🗡️ Chapter 3: British Expansion & Wars

Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha, Anglo-Sikh Wars (1767-1849)

Part 1: Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767-1799)

🏰 Background: Rise of Mysore

⚡ Reasons for Conflict

1. Territorial Expansion

Mysore expanded to Malabar Coast & Krishna River, threatening British, Marathas, and Nizam

2. Trade Control

Mysore controlled spice trade (black pepper, cardamom). Tipu banned exports in 1785

3. French Alliance

Hyder Ali built arsenal at Dindigul with French help, alarming British

⚔️ First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-1769)

📌 Key Events

  • British Strategy: Allied with Marathas & Nizam of Hyderabad to attack Mysore
  • Hyder Ali's Diplomacy: Made peace with Marathas & Nizam, isolating British PYQ
  • Attack on Madras: Hyder Ali attacked Madras, forcing British to surrender
  • British Defeat: First major defeat of British in South India
Treaty of Madras (1769):
• Both sides restored captured territories
• Mutual defense pact: Help each other if attacked by third party
• Result: Status quo maintained PYQ

⚔️ Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784)

🔥 Causes

  • British Betrayal: British broke Treaty of Madras. Didn't help Mysore when Marathas attacked (1770)
  • Mahe Port Incident: Hyder Ali allowed French to use Mahe port during American War of Independence (1782)
  • British Retaliation: British captured Mahe, angering Hyder Ali

⚔️ Course of War

  • 1780: Hyder Ali defeated British at Battle of Pollilur. Captured Colonel Baillie
  • 1781: British reinforcements arrived under Sir Eyre Coote
  • 1782: Hyder Ali died. Tipu Sultan took command Key Transition
  • 1784: War ended in stalemate
Treaty of Mangalore (1784):
• Both sides returned captured territories
• Significance: Last treaty signed by British on equal terms in India! Super PYQ
• Tensions remained unresolved

⚔️ Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-1792)

🔥 Trigger

  • Tipu's Foreign Alliances: Sought help from Turkey, Afghanistan, France
  • Attack on Travancore (1789): Travancore was British ally. Tipu attacked it PYQ
  • British Response: Declared war on Mysore

⚔️ Course of War

  • Triple Alliance: British + Marathas + Nizam vs Tipu Sultan
  • Lord Cornwallis: Led British forces personally
  • Siege of Seringapatnam: Tipu's capital surrounded
  • Result: Crushing defeat for Tipu Sultan
Treaty of Seringapatnam (1792): Super PYQ
• Tipu surrendered half of Mysore's territory to British & allies
• Paid ₹33 crores as war indemnity
• Gave two sons as hostages to British
• Lost Malabar, Dindigul, Baramahal, and Coorg
• Impact: Mysore's power severely weakened

⚔️ Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)

🔥 Background

  • Lord Wellesley (1798): Became Governor-General. Aggressive expansionist policy
  • Subsidiary Alliance: Wellesley wanted Tipu to accept British control
  • Tipu's Refusal: Refused to become British puppet
  • French Alliance: Tipu sent envoys to France (Napoleon's Egypt campaign)

⚔️ The Final Battle

  • British Alliance: British + Marathas + Nizam (40,000 troops)
  • Siege of Seringapatnam (May 1799): Final assault on Tipu's capital
  • Tipu's Death (4 May 1799): Died fighting at the gates Super PYQ
  • Famous Quote: "Better to live one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep"
Aftermath of Fourth War:
• Mysore Partitioned: British took major portions. Rest to Marathas & Nizam
• Wodeyar Restored: British installed puppet Wodeyar ruler (5-year-old boy)
• British Dominance: South India completely under British control
• Tipu's Legacy: First Indian ruler to die fighting British PYQ

🎯 Tipu Sultan: Key Facts

  • Titles: "Tiger of Mysore", "Sher-e-Mysore"
  • Innovations: Introduced rocket artillery (Mysorean rockets)
  • Administration: Modernized army, promoted sericulture
  • Secular: Donated to Hindu temples despite being Muslim
  • Symbol: Tiger stripes on soldiers' uniforms

Part 2: Anglo-Maratha Wars (1775-1818)

🚩 Background: Maratha Empire

👑 Rise of Peshwas (Prime Ministers)

Balaji Vishwanath (1713-1720): First Peshwa. Secured Mughal recognition for Chauth & Sardeshmukhi
Bajirao I (1720-1740): "Fighting Peshwa". Expanded beyond Narmada. Defeated Nizam at Bhopal (1729)
Balaji Bajirao (1740-1761): Expanded to Bengal, Bihar, Orissa. Defeated at Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
Third Battle of Panipat (14 Jan 1761): Super PYQ
• Combatants: Marathas vs Ahmad Shah Abdali (Afghanistan)
• Maratha Leaders: Sadashiv Rao Bhau, Vishwas Rao
• Result: Catastrophic Maratha defeat. 50,000 casualties
• Impact: Maratha power declined. Paved way for British rise
• Note: Rajputs, Rohillas, Awadh supported Abdali against Marathas

⚔️ First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782)

🔥 Cause: Succession Dispute

  • Madhav Rao I died (1772): Succession crisis in Pune
  • Raghunath Rao (Raghoba): Uncle, wanted to become Peshwa
  • Narayan Rao: Younger brother, became Peshwa but was murdered
  • Madhav Rao II: Infant son of Narayan Rao. Nana Phadnavis became regent
  • British Support: Raghoba sought British help

📜 Key Treaties

Treaty Year Details
Treaty of Surat 1775 British supported Raghoba. He ceded Salsette & Bassein
Treaty of Purandhar 1776 Calcutta Council rejected Surat Treaty. Made peace with Pune
Treaty of Salbai 1782 War ended. Status quo restored. 20 years of peace PYQ
Treaty of Salbai (1782) - Key Terms:
• British kept Salsette but returned other territories
• Raghoba given pension, no political role
• British recognized Madhav Rao II as Peshwa
• 20 years of peace between British & Marathas
• Significance: British gained time to consolidate in South India

⚔️ Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805)

🔥 Background

  • Maratha Confederacy: 5 major powers - Peshwa (Pune), Scindia (Gwalior), Holkar (Indore), Gaekwad (Baroda), Bhonsle (Nagpur)
  • Internal Conflicts: Constant fighting among Maratha chiefs
  • Bajirao II (1796-1818): Weak Peshwa, dominated by Scindia & Holkar
  • Battle of Poona (1802): Holkar defeated Peshwa & Scindia
Treaty of Bassein (31 Dec 1802): Super PYQ
• Signed by: Bajirao II & British (Lord Wellesley)
• Terms: Peshwa accepted Subsidiary Alliance
  - British troops stationed in Pune
  - Peshwa to pay for their maintenance
  - Peshwa couldn't enter alliances without British permission
  - Ceded territories to British
• Impact: Peshwa became British puppet. Other Maratha chiefs opposed it

⚔️ Course of War

  • Scindia & Bhonsle: Opposed Treaty of Bassein. Declared war on British
  • Battle of Assaye (23 Sep 1803): Arthur Wellesley defeated Scindia PYQ
  • Battle of Argaon (29 Nov 1803): Wellesley defeated Bhonsle
  • Battle of Delhi (11 Sep 1803): British captured Delhi from Scindia
  • Battle of Laswari (1 Nov 1803): British defeated Scindia's forces

📜 Peace Treaties

  • Treaty of Deogaon (1803): Bhonsle ceded Cuttack, Balasore to British
  • Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon (1803): Scindia ceded territories between Ganga & Yamuna
  • Holkar's Resistance: Yashwant Rao Holkar continued fighting till 1805

⚔️ Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818)

🔥 Causes

  • Peshwa's Discontent: Bajirao II resented British control
  • Pindari Raids: British used Pindari suppression as excuse to interfere
  • British Residents: Imposed on all Maratha states
  • Final Trigger: Peshwa attacked British Residency in Pune (1817)

⚔️ Course of War

  • Battle of Kirkee (5 Nov 1817): British defeated Peshwa near Pune
  • Battle of Koregaon (1 Jan 1818): 500 British troops defeated 28,000 Peshwa forces PYQ
  • Bhonsle & Holkar: Also defeated by British
  • Peshwa's Surrender (June 1818): Bajirao II surrendered
End of Maratha Empire (1818):
• Peshwa Abolished: Bajirao II exiled to Bithur (near Kanpur) with pension
• Pune Annexed: Became part of Bombay Presidency
• Maratha Chiefs: Became princely states under British suzerainty
• British Supremacy: Established over entire India except Punjab & Sindh
• Note: Nana Sahib (leader of 1857 Revolt) was adopted son of Bajirao II

Part 3: Anglo-Sikh Wars (1845-1849)

🦁 Background: Sikh Empire

💔 Decline After Ranjit Singh (1839)

⚔️ First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1846)

🔥 Causes

  • British Provocation: Built fortifications near Sutlej River
  • Khalsa Army: Crossed Sutlej, triggering war
  • British Goal: Annex Punjab

⚔️ Major Battles

Battle Date Result
Mudki 18 Dec 1845 British victory but heavy casualties
Ferozeshah 21-22 Dec 1845 British victory. Fierce battle
Aliwal 28 Jan 1846 British victory
Sobraon 10 Feb 1846 Decisive British victory PYQ
Treaty of Lahore (9 March 1846): Super PYQ
• War Indemnity: ₹1.5 crores to British
• Jalandhar Doab: Ceded to British (between Beas & Sutlej)
• Kashmir Sold: To Gulab Singh for ₹75 lakhs (Treaty of Amritsar, 1846)
• Khalsa Army: Reduced to 20,000 infantry & 12,000 cavalry
• British Resident: Stationed in Lahore
• Regency Council: Controlled by British

⚔️ Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-1849)

🔥 Causes

  • Multan Incident (April 1848): Revolt by Mulraj, Governor of Multan
  • British Officers Killed: Two British officers murdered in Multan
  • Sikh Support: Khalsa Army supported Mulraj
  • British Response: Declared war to annex Punjab completely

⚔️ Major Battles

  • Battle of Ramnagar (Nov 1848): Inconclusive
  • Battle of Chillianwala (13 Jan 1849): Bloodiest battle. Heavy British casualties PYQ
  • Battle of Gujarat (21 Feb 1849): Decisive British victory. Sikhs completely defeated
Annexation of Punjab (29 March 1849): Super PYQ
• Complete Annexation: Punjab became part of British India
• Maharaja Dalip Singh: Exiled to England. Converted to Christianity
• Koh-i-Noor Diamond: Taken to England (now in British Crown Jewels)
• Board of Administration: Henry Lawrence, John Lawrence, Charles Mansel
• Impact: Last independent Indian kingdom fell to British

🎯 Key Personalities

  • Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Builder of Sikh Empire. Secular ruler
  • Rani Jindan: Brave queen. Exiled by British
  • Maharaja Dalip Singh: Last Sikh ruler. Died in exile in England
  • Sher Singh Attariwala: Sikh general. Fought bravely

📊 Comparison of All Wars

War Series Period Number of Wars Final Result
Anglo-Mysore 1767-1799 4 Wars Mysore defeated. Tipu killed. South India under British
Anglo-Maratha 1775-1818 3 Wars Peshwa abolished. Maratha Empire ended
Anglo-Sikh 1845-1849 2 Wars Punjab annexed. Last independent kingdom fell

🎯 PYQ Sniper Shots

Q: Which was the last treaty signed by British on equal terms?
A: Treaty of Mangalore (1784) with Tipu Sultan
Q: When did Tipu Sultan die?
A: 4 May 1799 at Seringapatnam
Q: Which battle is called the "Waterloo of Marathas"?
A: Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
Q: Treaty of Bassein was signed in which year?
A: 1802 (31 December)
Q: Battle of Koregaon significance?
A: 500 British defeated 28,000 Peshwa forces (1818)
Q: Who was the last Peshwa?
A: Bajirao II (exiled to Bithur in 1818)
Q: Treaty of Lahore was signed after which war?
A: First Anglo-Sikh War (1846)
Q: When was Punjab annexed?
A: 29 March 1849 after Second Anglo-Sikh War
Q: Who was called "Lion of Punjab"?
A: Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Q: Koh-i-Noor diamond was taken from which ruler?
A: Maharaja Dalip Singh (1849)
UPPCS Modern India