Battle of Malthan
| Battle of Malthan | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Beligerents | |||||||||
 Maratha Empire |
 Hyderabad State | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Balaji Baji RaoRaghoji I of NagpurMahadaji ShindeShamsher Bahadur I (WIA)Chimnaji Bapuji † |
Saiyad Lashkar Khan Janoji NimbalkarBussyMir Noman Khan †Fateh Khan † | ||||||||
During the resumed war between Maharashtra and Hyderabad, Maratha Peshwa Balaji Rao advanced towards Ahmadnagar.
Following a skirmish loss at Parner on 21 November 1751, they engaged the Nizam's army, led by Saiyad Lashkar Khan, south of Ahmadnagar. The decisive battle occurred near Malthan on the River Ghod, where the Marathas achieved a hard-fought victory. As a result, Nizam Salabat Jang swiftly sought peace, leading to a cessation of hostilities on 27 November 1751.[1][2]
Background[edit]
Bussy and his advisers, while appearing conciliatory towards the Peshwa, secretly aimed to undermine him. Ramdaspant played a crucial role in this scheme by deceiving Maratha agents and reporters. They seized a large treasure intended for the Peshwa, leading to tension. Bussy and Salabat Jang readied for war against Ghazi-ud-din, while also plotting against the Peshwa. However, the Peshwa saw through their plans and prepared for defense. Bussy, meanwhile, stabilized Salabat Jang's rule through discipline and vigilance, strengthening his military and administrative control. He secured key districts for French management, consolidating their influence.[1][2][3]
Battle[edit]
In November 1751, the expected conflict between the Marathas and the forces led by the French commander Bussy erupted into war. Preceding this clash, the Peshwa had already departed from Poona towards Ahmadnagar in October, while Bussy commenced ravaging Maratha territories after leaving Aurangabad on 15 November, crossing the Godavari River. Employing guerrilla tactics, the Marathas resorted to scorched-earth strategies, destroying their own villages to deprive the enemy, whose artillery posed a significant threat, of essential resources. Bussy, eager to employ his artillery against Poona, faced limitations in advancing too far.[1][4][5]
On 20 November, a engagement occurred near Parner, resulting in the loss of Chimnaji Bapuji, a valiant officer of the Peshwa, and injuries to Shamsher Bahadur's mare. The following evening, 21 November, during the Peshwa's religious observances amidst a lunar eclipse on the river Kukadi, artillery fire startled the camp, prompting the Peshwa to flee for his safety, with Muslim forces seizing his religious materials.[1][4][5]
Further clashes unfolded, notably on 27 November near Malthan, known as the Battle of the Ghod River, where Saiyad Lashkar Khan suffered a severe defeat and incurred substantial losses in plunder. Concurrently, neighboring villages such as Shikrapur and Talegaon (Dhamdhera) faced pillaging and destruction by the Muslim forces.[1][4][5]
Raghuji Bhosle reinforced the Maratha ranks by joining the Peshwa after securing key positions between Aurangabad and the Godavari. Subsequently, the Mughal forces retreated to Pedgaon or Bahadurgad, closely pursued by the Marathas[1][2][5][6]
Conclusion[edit]
These events didn't solve the disagreement between the two states in the Deccan or fix the problem of who had the most power in the region's politics. When Bussy supported the Asaf Jahi State, it made the Maratha leader, the Peshwa, unhappy. So, the Peshwa urgently asked Ghazi-ud-din from Delhi for help. Ghazi-ud-din left Delhi in April 1752 with Sinclia and Holkar and arrived in Aurangabad on September 28th. But even before he got there, just hearing that Ghazi-ud-din had left Delhi worried Salabat Jang. He thought a civil war between the two brothers was going to happen. So, with Bussy's advice, Salabat Jang left Aurangabad and went to Hyderabad to keep safe.[1][7]
Bussy's troops hadn't been paid for a while, and they were upset. While they were at Bhalki, about 40 miles east of Tulzapur, in April 1752, they rebelled. They attacked Ramdaspant, their paymaster, and killed him on 7 April 1752. Two other important officials, Saiyad Lashkhar Khan and Shah Nawaz Khan, were already not happy with Bussy because he was too harsh with them. The Peshwa saw this as a chance and asked Sindia and Holkar to bring Ghazi-ud-din as soon as possible. The Peshwa himself started in August to meet him near Aurangabad. Bussy and Salabat Jang also went back to that city.[1][7]
The Peshwa and Ghazi-ud-din met early in October and made plans, but before they could do anything, Ghazi-ud-din suddenly died from poison at a dinner on 16 October 1752. So, everything went back to how it was before. A big group of Marathas, with many important leaders, gathered near Aurangabad and tried to surround Salabat Jang and force him to obey. He and Bussy left for Hyderabad, and the Marathas followed them, making trouble for the Mughal forces. When they got near Bhalki, they found themselves surrounded by the Marathas, who had guns with them this time. Bussy didn't have all his troops with him and wasn't ready for this. For four days, the Marathas kept harassing their enemies, causing them to lose a lot of people from hunger and attacks. Salabat Jang asked for peace through Bussy. The Marathas said they would only accept what Ghazi-ud-din had agreed to. They accepted that, and the Treaty of Bhalki was made on 24 November 1752. The main part of this treaty was that the Nizam, Salabat Jang, gave the Marathas the western half of Berar, Baglan, and Khandesh. This has been the border between the Marathas and the Nizam since then. Before this treaty, the Nizam claimed all the land east of the Sahyadri range. Nasik, Trimbak, and other important forts in that area became Maratha land and were managed and governed by them. This was a big gain for the Marathas because they got back a lot of their land from the Mughals.[1]
After the treaty, the Peshwa and Bussy talked a lot and visited each other. The Peshwa wanted Bussy to join him, but Bussy said no. Bussy was not an enemy of the Marathas anymore.[1][7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.2. pp. 323–325.
- ^ a b c Jaques, Tony (30 November 2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity through the Twenty-first Century [3 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 624. ISBN 978-0-313-02799-4.
- ^ Ekbote Gopal Rao (1954). The Chronology Of Modern Hyderabad (1954). p. 30.
- ^ a b c Pandey, Rameshwarprasad Ganeshprasad (1980). Mahadji Shinde and the Poona Durbar. Oriental Publishers & Distributors. p. 31.
- ^ a b c d Pagdi, Setumadhava Rao; Rao, P. Setu Madhava (1963). Eighteenth Century Deccan. Popular Prakashan. p. 248. ISBN 978-81-7154-367-0.
- ^ Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Ahmadnagar. Government Central Press. 1884. p. 408.
- ^ a b c Kulkarni, Prof A. R. (1 July 2008). The Marathas. Diamond Publications. ISBN 978-81-8483-073-6.