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{{Short description| | {{Short description|Part of the Second Anglo-Maratha War}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date= | {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}} | {{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}} | ||
{{Infobox military conflict | {{Infobox military conflict | ||
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| partof = the [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]] | | partof = the [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]] | ||
| date = 11 September 1803 | | date = 11 September 1803 | ||
| place = | | place = Delhi, [[Mughal Empire]] | ||
| coordinates = {{Coord|28|36|45|N|77|17|30|E|type:event_region:IN|display=it}} | | coordinates = {{Coord|28|36|45|N|77|17|30|E|type:event_region:IN|display=it}} | ||
| map_type = India Delhi#India | | map_type = India Delhi#India | ||
| map_relief = | | map_relief = | ||
| map_caption = Location within | | map_caption = Location within Delhi | ||
| map_label = Delhi | | map_label = Delhi | ||
| result = British victory | | result = British victory | ||
| combatant1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg}} [[ | | combatant1 = {{Tree list}}{{flagicon|UKGBI}} [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British Empire]] | ||
| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg}} | **{{flagicon image|Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg}} [[East India Company]]{{Tree list end}} | ||
| commander1 = [[Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake|Gerard Lake]] | | combatant2 = {{Tree list}}{{flagicon image|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|border=}} [[Maratha Empire]] | ||
| commander2 = [[Daulat Rao Scindia]] <br> Louis Bourquin | **{{flagicon image|Flag of Gwalior (State).svg|border=}} [[Gwalior State]]{{Tree list end}}'''Supported by:'''<br>{{flagicon|First French Republic}} [[First French Republic|France]] | ||
| strength1 = 4,500 | | commander1 = {{flagicon|UKGBI}} [[Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake|Gerard Lake]] | ||
| strength2 = | | commander2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Gwalior (State).svg|border=}} [[Daulat Rao Scindia|Daulat Scindia]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Gwalior (State).svg|border=}} [[Louis Bourquin]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Gwalior (State).svg|border=}} [[Sardar Ravsaheb Wable|Sardar Wable]] | ||
| casualties1 = | | strength1 = 4,500<br>9 guns | ||
| casualties2 = | | strength2 = 19,000<br>100 guns | ||
| casualties1 = ~464–485 men killed or wounded<ref name=Naravane>{{Cite book |last=Naravane |first=M.S. |title=Battles of the Honorourable East India Company |publisher=A.P.H. Publishing Corporation |year=2014 |isbn=9788131300343 |pages=76–77}}</ref> | |||
| casualties2 = ~3,000 killed or wounded<ref name=Naravane/> | |||
}} | }} | ||
{{Campaignbox Second Anglo-Maratha War}} | {{Campaignbox Second Anglo-Maratha War}} | ||
The '''Battle of Delhi''' or '''Battle of Patparganj''' took place on 11 September 1803 during the [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]], between [[British East India Company]] troops of the [[Bombay Army]] under [[Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake|General Lake]], and [[Maratha]]s of [[Scindia]]'s army under General Louis Bourquin and Sardar Ravsaheb Wable. | The '''Battle of Delhi''' or '''Battle of Patparganj''' took place on 11 September 1803 during the [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]], between [[British East India Company]] troops of the [[Bombay Army]] under [[Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake|General Lake]], and the [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]]s of [[Scindia]]'s army under General [[Louis Bourquin]] and [[Sardar Ravsaheb Wable|Sardar Wable]]. | ||
== Background == | |||
Expecting forthcoming conflict with the [[Maratha Confederacy|Marathas]], two Company armies began drilling for war. While Major General [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellesley]] prepared his forces in the newly conquered [[Srirangapatna|Seringapatnam]], General [[Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake|Lake]] drilled his men in the north, close to the Maratha border.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Dalrymple |first=William |title=The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-5266-1850-4 |location=Great Britain |language=en}}</ref> | |||
When war broke out on 1 August, Governor general Lord [[Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley|Wellesley]] ordered two main thrusts into maratha territory; one by Lake to take [[Delhi]], and one by Arthur Wellesley to secure the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] region, accompanied by minor offensives on the coasts of [[Gujarat]] and [[Odisha|Orissa]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sarkar |first=Jadunath |title=Fall of the Mughal Empire |publisher=Orient BlackSwan |isbn=978-8125032458 |publication-date=2007 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
Lake left [[Kanpur]] on 7 August with an army of 10,000 men, accompanied by a cavalry division with [[Galloper gun|Galloper guns]]. Lake's army proceeded to advance on the Maratha fortress of Aligarh on 29 August, with [[Pierre Cuillier-Perron|General Perron]] fleeing to Delhi to gather reinforcements, and eventually surrendering to Lake on 1 September.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
==Events== | ==Events== | ||
With Perron's surrender, Lt. Col. Louis Bourquin took control at Delhi.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Compton |first=Herbert |title=A particular account of the European military adventures of Hindustan, from 1784 to 1803 |date= |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0195772272 |pages=303-305 |language=en}}</ref> Upon receiving news that Lake planned on advancing on Delhi as soon as possible, Bourquin crossed the [[Yamuna]] with 19,000 troops, and prepared an ambush on the [[Hindon River|Hindon river]].<ref name=":0" /> | |||
The battle | |||
Bourquin chose a low hill overlooking a road flanked by two swampy lakes in order to funnel any enemy force into a bottleneck. He hid 100 heavy guns behind the elephant grass at the base of the hill, and awaited the enemy. | |||
On 11 September, Lake ordered his men to camp for breakfast on the banks of the Hindon, after rapidly marching 18 miles to Delhi.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Cooper |first=Randolph G.S |title=The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India |publisher=Cambridge English |year=2007 |isbn=978-0521036467 |edition=1st |language=en}}</ref> Very soon after the army had camped, Bourquin ordered the heavy artillery at the base of the hill to open fire. While the British army retreated in confusion, the Marathas failed to take advantage of the opportunity, and held position, giving Lake time to organize his men.<ref name=":2" /> | |||
To lure Borquin away from his position, Lake ordered a feint, making the infantry fall back while executing a pincer movement with his cavalry, hidden in the grass.<ref name=":0" /> When the Marathas took the bait and abandoned their defensive positions, the Company infantry turned and charged with bayonets, supported by the galloper guns.<ref name=":2" /> [[Quartermaster]] John Pester, who was severely wounded by the initial maratha bombardment, wrote: <blockquote>"We drove them into the Yamuna, and hundreds of them were destroyed in endeavouring to cross it."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pester |first=John |title=War and sport in India, 1802-1806: an officer's diary |publisher=Alpha Edition |isbn=978-9353808143 |location=India |publication-date=2019 |pages=166 |language=en}}</ref></blockquote>On the night of the 11th, 5 French commanders surrendered to Lake, ending the battle.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
== Aftermath == | |||
The battle of Delhi would be the last time British and French officers would clash in South Asia.<ref name=":0" /> Following Arthur Wellesley's victory at [[Battle of Assaye|Assaye]] on 23 September, Maratha power in India began to gradually decline, until they were finally defeated by the Company in the [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]].<ref name=":1" /> | |||
After the battle, Lake went to capture [[Agra Fort]], leaving [[David Ochterlony]] in charge of the city. Octerlony quickly set up an administration consisting of Company civil servants and old Mughal court officers to manage the city, and reduced the Mughal Emperor [[Shah Alam II]] to a mere figurehead.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
A monument was later erected at the site in [[Patparganj]], marked out by a surrounding ditch, commemorating Cornet Sanguine and the Company army soldiers who fell during the battle.<ref>{{ | A monument was later erected at the site in [[Patparganj]], marked out by a surrounding ditch, commemorating Cornet Sanguine and the Company army soldiers who fell during the battle.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Naravane |first=M.S. |title=Battles of the Honorourable East India Company |date=2014 |publisher=A.P.H. Publishing Corporation |isbn=9788131300343 |pages=76-77 |language=en}}</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
{{MarathaEmpire}} | {{MarathaEmpire}} | ||
| Line 53: | Line 66: | ||
[[Category:Battles involving the British East India Company]] | [[Category:Battles involving the British East India Company]] | ||
[[Category:Military history of Delhi]] | [[Category:Military history of Delhi]] | ||
[[Category:September 1803 | [[Category:September 1803]] | ||
Latest revision as of 07:14, 27 February 2026
| Battle of Delhi | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Anglo-Maratha War | |||||||
_map.jpg) Map of the Battle of Delhi (1803) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Gerard Lake |
 Daulat Scindia Louis Bourquin Sardar Wable | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
4,500 9 guns |
19,000 100 guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~464–485 men killed or wounded[1] | ~3,000 killed or wounded[1] | ||||||
The Battle of Delhi or Battle of Patparganj took place on 11 September 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British East India Company troops of the Bombay Army under General Lake, and the Marathas of Scindia's army under General Louis Bourquin and Sardar Wable.
Background[edit | edit source]
Expecting forthcoming conflict with the Marathas, two Company armies began drilling for war. While Major General Wellesley prepared his forces in the newly conquered Seringapatnam, General Lake drilled his men in the north, close to the Maratha border.[2]
When war broke out on 1 August, Governor general Lord Wellesley ordered two main thrusts into maratha territory; one by Lake to take Delhi, and one by Arthur Wellesley to secure the Deccan region, accompanied by minor offensives on the coasts of Gujarat and Orissa.[3]
Lake left Kanpur on 7 August with an army of 10,000 men, accompanied by a cavalry division with Galloper guns. Lake's army proceeded to advance on the Maratha fortress of Aligarh on 29 August, with General Perron fleeing to Delhi to gather reinforcements, and eventually surrendering to Lake on 1 September.[2]
Events[edit | edit source]
With Perron's surrender, Lt. Col. Louis Bourquin took control at Delhi.[4] Upon receiving news that Lake planned on advancing on Delhi as soon as possible, Bourquin crossed the Yamuna with 19,000 troops, and prepared an ambush on the Hindon river.[2]
Bourquin chose a low hill overlooking a road flanked by two swampy lakes in order to funnel any enemy force into a bottleneck. He hid 100 heavy guns behind the elephant grass at the base of the hill, and awaited the enemy.
On 11 September, Lake ordered his men to camp for breakfast on the banks of the Hindon, after rapidly marching 18 miles to Delhi.[5] Very soon after the army had camped, Bourquin ordered the heavy artillery at the base of the hill to open fire. While the British army retreated in confusion, the Marathas failed to take advantage of the opportunity, and held position, giving Lake time to organize his men.[5]
To lure Borquin away from his position, Lake ordered a feint, making the infantry fall back while executing a pincer movement with his cavalry, hidden in the grass.[2] When the Marathas took the bait and abandoned their defensive positions, the Company infantry turned and charged with bayonets, supported by the galloper guns.[5] Quartermaster John Pester, who was severely wounded by the initial maratha bombardment, wrote:
"We drove them into the Yamuna, and hundreds of them were destroyed in endeavouring to cross it."[6]
On the night of the 11th, 5 French commanders surrendered to Lake, ending the battle.[2]
Aftermath[edit | edit source]
The battle of Delhi would be the last time British and French officers would clash in South Asia.[2] Following Arthur Wellesley's victory at Assaye on 23 September, Maratha power in India began to gradually decline, until they were finally defeated by the Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War.[7]
After the battle, Lake went to capture Agra Fort, leaving David Ochterlony in charge of the city. Octerlony quickly set up an administration consisting of Company civil servants and old Mughal court officers to manage the city, and reduced the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II to a mere figurehead.[2]
A monument was later erected at the site in Patparganj, marked out by a surrounding ditch, commemorating Cornet Sanguine and the Company army soldiers who fell during the battle.[7]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Naravane, M.S. (2014). Battles of the Honorourable East India Company. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. pp. 76–77. ISBN 9788131300343.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Dalrymple, William (2019). The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company. Great Britain: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5266-1850-4.
- ↑ Sarkar, Jadunath (2007). Fall of the Mughal Empire. Orient BlackSwan. ISBN 978-8125032458.
- ↑ Compton, Herbert. A particular account of the European military adventures of Hindustan, from 1784 to 1803. Oxford University Press. pp. 303–305. ISBN 978-0195772272.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cooper, Randolph G.S (2007). The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India (1st ed.). Cambridge English. ISBN 978-0521036467.
- ↑ Pester, John (2019). War and sport in India, 1802-1806: an officer's diary. India: Alpha Edition. p. 166. ISBN 978-9353808143.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Naravane, M.S. (2014). Battles of the Honorourable East India Company. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. pp. 76–77. ISBN 9788131300343.