Nizam-Maratha Wars
The Nizam Maratha Wars includes continuous warfare between the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad with its French allies, there were total four Nizam Maratha wars from 1719–1795 and eventually Marathas came victorious in every war.
| Nizam-Maratha Wars | |||||||
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| Part of List of wars involving India | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Maratha Empire |
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BackgroundEdit
After the death of emperor Aurangzeb and the end of the Mughal-Maratha Wars the Marathas came out victorious and the weakened Mughal Empire started declining, the Mughal subas (states) declared independence because of the succession crisis in Agra and the one such independent suba was the Hyderabad which was the successor state of Bijapur and Golkonda. The Mughal Vizier Asaf Jah I after declaring independence from the Mughal Empire started building his own realm and repulsed two Mughal Invasions of Hyderabad.[1] Initially Marathas assisted the Nizam of Hyderabad against Mughals but later disputes emerged between Maratha Empire and Nizam of Hyderabad due to revenue rights of deccan this quarrel led to the continuous war in the Nizam Maratha Wars.[2]
WarsEdit
In 1719 Marathas were given rights to collect Chauth & Sardeshmukhi from 6 subas (provinces) of deccan, but in 1725 Asaf Jah the Nizam of Hyderabad opposed the Maratha rights & claimed the deccan territories were part of Mughals since the days when Aurangzeb conquered Bijapur & Golconda. Every influential Maratha sardar Of Chhatrapati Shahu deserted him & Joined Nizam and the Nizam even won over Sambhaji I of Kolhapur by promising him making the sole Maratha ruler after reducing power of Shahu. Chhatrapati Shahu sent urgent letters to Peshwa Baji Rao (who was then campaigning in Karnataka) to come to his help without a moment delay. Nikalant Jadhav, one of Shahu's faithful commander was captured & kept In confinement by Nizam, this Increased anxiety Of Shahu more, about Dussehra 1726 Sambhaji I of Kolhapur joined Nizam & the latter's troops started committing atrocities near Shahu's territory with the help of traitor Maratha chief's like Janoji & Udaji Chavan, anxious Shahu appealed to his chief's to join him without delay. At this juncture Shahu's counsellors advised him to compromise with Nizam & accept his terms which meant to remove Peshwa Bajirao from his post & withdraw Maratha tax collectors, Shahu was ready to accept the terms but till then Peshwa Bajirao arrived & advised him don't fall for the trap of Nizam rather get ready for war to fight for your right.
Nizam Maratha War (1720–1728)Edit
Battle of BalapurEdit
Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and the young Maratha general Malhar Rao Holkar fought against Nizam near Balapur.[3][4]
Battle of PurandarEdit
In 1720 Maratha Army under Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath defeated the Nizam near Purandar and obstructed Nizam to collect taxes from this region.
Battle of AurangabadEdit
Chhatrapati Shahu sent Sariashkar Sultanji Nimbalkar to collect Chauthai from the region between Godavari and Aurangabad, hostilities took place between the armies of the Sarlashkar and the Nizam's forces, in which the Nizam's army suffered a defeat on December 15, 1720.[5]
Battle of PalkhedEdit
Battle of Palkhed took place on 28 February 1728 at the village of Palkhed, near the city of Nashik, Maharashtra, India between the Maratha Peshwa, Baji Rao I and the Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad. The Marathas defeated the Nizam.[6] The battle is considered an example of brilliant execution of military strategy.[7]
Nizam Maratha War (1731–1740)Edit
Battle of DabhoiEdit
In the year 1731, Asaf Jah I the Nizam of Hyderabad had managed to secure the defections of influential Maratha leaders such as Trimbak Rao Dabhade and Sanbhoji who threatened to abandon the Marathas and join the forces with the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah instead. This move was considered unacceptable by Baji Rao I and his brother Chimnaji Appa who led a large well armed brigade of Marathas to intercepted Trimbak Rao Dabhade and Sanbhoji during the Battle of Dabhoi, where the defecting factions were all defeated, overrun and eliminated.[8]
Battle of BhopalEdit
The Battle was fought between the Maratha Empire and Mughal forces led by Nizam of Hyderabad near Bhopal in India in December 1737. The Marathas poisoned the water and the replenishment supplies of the besieged Mughal forces. Chimaji was sent with an army of 10,000 men to stop any reinforcements while Bajirao blockaded the city instead of directly attacking the Nizam. The Nizam was forced to sue for peace after he was denied reinforcements from Delhi.[9] The battle resulted in decisive Maratha victory mainly through the swift tactics of Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao.
Nizam Maratha War (1751–1757)Edit
Battle of Ghod RiverEdit
Nizam defeated by Marathas at Ghod river in (1751), Raghoji Bhonsle ravaged nizam's territory and captured important places between Aurangabad & Godavari river. The Nizam then fled to Bahadurgad, being hotly pursued by the Marathas during the march.
Battle of BhalkiEdit
Battle of Bhalki was fought in 1752, Salabat Jung was completely surrounded by Maratha forces at Bhalki For four days the Marathas so harassed their enemies that they lost large numbers from starvation. Salabat Jung requested terms through his french general (Nasik, Trimbak and all the im portant forts in that region thus passed into Maratha hands).
Battle of SindhkhedEdit
Marathas defeated the Nizam near Sindhkhed in 1757 and concluded peace terms by promising 25 lakhs as chauth and a fort of Naldurg.
Nizam Maratha War (1760–1763)Edit
Battle of UdgirEdit
Sadashivrao Bhau & Vishwas Rao decisively defeated the Nizam at Udgir, Nizam forces were so completely routed that Nizam Ali sent ambassadors & begged for peace terms. He agreed to surrender to the Peshwa territory worth 60 lacs together with the surrender of four Muslim capitals.[10]
Battle of AlegaonEdit
The Battle of Alegaon was fought between Nizam Ali Khan of Hyderabad and Raghunathrao of the Maratha Empire against Peshwa Madhavrao of the Maratha Empire.[11] Raghunathrao had established an alliance with Nizam Ali Khan of Hyderabad.[11] When conflict arose between Raghunathrao and Madhavrao I, a joint campaign between Nizam Ali Khan and Raghunathrao resulted in Madhavrao I being heavily defeated.[11] Peshwa Madhavrao surrendered on November 12, 1762.[12] Nizam Ali Khan got all of his previously lost territories that were lost at the Battle of Udgir.[11] Peshwa Madhavrao submitted to his uncle, Raghunathrao.[11]
Battle of UruliEdit
The Maratha forces under 17 year old young peshwa Madhavrao I defeated Nizam at Uruli near Puna and secured territories worth 40 lakhs. This victory helped the Marathas regain their control over the Deccan region and weakened the power and influence of the Nizam.[13][14]
Battle of TanduljaEdit
Maratha Army under Raghunath Rao & Damaji Gaikwad defeated the Nizam In 1763.
Battle of RakshasbhuvanEdit
The Battle of Rakshasbhuvan was fought on 10 August 1763.[15] While the Marathas were fighting amongst themselves during a civil war, the Nizam decided to attack.[16] The Nizam however failed. The Nizam gave up territory he gained during the Battle of Alegaon in an attempt to sue for peace.[16] The treaty of Aurangabad remarked the peace between thr Marathas and Nizam for 30 years.[17]
Nizam Maratha War (1795)Edit
Battle of KhardaEdit
After the 1773 the Nizam of Hyderabad was a tributary of the Maratha Empire with no single attempt to freed up (mainly because of his weakened power after loosing the series of wars with Marathas). But again in 1795 he sought a chance to claim the tax revenue of his territory, seeing his enemy is engaged with Mysore wars. But the combined Maratha forces checked him near Kharda.[18] The Maratha forces decisively defeated nizam at Kharda and captured many forts and cities, further weakening the Nizam.The Nizam ceded much of his territory and paid an indemnity of Rupees 3 crores to Marathas
AftermathEdit
The weakened Nizam of Hyderabad was forced to side with British and concluded subsidiary alliance with British East India Company by becoming a protectorate to avoid any future conflict with the Marathas and the Marathas under Nana Fadnavis allied themselves with British against Kingdom of Mysore and launched a series of Invasion with British East India Company and Nizam of Hyderabad.
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas – Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4).
- ↑ New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas – Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4).
- ↑ New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas – Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4).
- ↑ Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.2.
- ↑ Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.2.
- ↑ New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas – Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4).
- ↑ The Concise History of Warfare, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, p.132
- ↑ New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas – Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4).
- ↑ Chhabra, G. S. (2005). Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707–1803) Pg.26. ISBN 9788189093068. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ↑ Jaques, Tony; Showalter, Dennis Edwin (2007). Dictionary of battles and sieges: a guide to 8500 battles from Antiquity through the twenty-first century. Westport (Conn.): Greenwood press. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Jacques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
- ↑ General on 12-November-1762, archived from the original on 2015-05-18, retrieved 2015-05-06
- ↑ Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.2.
- ↑ Kulkarni, Shripad Dattatraya (1992). The Struggle for Hindu Supremacy. Shri Bhagavan Vedavyasa Itihasa Samshodhana Mandira (Bhishma). ISBN 978-81-900113-5-8.
- ↑ "History – Maratha Period". Nasik District Gazetteer. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Jacques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 838. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
- ↑ New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas – Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4).
- ↑ New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas – Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4).