravery. Afraid of the possibility of Holkar uniting the Indian

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

s against them, the British decided to make peace with him. Yashwant Rao then proceeded to sign a treaty with the British on 24 December 1805, at Rajghat (then in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

, which is now in

). Yashwant Rao was known to be the only king in India whom the British approached to sign a peace treaty on equal terms. The British returned all his territory, and accepted his dominion over

Jaipur Jaipur (; Hindi Language, Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Rajasthan. , the city had a pop ...

Udaipur Udaipur () (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura''), historically named as Udayapura, is a city and municipal corporation in Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarter of Udaipur district. It is the historic capit ...

, Kota,

Bundi Bundi is a city in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India and capital of the former princely state of Rajputana agency. District of Bundi is named after the former princely state. Demographics According to the 2011 Indian cens ...

and also affirmed not to interfere in matters relating to the Holkars. The victorious king reached

Indore Indore () is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is t ...

and started ruling his newly expanded kingdom. Though Holkar again tried to unite the

and appealed to Daulatrao Scindia, but

Scindia The Scindia dynasty (anglicized from Shinde) is a Hindu Maratha dynasty of maratha origin that ruled the erstwhile State of Gwalior. It had the Patil-ship of Kumberkerrab in Wai. It was founded by Ranoji Scindia, who started as a personal serva ...

gave the information about this letter to the local British resident, Marsor. Holkar and Scindia agreed on eleven defensive and offensive strategies on 14 November 1807. To make his plan a success he decided to stay in

Bhanpura Bhanpura is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mandsaur district, located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Bhanpura was discovered by King Bhanu bhil. It was also ruled by the Chandrawats of Mewar during the times of Rana Sanga's rule. The ...

to form a large army and manufacture cannons. He was successful in his endeavour of keeping the British out of his state and started making preparations to drive the British out of India. He assembled an army of 100,000 soldiers to attack

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

. However, he died on 27 October 1811, before he could put these plans into effect.

Throne for struggling

Kashi Rao Holkar Shrimant Sardar Kashi Rao Holkar V Subedar Bahadur (before April 1767 – 1808), belonging to the Holkar dynasty of the Marathas was the Maharaja of Indore (r. 1797–1799). He was the eldest son of Shrimant Sardar Tukoji Rao Holkar, fr ...

was not an able ruler, but

Malhar Rao II Holkar "Malhar" is a Hindustani classical raga. Malhar is associated with torrential rains. Besides the basic Shuddha Malhar, which was the original Malhar, several Malhar-related ragas use the Malhar signature phrase m (m)R (m)R P, including "Miyan ...

had all the qualities of an able ruler and was also a military leader; naturally, the people and the soldiers preferred Malharrao. Malharrao, Vithojirao, and Yashwantrao opposed Kashirao and demanded that Malharrao should be the heir after Tukojirao. Another reason was the courage, leadership, and bravery shown by Malharrao in the Battle of Lakhairi (1793), where the Holkars were defeated by the well-trained modern army of Scindia under the command of

Benoît de Boigne Benoît Leborgne (24 March 175121 June 1830), better known as Count Benoît de Boigne or General Count de Boigne, was a military adventurer from the Duchy of Savoy, who made his fortune and name in India with the Marathas. He was also named presid ...

. He stood till the last soldier fell in the battlefield, and was wounded and fell unconscious there. Support was growing for Malharrao, and Kashirao felt his authority was in danger—so he sought the help of the Scindia, who were considered jealous of the Holkars, due to the growing prominence and rising power of Holkars in North India. This move angered the people, as, during the siege of the Kumher fort in 1754, Scindias had agreed to sign the treaty with Surajmal Jat even though Malharrao's son Khanderao was killed during the siege. On 14 September 1797,

Daulat Rao Scindia Shrimant Daulat Rao Shinde (also Sindhia; 1779 – 21 March 1827) was the Maharaja (ruler) of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. His reign coincided with struggles for supremacy within the Maratha Empire, and war ...

suddenly attacked Malharrao and killed him. He imprisoned Malharrao's pregnant wife, Jijabai, who gave birth to

Khande Rao Holkar Shrimant Sardar Khande Rao Holkar Subedar Bahadur (1798 - 22 February 1807), belonging to the Holkar dynasty of the Marathas was the Maharaja of Indore (r. 1799 - 1806). He was born in Poona in 1798, as posthumous son of Malhar Rao II Holkar ...

, and Bhimabai Holkar, daughter of Yashwantrao Holkar. Nana Phadnawis condemned this, and so Peshwa

Bajirao II Shrimant Peshwa Baji Rao II (10 January 1775 – 28 January 1851) was the 13th and the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He governed from 1795 to 1818. He was installed as a puppet ruler by the Maratha nobles, whose growing power prompted him ...

, Scindia, and Sarjarao Ghatke imprisoned him. Yashwantrao Holkar took shelter at Nagpur's

Raghoji II Bhonsle Raghuji Bhonsale II (died 22 March 1816) or Raghuji II Bhonsale was the Maratha ruler of the Kingdom of Nagpur in Central India from 1788 to 1816. Reign Raghuji was adopted as an infant by his uncle Janoji Bhonsle to be his chosen heir. Janoj ...

. When Scindia learned this, he asked Raghoji II Bhonsle to arrest Yashwantrao Holkar; accordingly, Yashwantrao Holkar was arrested on 20 February 1798. Bhawani Shankar Khatri, who was with Yashwantrao, helped him to escape, and both of them escaped from Nagpur on 6 April 1798.

Rise of Yashwantrao

After these incidents, Yashwantrao Holkar never trusted anybody. Meanwhile, support for Yashwantrao Holkar was growing. Vithojirao Holkar, Fatthesinh Mane, Aamir Khan, Bhawani Shankar Bakshi, Zunzhar Naik, Govardhan Naik, Rana Bhau Sinha, Balaji Kamlakar, Abhay Sinha, Bharmal Dada, Parashar Dada, Govind Pant Ganu, Harmat Sinha, Shamrao Mahadik, Jiwaji Yashwant, Harnath Chela, Vazir Hussain, Shahmat Khan, Gaffur Khan, and Fatteh Khan had joined the army of Yashwantrao Holkar. The King of

Dhar Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dhar ...

, Anandrao

Pawar Pawar (also spelled as Pavar and Puar) is an Indian surname found among Koli, Maratha or Mahar castes in Maharashtra. Maratha Pawar claim descent from the Parmar clan of Rajput's. In the north region of Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, the ...

, requested Yashwantrao Holkar's help in curbing the rebellion of one of his ministers, Rangnath; Holkar successfully helped Anandrao Pawar. In December, 1798, Yashwantrao Holkar defeated the army of Shevelier Duddres and captured

Maheshwar Maheshwar is a town, near Khargone city in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located on State Highway-38 ( Khargone city-Barwaha- Bandheri Highway),13.5 km east of National Highway 3 (Agra-Mumbai highway) a ...

. In January, 1799, he was crowned

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, as per Hindu Vedic rites. In May, 1799, he captured Ujjain. Vithojirao Holkar declared that he was working for Amrutrao, who was more capable of being the Peshwa than Bajirao II. To grow their empire, Yashwantrao Holkar started a campaign towards the north, whereas Vithojirao started a campaign towards the south. Bajirao II sent

Balaji Kunjir Baloji Kunjar / Kunjir (17??–1816) (Marathi: बालाजी कुंजर / कुंजीर) was Sardar and Minister of Affairs in service of Peshwa Baji Rao II. He was Peshwa Baji Rao II's favorite. After the death of Peshwa Sawai Madh ...

and Bapurao Ghokale to arrest Vithojirao Holkar, and in April, 1801, Vithojirao was arrested and taken to Pune. On the advice of

Balaji Kunjar Baloji Kunjar / Kunjir (17??–1816) (Marathi: बालाजी कुंजर / कुंजीर) was Sardar and Minister of Affairs in service of Peshwa Baji Rao II. He was Peshwa Baji Rao II's favorite. After the death of Peshwa Sawai Madh ...

, he was sentenced to death under the feet of an elephant. His wife and son Harirao were imprisoned. The well-wishers of the Maratha Confederacy warned the Peshwa not to take such a drastic step, as it would lead to the collapse of the Maratha Confederacy; but Bajirao II Peshwa ignored it. When Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar learned this, he vowed to take revenge.

Military campaigns

Battle of Ujjain

The

Battle of Ujjain The Battle of Ujjain took place on 18 July 1801 near Ujjain between the rival factions of the Maratha empire. In July 1801, Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar attacked Sindhia's capital Ujjain, and after defeating Sindhia's army led by John Hessing, ...

took place on 4 July 1801, Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar attacked Sindhia's capital Ujjain, and after defeating Sindhia's army led by John Hessing, extorted a large sum from its inhabitants, but did not ravage the town. In this war nearly 3,000 soldiers of Scindia's army were killed. The Holkar's victory was an embarrassing defeat for the Sindhia.

Battle of Poona

In May 1802, Yashwantrao Holkar marched towards Pune. He kept on corresponding with the Peshwa, to whom he put forward the following propositions, which, if agreed to, would put an end to hostilities. He conquered

Sendhwa Sendhwa is a city with a municipal government in Barwani district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the headquarters for Sendhwa Tehsil. Geography Sendhwa is located at MH&MP Border . It has an average elevation of 409 metres ...

Chalisgaon Chalisgaon is a city and a municipal council located in Jalgaon district in the state of Maharashtra, India. Geography Chalisgaon is located at . It has an average elevation of 344 metres (1128 feet). Notable people * Hari Vinaya ...

Dhulia Dhule is a city located in the Dhule District in the northwestern part of Maharashtra state, India known as West Khandesh. Situated on the banks of Panzara River, Dhule is the regional headquarters of MIDC, RTO, and MTDC. The city is mainly kn ...

Malegaon Malegaon is a city and a municipal corporation in Nashik District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated on the bank of Mosam River. History Malegaon (previously Maligaon G.N. Wright, 1837. See entry for MULLIGAUM, p216.) at the co ...

Parol A parol (, , also written as paról or parul, from Spanish ''farol'', meaning ''lantern'') is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season. Parols are traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper, and are ...

Ner NER may refer to: * New European Recordings, a record label * ISO 3166-1 three letter code for Niger * Named entity recognition, a text processing task that identifies certain words as belonging to one class or another * Northeast Regional, an Amt ...

Ahmadnagar Ahmednagar (), is a city located in the Ahmednagar district in the state of Maharashtra, India, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 114 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar takes its name from Ahmad Nizam Shah I, who founded the town in 1 ...

Rahuri Rahuri is a town and a municipal council in Ahmednagar district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Geography Rahuri is located at . It has an average elevation of 511 metres (1676 feet). Demographics India census, Rahuri had a po ...

Nashik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashik ...

Sinnar Sinnar (Pronunciation: inːəɾ is a city and a municipal council in Sinnar taluka of Nashik district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Sinnar is the fourth largest city in Nashik district after Nashik, Malegaon and Manmad. History Tradi ...

, Dungargaon,

Jamgaon Jamgaon is a village in Parner taluka in Ahmednagar district of state of Maharashtra, India. This village comes into Moderate income zone and rain shadow area but It is well known for diploma in education college, i.e.(D.ed). This village ha ...

, Pharabagh, Gardond, Pandharpur, Kurkumb,

Narayangaon Narayangaon is a town in the Junnar taluka of the Pune district of Maharashtra state, India. Water is abundant because of its proximity to the major dams, the western ghats, and the Sahyadri mountain range. Geography Narayangaon is located 656 ...

Baramati Baramati ( aːɾamət̪iː is a city, a tehsil and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India. The city is about 100 KM (62 miles) southeast of the city of Pune and about 250 KM from Mumbai. Baramati is locat ...

, Purandhar,

Saswad Saswad is a municipal council located on South-Eastern corridor of Pune district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Saswad is situated on the banks of the Karha River. Saswad is about 31 km from Pune-Central Station. History Saswad is a ...

, Moreshwar,

Thalner Thalner is an Shirpur Tahsil's Village, the first capital of the Faruqi kings, stands on the banks of the Tapi river, in Shirpur tehsil about 46.67 km. (28 miles) north-east of Dhule in Maharashtra state, India. It was fortified and pla ...

, and

Jejuri Jejuri (Marathi pronunciation: ͡ʒed͡zuɾiː is a city and a municipal council in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India. The town has an important mandir to the Hindu Lord Khandoba, the Khandoba Mandir, which is one of the most visited ...

. On Sunday, 25 October 1802, on the festival of Diwali, Yashwantrao Holkar defeated the combined armies of Scindia and Peshwa at

Hadapsar Hadapsar is a developed town in eastern Pune City, Maharashtra. After 1990, Hadapsar developed into a major industrial area and is now one of the most densely populated and developed areas of Pune District. It is well connected to all parts of ...

, near Pune. This

took place at Ghorpadi, Banwadi, and

. Yashwantrao Holkar had ordered his army not to attack first and wait until 25 cannonballs were fired from other side; when 25 cannonballs were fired, Yashwantrao Holkar ordered his army to attack. As soon as he won the war, he ordered his army not to harm the civilians of

. When the

learned that he was defeated, fled from Pune via Parvati, Wadgaon, to

Sinhagad Sinhagad is an ancient hill fortress located at around 49 km southwest of the city of Pune, India. Previously known as ''Kondhana'', the fort had been the site of many battles, most notably the Battle of Sinhagad in 1670. The Sinhagad ...

. Yashwantrao Holkar asked the Peshwa to return to Pune. If Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar wanted to arrest the Peshwa, he would have arrested him; but he sent food to Peshwa so that he didn't suffer. On 27 October 1802, Peshwa Bajirao II, along with Chimnaji, Baloji, and Kunjir along with some soldiers of Scindia, went to Raigad and spent one month in Virwadi. He then went to Suwarnadurgh, and on 1 December 1802, went to Bassein via a ship named Harkuriyan. The British offered him enticements to sign the Subsidiary Treaty in return for the throne. After deliberating for over a month, and after threats that his brother would otherwise be recognised as Peshwa, Bajirao II signed the treaty, surrendering his residual sovereignty and allowing the British to put him on the throne at Poona. This

treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations An international organization or international o ...

was signed on 31 December 1802. The British also had to check the French influence in India. The British Government feared that if they had not adopted measures for the restoration of the Peshwa's authority, Yashwantrao Holkar would have either attacked the company's territories, or those of their ally the Nizam of Hyderabad. They felt, therefore, the restoration of the Peshwa under the protection of the British power was a measure indispensably requisite for the defence, not only of the territories of their allies, but of their own possessions bordering on the Marhatta dominions in the peninsula of India. Panse, Purandhare, and some other Maratha Sardars had requested the Peshwa to return to Pune and have a dialogue with the Holkars. Even Chimanaji was against signing a treaty with British.

Peshwa

The flight of Peshwa left the government of Maratha state in the hands of Yashwantrao Holkar. After conquering Pune, the capital of the Maratha Empire, Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar took the administration in his hands and appointed his men. He appointed Amrutrao as the

. All except Gaekwar chief of Baroda, who had already accepted British protection by a separate treaty on 29 July 1802, supported the new regime. He freed Phadnawis, Moroba, Phadke, etc., who were imprisoned by Bajirao II and went to

on 13 March 1803. The British reinstated Bajirao II as the Peshwa at Pune on 13 May 1803, but soon the Peshwa realised that he was only a nominal Peshwa and that British had taken total control. On 14 August 1803, Amrut Rao signed an agreement with the British. He agreed to abandon all claims over the Peshwa's office and to remain friendly with the British. In return, he would receive an annual pension of ₹ 7 lakhs annually from the company with a jagir in Banda district.

Maratha-British treaties

On 4 June 1803, Raghuji Bhosale, Daulatrao Scindia, and Yashwantrao Holkar met at Bodwad and decided to jointly fight against the British. However, the just demands of Yashwantrao Holkar were not fulfilled, and he was betrayed again. Daulatrao Scindia wrote a letter to Bajirao II and stated that they need not worry about Yashwantrao Holkar, as they only should show that they would fulfill the demands of Yashwantrao Holkar, and once they defeat the British, they will take their revenge against Holkar. However, the letter reached the hands of Amrutrao, and he handed the letter over to General Wellesley; Wellesley immediately sent the letter to Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar. Yashwantrao Holkar decided not to be a part of Maratha Confederacy. On 17 December 1803, Raghuji Bhonsale II of Nagpur signed the

Treaty of Deogaon } The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. Background The British had supported the "fugitive" Peshwa Raghunathrao in the First Anglo-Maratha War, ...

with the British after the

Battle of Laswari The Battle of Laswari took place on 1 November 1803 near Laswari village, Alwar. It was part of the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The British under Gerard Lake were anxious to finish the war by neutralizing the last substantial force that the Marath ...

and gave up the province of

Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literall ...

including Balasore. On 30 December 1803, the Scindia signed the

Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon The Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon was signed on 30 December 1803 between the British and Daulat Rao Sindhia, chief of the Maratha Confederacy at Anjangaon town located in Maharashtra. On 30 December 1803, the Sindhia signed the Treaty of Surji-Anj ...

with the British after the

Battle of Assaye The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company. It occurred on 23 September 1803 near Assaye in western India. An outnumbered Indian and British forc ...

and ceded to the British Ganges-Jumna Doab, the Delhi-Agra region, parts of Bundelkhand, Broach, some districts of Gujarat, fort of Ahmmadnagar.

Gaekwad Gaekwad (also spelt Gaikwar and Gaikwad; mr, Gāyǎkǎvāḍǎ) is a surname native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The surname is found among the Marathas, Kolis and in Scheduled castes. It is also a common surname among Bharadis, Dhor, an ...

of Baroda had already signed a treaty on 29 July 1802. This was 34-year-old Wellesley's first major success, and one that he always held in the highest estimation, even when compared to his later triumphant career. According to anecdotal evidence, in his retirement years, Wellington considered the

his finest battle—surpassing even his victory at the Battle of Waterloo. On 20 December 1803, General Wellesley, in one of his letters, stated that it was necessary to curb the rising power of Yashwantrao Holkar as he was brave, courageous, and ambitious.

Yashwantrao's success and anxiety in British camp

Yashwantrao Holkar wrote letters to different kings to unite and fight against the British. He stated, "First Country, and then Religion. We will have to rise above caste, religion, and our states in the interest of our country. You too must wage a war against the British, like me." His appeal fell on deaf ears, as all of them had already signed treaties with the British.In a letter dated 15 February 1806 to Vyankoji Bhosale of Nagpur he states: On 4 April, Lake forwarded some intercepted correspondence of Holkar, which he was said to have been carrying on with the other Indian chiefs of Hindustan to forge an alliance against the British. Lord Wellesley needed no fresh argument to justify his war against Holkar. In a letter to General Wellesley he demanded 1. That the right of Holkar to collect the tribute, as old, should be recognized; 2. That the ancestral claims of the Holkar family in the Doab, and the right to one ''pargana'' in Bundelkhand, should be recognized; 3. That the country of Haryana, which formerly belonged to Holkar, should be surrendered; and 4. That the country now in Holkar's possession should be guaranteed and stated: "Although unable to oppose your artillery in the field, countries of many hundred miles in extent will be overrun and plundered. British shall not have leisure to breathe for a moment; and calamities will fall on the backs of human beings in continual war by the attacks of my army, which overwhelms like the waves of the sea." When agents of General Perron visited him with a message, "Jaswantrao pointed to his horse and spear, and directed the men to tell their master that the former at all times afforded him a shade to sleep in, and the latter means of subsistence and that he carried his Kingdom on the saddle of his horse and the dominion of the saddle was still formidable." In a letter dated 4 March 1804 to Lake, he told, "My country and property are upon the saddle of my horse, and please God, to whatever side the reins of the horses of my brave warriors shall be turned, the whole of the country in that direction shall come into my possession. As you are wise and provident, you will consider the consequences of this affair, and employ yourself in settling the important matters which will be explained by my agents." Yashwantrao Holkar defeated the British army, led by Colonel Fawcett, at Kunch, in Budhlekand. On 8 June 1804, the Governor-General, in a letter to General

Gerard Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Background He was ...

, wrote that the defeat caused a great insult. This would endanger the company rule in India, and hence Yashwantrao Holkar should be defeated as soon as possible. On 8 July 1804, Yashwantrao Holkar defeated the army of Colonel Manson and Leukan at Mukundare and Kota. Bapuji Scindia surrendered before Yashwantrao Holkar. From June till September 1804, he defeated the British at different battles. On 8 October 1804, attacked the capital

to control over the

, who was new restricted monarch by the British like marathas and attacked the army of Colonel

and Berne. The

lasted for more than a week, but Holkar could not succeed because Mughal Emperor sent army for siege and defend From maratha with Colonel Ochterlony and supported by

. Assessing the situation, he changed the plan, and postponed it. Admiring his bravery, Mughol Emperor Shah Alam gave him the title of "Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar Alija Bahadur". Colonel Marey and Wallace captured Indore and Ujjain on 8 July 1804. On 22 August 1804, Wellesley marched against Holkar from Pun

along with Bajirao Peshwa's army. In Mathura Maharaja, Yashwantrao Holkar learned that the British had captured some of his territory; he decided to stay in Mathura and work out a strategy to regain his territory. In a letter dated 11 September 1804 written to Lord Lake, Wellesley said that if Yashwantrao Holkar was not defeated at the earliest, the rest of the Kings of India may unitedly stand against the British. On 16 November 1804, Yashwantrao Holkar reached

Deeg Deeg is a historical town and a municipality in Bharatpur district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is situated north of Bharatpur and northwest of Agra. In Hindu mythology, Deeg was situated along the '' parikrama'' path of Krishna, wh ...

by defeating the army of Major Frazer. After the death of Major Frazer, Manson took the charge of the British army. The Jat King

Ranjit Singh of Bharatpur Maharaja Ranjit Singh (2 May 1745 – 6 December 1805) was the ruling Maharaja of the Bharatpur State, princely state of Bharatpur, India, Bharatpur (r.1778–1805) and successor of Maharaja Kehri Singh, he was bestowed by the title of ''Farza ...

welcomed him and decided to be with Yashwantrao Holkar against the British. In

Farrukhabad Farrukhabad is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Farrukhabad tehsil. The city is on the banks of river Ganges and is from the national capital Delhi and from the state capital Lucknow. ...

, Lord Lake was a mute spectator, watching Yashwantrao Holkar proceeding towards Deeg; he didn't dare attack Yashwantrao Holkar. The Governor-General was disappointed by this conduct of Lord Lake, and he wrote to him about his disappointment.

Battle of Bharatpur

Lord Lake attacked Deeg on 13December 1804 whereupon the army of Holkar and Jat successfully resisted and reached Bharatpur. Lord Lake attacked on 3 January 1805, along with General Manson, Colonel Marey, Colonel Don, Colonel Berne, Major General Jones, General Smith, Colonel Jetland, Setan, and others. The subsequent

siege of Bharatpur The siege of Bharatpore was a siege that took place in the Indian princely state of Bharatpur (now part of Rajasthan) between December 1825 and January 1826. British troops under Lord Combermere initially surrounded the state's capital until ...

lasted for three months and was compared with the war described in the epic ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

''. Many poems on this war were written, praising Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar. The British East India Company subsequently declared that they would distribute the captured territory of Holkars amongst its Indian allies. Yashwantrao Holkar had become well known throughout India, due to his bravery, however,

Amir Khan (Pindari) Nawab Muhammad Amir Khan (1769–1834) was a military general in the service of Yashwantrao Holkar of the Maratha Empire and later became the first ruler of the princely state of Tonk (in the present day Rajasthan state of India). He was of Pa ...

and Bhawani Shankar Khatri betrayed him. The British gave the ''

Jagir A jagir ( fa, , translit=Jāgir), also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar (Zamindar) system. It developed during the Islamic rule era of the Indian subcontinent, start ...

'' of Tonk to Amir Khan Pindari, and a Mahal and a Jagir in Delhi were given to Bhawani Shankar Khatri. Bhawani Shankar Khatri's Haweli, situated in Delhi, is even today referred to as Namak Haram ki Haweli (Traitors House). Daulatrao Scindia decided to help Holkar, but was prevented from doing so by the ill advice of Kamal Nayan Munshi. Sir P.E. Roberts states that surprisingly, the Jat King Ranjit Singh signed a treaty with the British on 17April 1805, when they had nearly won the war. Due to this, Yashwantrao Holkar had to leave Bharatpur. The failure of General Lake to conquer the fort of Bharatpur shattered the myth of invincibility of British arms, and raised the fears about the revival of Maratha Confederacy to counter Wellesley's military designs in India. This came as an anti-climax to

Lord Wellesley Richard Colley Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, (20 June 1760 – 26 September 1842) was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator. He was styled as Viscount Wellesley until 1781, when he succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of ...

's 'forward policy'. The British Prime Minister was therefore constrained to retort that "the Marquis had acted most imprudently and illegally, and that he could not be suffered to remain in the government". Thus Wellesley was recalled. Afterwards during the Sikh-Phulkian Wars, Bharatpur accepted Ranjit Singh's supremacy, although the British annexed the states and signed the Treaty of Lahore with them.

Attempting to unite the Maratha Confederacy and rest of the Indian kings

Yashwant Rao Holkar and Ranjit Singh in 1805

Yashwantrao Holkar, Satara Chattrapati, and Chatarsinh met at Sabalgad. It was decided that, united, they would uproot the British from Indian soil. However Daulat Rao Scindia, unlike his predecessor, had become very passive after the Treaty of Surji Anjangaon, he had lost his morale to fight the British and preferred to have friendly relations with them rather than fight a losing war. In September 1805, Holkar reached

Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...

. Maharaja

Man Singh of Marwar Man Singh (3 February 1783 – 4 September 1843) was the last independent Maharaja of Marwar Kingdom and Jodhpur State ( 19 October 1803 – 4 September 1843). He was appointed as Heir Apparent by his grandfather Vijay Singh on 7 November 179 ...

sent his army to support Holkar, however, this army was intercepted by Scindia and destroyed. This was a sign that Scindia had chosen the British side. Yashwantrao Holkar sent letters to the rest of the kings of India, appealing to them to fight against the British. The King of Jaipur, Bhosale of Nagpur, accepted his appeal but did not give any direct help. When the British learned that Holkar was planning a grand war for independence, they informed Lord Lake to pursue Holkar. On 25 April 1805, Lord Lake replied to Governor-General Wellesley and stated that he was unable to pursue them and that Holkar felt great pleasure killing the Europeans; Governor-General Wellesley replied that all disputes with Holkar be resolved without any war. The British were worried because of the continuous failure against Holkars. They felt that Yashwantrao Holkar would drive out the East India Company. Finally, they called back Lord Wellesley and appointed

Lord Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

as the Governor-General of India. As soon as he came to India, he wrote to Lord Lake on 19 September 1805 and stated that all the territory of Yashwantrao Holkar be returned and that he was ready to make peace with Holkar. Holkar refused to sign any treaty with the British. George Barlow was appointed as Governor-General, due to the sudden death of Lord Cornwallis. Barlow recognized that the combined strengths of Holkar and Scindia were too great to counter; the British signed a treaty with Daulatrao Scindia through Kamal Nayan Munshi on 23 November 1805, and in this way, Holkar was left alone to fight with the British. Ranjit Singh of Lahore initially agreed to join Yashwantrao Holkar, but Ranjit Singh's (Lahore, Punjab) letter dated 1 August 1804 addressed to Yashwantrao Holkar was intercepted by the British at Mathura. As soon as the British learned this, they sent Bagh Singh, uncle of Ranjit Singh, to prevent Ranjit Singh from supporting Yashwantrao Holkar. Afterwards Yashwantrao had fled to the Sikh Empire where the British asked Ranjit Singh to arrest him. Ranjit Singh disagreed and stated that Yashwantrao would be allowed into his territory as long as they remain 30 kos away from the Sikh army. After an agreement, Ranjit Singh was informed that Yashwant Rao secretly invited the Afghans to invade India. Yashwantrao was told to leave the Sikh empire for such treachery.

Holkar-British treaty

Chhatri of Yashwantrao Holkar in Bhanpura

The British Council told Lord Lake to make peace with Yashwantrao Holkar at any cost, because if they were too late and the other Indian kings accepted the appeal of Yashwantrao Holkar, it might result in a decisive British defeat and a possibility of withdrawal from the Subcontinent. The British commander halted after crossing the boundary-line of

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

's conquests and encamped his troops on the banks of the Hyphasis (the

Beas Beas is a riverfront town in the Amritsar district of the Indian state of Punjab. Beas lies on the banks of the Beas River. Beas town is mostly located in revenue boundary of Budha Theh with parts in villages Dholo Nangal and Wazir Bhullar. ...

) within the reach of the troops of

. He was the only king in India whom the British approached with an unconditional peace treaty as per the London policy of withdrawal. It was not a Treaty of

Subsidiary alliance A subsidiary alliance, in South Asian history, was a tributary alliance between a South Asian state and a European East India Company. Under this system, an Indian ruler who formed a treaty with the company in question would be provided wi ...

that the British had entered with other Indian states. Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar saw that the rest of the kings were not ready to unite in a common cause and were only interested in personal benefits that they would incur with the British. He would be the last to sign a treaty with the British, on 24 December 1805 at a place called Rajpur Ghat on the bank of

Beas River The Beas River (Sanskrit: ; Hyphasis in Ancient Greek) is a river in north India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab. Its total length is ...

. The treaty was named 'The Treaty of Peace and Amity between the British Government and Yashwantrao Holkar.' The British recognised him as a sovereign king and returned all his territories and possessions, and accepted his dominion over Jaipur, Udaypur, Kota, Bundi, and some Rajput kings. They also accepted that they would not interfere in the matters relating to Holkars. The treaty was duly ratified by the Governor-General George Barlow in Council on 6 January 1806 and later duly amended on 2 Feb 1806 on the banks of river Ganga in Rajghat. Thus his demands were fulfilled and he successfully resolved the disputes with Shinde, Peshwa and the British. Returning in triumph, the king reached Indore and declared that he had successfully saved his ancestral State.

denounced the abandonment of Indian allies by the company, resigned his post in protest, and returned to England. In a letter dated 14 March 1806 addressed to Mr. Sherer,

Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe, (30 January 1785 – 5 September 1846), known as Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt between 1822 and 1845, was a British colonial administrator. He held appointments including acting Governor-General o ...

, who witnessed the treaty, states, "But why do I constantly harp upon the character of our Government? I believe it is because I am compelled to feel that we are disgraced; and that

is the prevailing power in Hindostan." Mr. Metcalfe many years later looking back admitted that the measures adopted by Sir George Barlow were necessitated and it was hardly possible to have followed any other course.

Aftermath

In a letter dated 15 February 1806 to Vyankoji Bhosale of Nagpur Yashwantrao states, Yashwantrao Holkar again tried to unite the

and wrote to Daulatrao Scindia about this. However, Scindia gave the information about this letter to British resident Marsor, who appraised the Governor-General about this on 12 May 1806. Holkars and Scindias agreed on 11 points on defensive and offensive strategies on 14 November 1807; however, the British once again succeeded in preventing the establishment of a Scindia- Holkar alliance. Finally, Yashwantrao Holkar decided to fight with the British singlehandedly and drive them out of India. He decided to stay in Bhanpura to gather a large army and manufacture

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

s to defeat the British. He was successful in keeping the British out of his state, but he wanted them out of India. He knew that this was impossible without sufficient cannons, so he built a factory to manufacture cannons in

. He worked day and night and manufactured 200 short and long-range cannons. He gathered an army of 1 lakh soldiers to attack

. The stress of the work and the deaths of his nephew Khanderao Holkar on 22 February 1807 at Shahapura and Kashirao Holkar in 1808 at Bijagad lead to a stroke, from which he suddenly died at

(

Mandsaur Mandsaur is a city and a municipality in Mandsaur district located on Border of Mewar and Malwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers ...

, M.P.) on 27 October 1811 (Kartiki Ekadashi) at the age of 35 years. The most probable cause of his death is due to excessive blood pressure and stress. His battles were the significant in the history of Indian wars and the title given to him by the Mughal Emperor gave him a prominent position amongst the rulers of India.

Legacy

He was a gifted organizer and he was skilled in arts of warfare. The various branches of the army were organized on the sound military basis. As a military strategist he ranks among the foremost generals who have ever trod on Indian soil. His heroic achievements shed a noble luster on his military genius, political sagacity, and indefatigable industry. He was one of the greatest and most romantic figures on the stage of Indian history.Hemchandra Rai, Flowers of Hindostan, 1932, p.261, 262.

References

Books

*(Adv Vijaykumar N Dudhbhate)
Zhunj
(झुंज) By N.S. Inamdar *

Yashwant Rao Holkar Yashwant Rao Holkar (c. 1776-1811) also known as Jaswantrao Holkar belonging to the Holkar dynasty of the Maratha Empire was the Maharaja of the Maratha Empire. He was a gifted military leader and educated in accountancy as well as literate in ...

By Sanjay Sonawani * Shrimanr Maharaj

: Maratheshahiakhercha Adwitiya Swatantryaveer By

Narahar Raghunath Phatak Narahar Raghunath Phatak (Devanagari: नरहर रघुनाथ फाटक) (15 April 1893 – 21 December 1979) was a biographer and literary critic from Maharashtra, India. He wrote mostly in Marathi language, Marathi. Phatak presided ...

Waqai-Holkar
By

Mohan Singh Mohan Singh (4 March 1945 – 22 September 2013) was an Indian politician from the Samajwadi Party. He was elected three times to the Lok Sabha from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh. He was the General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party. He died on 22 ...

, English Translation:- Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Edited By:- Raghubir Sinh.*( Hindustani yeshwantacha iteehas by principal madhukar salgare .Marathi edition 2017
Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar : Bhartiya Swatantra Ke Mahanayak
By Ghanshyam Holkar (PhD)

External links

एक ऐसा शासक, जिसके सामने अंग्रेजों ने हरबार टेक दिए घुटने {{DEFAULTSORT:Holkar 1776 births 1811 deaths Maharajas of Indore People of the Second Anglo-Maratha War Indian military leaders