[61] The pickets lost all their officers except their commander, Lieutenant Colonel William Orrock, and had only about 75 men remaining. [53] The British and Madras infantry marched on against the Maratha position. The 19th Light Dragoons and the 3 Madras cavalry regiments formed the reserve. The walled town, which was garrisoned by 1,000 Arab mercenaries, upwards of 60 cannon and one of Scindia's infantry battalions under the command of French officers, was captured with minimal losses after a brief action. Share Within the confines of the fictional Sharpe novel's, the Battle of Assaye made Arthur Wellesley famous, and made Richard Sharpe's career.
The practice for Mahratta gunners, on being overrun, was to feign death under their guns, wait for the enemy to pass and resume fire, now into the rear of the attackers. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. [17] The bulk of his forces were Company troops from Mysore: five sepoy infantry battalions of the Madras Native Infantry and three squadrons of Madras Native Cavalry. 4th Madras Native Cavalry The Battle of Singapore, also known as the Fall of Singapore, was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the British stronghold of Singapore—nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East". The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company. British casualties mounted as the Maratha guns turned their attention to the infantry and subjected them to a barrage of canister, grape and round shot. Most were Pindarries: loosely organised and lightly armed horsemen whose traditional role was to cut down fleeing enemy troops, harass convoy lines and carry out raids into enemy territory. Both regiments wore red jackets and feather bonnets. The Battle of Assaye, 23 September, 1803. Wellesley, in his dispatch after the battle, stated that the 74th veered to the right in support of the skirmishers and towards the guns that were firing at them, opening up a gap between the 74th and 10th Madras Native Infantry. [67] Assaye was 34-year-old Wellesley's first major success and despite his anguish over the heavy losses, it was a battle he always held in the highest estimation. [12] However, Scindia had formed a military alliance with the Rajah of Berar with a view to bringing the Maratha leaders into a coalition against the British, and had begun to mass his forces on the Nizam's border. At some point, the British/Madrassi line came to an extended ridge, where the troops paused before continuing forward. They paused 50 yards (46 m) from the Maratha gunners and unleashed a volley of musket fire before launching into a bayonet charge. Wellesley’s infantry formed up in two lines on the far bank, with the British regiments on the outside flanks, the 74th opposite Assaye, the 10th Madras Native Infantry in the centre of the first line and the 4th and 12th Madras Native Infantry in the second. Separating the three British presidencies, stretching from coast to coast and up to the borders of Nepal in the North and the Punjab in the West, lay the sprawling Mahratta Confederacy, combining the five principalities of the Peshwa Baji Rao, Daulat Rao Sindhia, Jeswant Rao Holkar, the Bhonslar Raja of Berar and the Gaikwar of Baroda. The Anglo-Indian army of Major-General Wellesley. [63], The sound of the guns at Assaye was heard by Stevenson who immediately broke up his camp 10 miles (16 km) to the west in an attempt to join the battle. Wellesley moved with his cavalry brigade up the river, until he identified a point beyond the left flank of the Mahratta position, where villages on each bank indicated a passable ford. [55] However, most of the Maratha cannon, which had inflicted heavy losses on Wellesley's infantry, had been captured or lay abandoned on the battlefield. Get Battle of Assaye essential facts. [25] Colonel Anthony Pohlmann, a Hanoverian and former East India Company sergeant, commanded the largest brigade with eight battalions. Consequently, Wellesley planned to work in conjunction with a separate force under Colonel Stevenson to enable his slower troops to outmanoeuvre the Maratha army and force it into a position where it could not avoid a pitched battle. The battle of Assaye, fought on September 23, 1803 between the Maratha and British armies, is largely forgotten in India. [54], While Wellesley was preoccupied with re-taking the gun line, Pohlmann rallied his infantry and redeployed them into a semicircle with their backs to the Juah; their right flank across the river and their left in Assaye. [30] Command of their army was given to Pohlmann, who had positioned his infantry to the east of the Maratha camp in the plains around the village of Assaye on the southern bank of the Juah. Wellesley’s force comprised 4 cavalry regiments; HM 19th Light Dragoons and 3 Madras native regiments; 7 infantry regiments; HM 74th and 78th regiments of Highlanders and 5 Madras native regiments; with a force of irregular cavalry from Mysore; 6,500 men and 22 guns in all. Assaye Colour of the 74th Highlanders: Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 during the Second Mahratta War in India With almost all the 74 th ’s officers casualties, Quartermaster James Grant joined the ranks of the regiment from his post with the ammunition at the rear and assisted the one remaining, but wounded, officer, Major Swinton, in leading the regiment for the remainder of the battle. Indian historians tend to refer to it as the Maratha Empire, while the British use the terms Maratha Confederacy or Maratha States, which shows the inadequacy of single words when it comes to defining complex situations. [57] Wellesley's troops were exhausted and in no condition to pursue, and the native allied cavalry which had remained on the south bank of the Kailna and had not been engaged, refused to pursue without the support of the British and Madras cavalry. See the note about David in the Battle of Medway. [23] The combined Maratha army was around 50,000 strong, the core of which was 10,800 well-equipped regular infantry organised into three brigades, trained and commanded by European adventurer and mercenary officers. The gunners stood by their cannon but were no match for the bayonets of the British and Madras troops who swiftly pressed on towards the Maratha infantry. [18][22], The Marathas slipped past Stevenson and advanced on Hyderabad. Was it an Empire? Although Maxwell had suffered heavy losses, he had rallied his cavalry and returned to the field of battle. The 74th and 78th Highland Regiments wore the kilt but on campaign in India exchanged it for thin linen trousers. A public monument was also erected by the East India Company at Fort William, Calcutta to commemorate the victory. It occurred on 23 September 1803 near Assaye in western India where an outnumbered Indian and British force under the command of Major General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated a combined Maratha army of Daulat … Size of the armies at the Battle of Assaye: 6,500 British and Madras Presidency Indian troops and Mysore irregular cavalry with around 20 guns against a Mahratta army estimated to be at least 40,000 strong, with more than 100 guns. In the advance on Assaye, the 74th came near to being annihilated, the Mahratta light cavalry swarming forward through the remnants of the regiment and the gap to its left. 10th Madras Native Infantry This they did, catching the British and Madras regiments in the rear with a renewed bombardment. [24] Scindia learned of Wellesley's intentions and returned to a position north of Jalna. The Battle of Assaye, 23 September, 1803 The Deccan Army of the British East India Company vs The Maratha Confederacy 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. [8] Wellesley entered Poona without opposition on 20 April, and Baji Rao was formally restored to his throne on 13 May. Their momentum lost, the cavalry did not complete their charge, but veered away from the Maratha line at the last moment. Battle of Assaye at popflock.com A second force under Colonel Stevenson crossed the border from Hyderabad, its role being to protect Hyderabad from attack. To read all articles by Author. While not a 19th Dragoon relic, It is the go to book for cavalry drill of the time period. [28], Pohlmann struck camp and deployed his infantry battalions in a line facing southwards behind the steep banks of the Kailna with his cannon arrayed directly in front. The commanding officer of the 19th Light Dragoons, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Maxwell, who also commanded the cavalry brigade was killed. Battle of Assaye, 23 September 1803, engraved by J.C. Stadler, published by Thomas Tegg, 1st April 1818.jpg 428 × 319; 41 KB Battle of Assaye.jpeg 960 × 716; 359 KB Battle of Assaye… The Mahratta guns subjected the Highlanders and Madrassis to a heavy fire, as they marched to the river, crossed the ford and advanced to the attack. The Battle of Assaye The East India Company's army led by Arthur Wellesley defeated the Mahrattas at the Battle of Assaye on September 23rd, 1803. As the main body of his army came up, Wellesley directed his infantry to cross the ford and attack the Mahratta flank, accompanied by four 12 pounder guns. [52] Wellesley, meanwhile, galloped back to 7th Madras Native Cavalry, which had been held back in reserve to the east, and led a cavalry charge from the opposite direction. 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. The Mahratta army comprised a wide variety of fighting men from disciplined European style infantry commanded by mercenary officers and armed with musket and bayonet to hordes of free-moving light horsemen armed with swords and shields. Wellesley, after a notable part in the Mysore Wars, had for some time planned the inevitable incursion into the Mahratta Confederacy. Battle of Assaye has been listed as one of the Warfare good articles under the good article criteria. The second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. ", The picquets of the day were composed of a half, Catherine Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington, Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Assaye&oldid=1014855787, Battles involving the British East India Company, History of the Corps of Engineers (Indian Army), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 9,500, (including two British infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment). Battle of Assaye, Second Maratha War, 1803 Captain Hugh Mackay, 4th Madras Cavalry Lairg Cemetery, Sutherland. The game includes a map, the operator 9 * 6 plates and a help card, these parts include only the print is free of charge can be used directly. [46] The officers of the Madras battalions temporarily lost control as the sepoys, encouraged by their success, pushed too far in pursuit. While not a 19th Dragoon relic, It is the go to book for cavalry drill of the time period. [56], With the remanned Maratha artillery silenced, Wellesley turned his attention to Pohlmann's reformed infantry. Feuding between the two dominant powers within the Maratha Empire, Yashwant Rao Holkar and Daulat Rao Scindia, led to civil war at the turn of the 19th century. The Mahratta gun-fire was particularly heavy from Assaye against the 74th Highlanders, advancing behind a screen of skirmishers from the 2nd and 8th Madras Native Infantry. General Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, leading the British attack at the Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 in the Second Mahratta War in India: picture by William Heath. Lieutenant Colonel John Collins was sent to Scindia's camp to discuss his objections and propose a defensive alliance. To the Danish Wars Index. The 19th Light Dragoons wore blue jackets and the Tarleton light dragoon helmet. [30] In all, Wellesley had 4,500 troops at his disposal, plus 5,000 Mysore and Maratha horse and 17 cannon. Wellesley came up with the Mahratta army and found that, far from withdrawing, the Mahrattas were in position behind the Kaitna, a steep-banked river presenting a formidable obstacle. Colonel Stevenson pursued the defeated Mahratta army, taking the fortress of Asirgarh, until peace was negotiated in mid-November 1803. Pohlmann soon recognised Wellesley's intentions and swung his infantry and guns through 90 degrees to establish a new line spread approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) across the isthmus with their right flank on the Kaitna and the left on Assaye. [28] At this point, Wellesley received further intelligence that, rather than being at Borkardan, the Maratha army was camped just 5 miles (8.0 km) north, but their cavalry had moved off and the infantry were about to follow. Based on this information, Wellesley gave his brother a report setting out how the campaign would develop, advising that it be fought during the monsoon, so that the flooding rivers would hinder the fast-moving Mahratta light cavalry. Wellesley was determined to gain the initiative through offensive action and told his senior subordinate, Colonel James Stevenson, that "a long defensive war would ruin us and will answer no purpose whatever". 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. Wellesley, with his British and Madras native regiments, pursued the retreating Mahratta army to the North East, acting in concert with, but separate from Stephenson’s force. The Mahrattas were ready for battle; with 30,000 horsemen massed on their right and 12,000 infantry on their left; 16 battalions trained and led by French officers, in lines and interspersed by 100 guns. [18] Stevenson was despatched from Hyderabad with an army of some 10,000 men to Jafarabad to deny Scindia and Berar the chance to raid east into the Nizam's territory. However, Scindia and Berar did not believe Wellesley would attack with his small force and had moved away from the area in the morning. He appealed to the company for assistance, offering to accept its authority if he were restored to his principality at Poona. In the event, the Mahratta army of Sindhia and Berar – the force Wellesley had to deal with in this section of the war; General Lake fighting with Holkar’s army in the area of Delhi in the North – encumbered itself with a substantial force of infantry, severely restricting its mobility. British sowar: Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 in the Second Mahratta War in India. Pohlmann's men, their morale low, did not wait for the attack and instead retreated northwards across the Juah. These victories, coupled with Lieutenant General Lake's successful campaign in the north, induced the two Maratha chiefs to sue for peace. [14] After a protracted period of negotiations, Collins reported to Wellesley on 3 August that Scindia refused to give an answer and would not withdraw his troops. Visit our dedicated Podcast page or visit Podbean below. Despatches from British officers give a figure of 1,200 dead and many more wounded but some modern historians have estimated a total of 6,000 dead and wounded. Richard Cavendish | Published in History Today Volume 53 Issue 9 September 2003 [3] Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Munro, the Company's district collector at Mysore, was critical of the high proportion of casualties and questioned Wellesley's decision not to wait for Stevenson. [63], The number of Maratha casualties is more difficult to ascertain. But Cornwell’s description of the British assault at Assaye, in which the 78th calmly marched in formation under enemy fire, took a beating, but still went on to crush the Mahratta right flank, is even more astounding. Maratha sources claim the line marched away from the battlefield in an orderly manner on Pohlmann's orders, but British accounts claim the Maratha infantry fled in an uncontrolled panic. After receiving reports of their movement on 30 August, Wellesley hurried east down to the Godavari to intercept. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
, Map of the Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 during the Second Mahratta War in India: map by John Fawkes. The final phase of the Second Mahratta War broke out the same month, with the Mahrattas finally defeated in 1818 at the end of the Third Mahratta War, thereby assuring the British position in Central India. The commander of the pickets, Lieutenant Colonel William Orrock, had mistaken his orders and continued his oblique path directly towards Assaye. The British Governor-General, the aggressive and resourceful Lord Mornington, seized on the pretext of re-instating the Peshwa in his capital, Poona, close to the British city of Bombay, to invade the Confederacy from Mysore in the South and from Oudh in the North. HM 19th Light Dragoons Without hesitation, Wellesley resolved to attack. [43] The four battalions of Madras infantry to the right of the 78th, accompanied by the Madras Pioneers,[44] reached Pohlmann's line shortly afterwards and attacked in the same fashion. Nevertheless, he resolved to attack at once, believing that if he waited for Stevenson, the Marathas would have the chance to slip away and force the pursuit to drag on. [33] While reconnoitring he had noticed two unguarded villages, Peepulgaon and Waroor, one on each bank of the Kaitna beyond the Maratha left. The British regiments and native units were also awarded the Assaye battle honour and most were later given permission to adopt an Assaye elephant as part of their insignia. [54] Wellesley remained to the south while he established a hospital at Ajanta and awaited reinforcements from Poona. Sometime after his victory at Waterloo, the Duke of … [7] The Treaty of Bassein was signed in December whereby the Company agreed to restore Baji Rao in return for control over his foreign affairs and a garrison of 6,000 Company troops permanently stationed in Poona. 74th Highlanders attacked by the Mahratta Cavalry at the Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 during the Second Mahratta War in India: picture by W.R.S. [17][20] The adjacent fort's defenders capitulated four days later once the walls were breached by British artillery. They agreed on a plan by which their two armies – moving separately along either side of a range of hills with Wellesley to the east and Stevenson to the west – would converge on Borkardan on 24 September. [38] Wellesley's intention was to force back the Marathas from their guns and then – operating by his left to avoid the heavily defended Assaye – throw them back on the Juah and complete their destruction with his cavalry. [67] In response, Wellesley politely rebuffed Munro's accusations and defended his action as necessary because he had received and acted upon incorrect intelligence regarding the Maratha position. A century later, as India struggled to forge a national identity from its motley of ethnic, religious, and tribal factions, the memory of Assaye—and of Indians killing Indians for European coin—began to seem increasingly distasteful, and the Battle of Assaye is now designated a “repugnant battle honour” by modern Indian Army units that still trace their ancestry to service with the East India … Description: A sketch map of the Battle of Assaye, fought on 23 September 1803 between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company under Major General Arthur Wellesley (Duke of Wellington) during the Second Anglo–Maratha War (1803&ndash1805). In the Second Maratha War of 1803–05, the 1st and 10th Battalions fought in the Battle of Assaye under General Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, while the 4th Battalion fought in the Battles of Laswari and Agra in 1803, and Bhurtpore in 1805. The ‘Battle of Ashdown’ was written and contributed by David Young. Once Wellesley’s intentions were recognised, the Mahratta commanders moved their army, establishing a new line across the isthmus formed by the Kaitna and Juah rivers, their left flank now resting on the village of Assaye. Commanders at the Battle of Assaye: Colonel, acting Major-General, Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) against Madhaji Scindia, one of the chief rulers of the Mahratta Confederacy. 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The practice for Mahratta gunners, on being overrun, was to feign death under their guns, wait for the enemy to pass and resume fire, now into the rear of the attackers. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. [17] The bulk of his forces were Company troops from Mysore: five sepoy infantry battalions of the Madras Native Infantry and three squadrons of Madras Native Cavalry. 4th Madras Native Cavalry The Battle of Singapore, also known as the Fall of Singapore, was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the British stronghold of Singapore—nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East". The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company. British casualties mounted as the Maratha guns turned their attention to the infantry and subjected them to a barrage of canister, grape and round shot. Most were Pindarries: loosely organised and lightly armed horsemen whose traditional role was to cut down fleeing enemy troops, harass convoy lines and carry out raids into enemy territory. Both regiments wore red jackets and feather bonnets. The Battle of Assaye, 23 September, 1803. Wellesley, in his dispatch after the battle, stated that the 74th veered to the right in support of the skirmishers and towards the guns that were firing at them, opening up a gap between the 74th and 10th Madras Native Infantry. [67] Assaye was 34-year-old Wellesley's first major success and despite his anguish over the heavy losses, it was a battle he always held in the highest estimation. [12] However, Scindia had formed a military alliance with the Rajah of Berar with a view to bringing the Maratha leaders into a coalition against the British, and had begun to mass his forces on the Nizam's border. At some point, the British/Madrassi line came to an extended ridge, where the troops paused before continuing forward. They paused 50 yards (46 m) from the Maratha gunners and unleashed a volley of musket fire before launching into a bayonet charge. Wellesley’s infantry formed up in two lines on the far bank, with the British regiments on the outside flanks, the 74th opposite Assaye, the 10th Madras Native Infantry in the centre of the first line and the 4th and 12th Madras Native Infantry in the second. Separating the three British presidencies, stretching from coast to coast and up to the borders of Nepal in the North and the Punjab in the West, lay the sprawling Mahratta Confederacy, combining the five principalities of the Peshwa Baji Rao, Daulat Rao Sindhia, Jeswant Rao Holkar, the Bhonslar Raja of Berar and the Gaikwar of Baroda. The Anglo-Indian army of Major-General Wellesley. [63], The sound of the guns at Assaye was heard by Stevenson who immediately broke up his camp 10 miles (16 km) to the west in an attempt to join the battle. Wellesley moved with his cavalry brigade up the river, until he identified a point beyond the left flank of the Mahratta position, where villages on each bank indicated a passable ford. [55] However, most of the Maratha cannon, which had inflicted heavy losses on Wellesley's infantry, had been captured or lay abandoned on the battlefield. Get Battle of Assaye essential facts. [25] Colonel Anthony Pohlmann, a Hanoverian and former East India Company sergeant, commanded the largest brigade with eight battalions. Consequently, Wellesley planned to work in conjunction with a separate force under Colonel Stevenson to enable his slower troops to outmanoeuvre the Maratha army and force it into a position where it could not avoid a pitched battle. The battle of Assaye, fought on September 23, 1803 between the Maratha and British armies, is largely forgotten in India. [54], While Wellesley was preoccupied with re-taking the gun line, Pohlmann rallied his infantry and redeployed them into a semicircle with their backs to the Juah; their right flank across the river and their left in Assaye. [30] Command of their army was given to Pohlmann, who had positioned his infantry to the east of the Maratha camp in the plains around the village of Assaye on the southern bank of the Juah. Wellesley’s force comprised 4 cavalry regiments; HM 19th Light Dragoons and 3 Madras native regiments; 7 infantry regiments; HM 74th and 78th regiments of Highlanders and 5 Madras native regiments; with a force of irregular cavalry from Mysore; 6,500 men and 22 guns in all. Assaye Colour of the 74th Highlanders: Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 during the Second Mahratta War in India With almost all the 74 th ’s officers casualties, Quartermaster James Grant joined the ranks of the regiment from his post with the ammunition at the rear and assisted the one remaining, but wounded, officer, Major Swinton, in leading the regiment for the remainder of the battle. Indian historians tend to refer to it as the Maratha Empire, while the British use the terms Maratha Confederacy or Maratha States, which shows the inadequacy of single words when it comes to defining complex situations. [57] Wellesley's troops were exhausted and in no condition to pursue, and the native allied cavalry which had remained on the south bank of the Kailna and had not been engaged, refused to pursue without the support of the British and Madras cavalry. See the note about David in the Battle of Medway. [23] The combined Maratha army was around 50,000 strong, the core of which was 10,800 well-equipped regular infantry organised into three brigades, trained and commanded by European adventurer and mercenary officers. The gunners stood by their cannon but were no match for the bayonets of the British and Madras troops who swiftly pressed on towards the Maratha infantry. [18][22], The Marathas slipped past Stevenson and advanced on Hyderabad. Was it an Empire? Although Maxwell had suffered heavy losses, he had rallied his cavalry and returned to the field of battle. The 74th and 78th Highland Regiments wore the kilt but on campaign in India exchanged it for thin linen trousers. A public monument was also erected by the East India Company at Fort William, Calcutta to commemorate the victory. It occurred on 23 September 1803 near Assaye in western India where an outnumbered Indian and British force under the command of Major General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated a combined Maratha army of Daulat … Size of the armies at the Battle of Assaye: 6,500 British and Madras Presidency Indian troops and Mysore irregular cavalry with around 20 guns against a Mahratta army estimated to be at least 40,000 strong, with more than 100 guns. In the advance on Assaye, the 74th came near to being annihilated, the Mahratta light cavalry swarming forward through the remnants of the regiment and the gap to its left. 10th Madras Native Infantry This they did, catching the British and Madras regiments in the rear with a renewed bombardment. [24] Scindia learned of Wellesley's intentions and returned to a position north of Jalna. The Battle of Assaye, 23 September, 1803 The Deccan Army of the British East India Company vs The Maratha Confederacy 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. [8] Wellesley entered Poona without opposition on 20 April, and Baji Rao was formally restored to his throne on 13 May. Their momentum lost, the cavalry did not complete their charge, but veered away from the Maratha line at the last moment. Battle of Assaye at popflock.com A second force under Colonel Stevenson crossed the border from Hyderabad, its role being to protect Hyderabad from attack. To read all articles by Author. While not a 19th Dragoon relic, It is the go to book for cavalry drill of the time period. [28], Pohlmann struck camp and deployed his infantry battalions in a line facing southwards behind the steep banks of the Kailna with his cannon arrayed directly in front. The commanding officer of the 19th Light Dragoons, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Maxwell, who also commanded the cavalry brigade was killed. Battle of Assaye, 23 September 1803, engraved by J.C. Stadler, published by Thomas Tegg, 1st April 1818.jpg 428 × 319; 41 KB Battle of Assaye.jpeg 960 × 716; 359 KB Battle of Assaye… The Mahratta guns subjected the Highlanders and Madrassis to a heavy fire, as they marched to the river, crossed the ford and advanced to the attack. The Battle of Assaye The East India Company's army led by Arthur Wellesley defeated the Mahrattas at the Battle of Assaye on September 23rd, 1803. As the main body of his army came up, Wellesley directed his infantry to cross the ford and attack the Mahratta flank, accompanied by four 12 pounder guns. [52] Wellesley, meanwhile, galloped back to 7th Madras Native Cavalry, which had been held back in reserve to the east, and led a cavalry charge from the opposite direction. 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. The Mahratta army comprised a wide variety of fighting men from disciplined European style infantry commanded by mercenary officers and armed with musket and bayonet to hordes of free-moving light horsemen armed with swords and shields. Wellesley, after a notable part in the Mysore Wars, had for some time planned the inevitable incursion into the Mahratta Confederacy. Battle of Assaye has been listed as one of the Warfare good articles under the good article criteria. The second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. ", The picquets of the day were composed of a half, Catherine Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington, Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Assaye&oldid=1014855787, Battles involving the British East India Company, History of the Corps of Engineers (Indian Army), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 9,500, (including two British infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment). Battle of Assaye, Second Maratha War, 1803 Captain Hugh Mackay, 4th Madras Cavalry Lairg Cemetery, Sutherland. The game includes a map, the operator 9 * 6 plates and a help card, these parts include only the print is free of charge can be used directly. [46] The officers of the Madras battalions temporarily lost control as the sepoys, encouraged by their success, pushed too far in pursuit. While not a 19th Dragoon relic, It is the go to book for cavalry drill of the time period. [56], With the remanned Maratha artillery silenced, Wellesley turned his attention to Pohlmann's reformed infantry. Feuding between the two dominant powers within the Maratha Empire, Yashwant Rao Holkar and Daulat Rao Scindia, led to civil war at the turn of the 19th century. The Mahratta gun-fire was particularly heavy from Assaye against the 74th Highlanders, advancing behind a screen of skirmishers from the 2nd and 8th Madras Native Infantry. General Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, leading the British attack at the Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 in the Second Mahratta War in India: picture by William Heath. Lieutenant Colonel John Collins was sent to Scindia's camp to discuss his objections and propose a defensive alliance. To the Danish Wars Index. The 19th Light Dragoons wore blue jackets and the Tarleton light dragoon helmet. [30] In all, Wellesley had 4,500 troops at his disposal, plus 5,000 Mysore and Maratha horse and 17 cannon. Wellesley came up with the Mahratta army and found that, far from withdrawing, the Mahrattas were in position behind the Kaitna, a steep-banked river presenting a formidable obstacle. Colonel Stevenson pursued the defeated Mahratta army, taking the fortress of Asirgarh, until peace was negotiated in mid-November 1803. Pohlmann soon recognised Wellesley's intentions and swung his infantry and guns through 90 degrees to establish a new line spread approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) across the isthmus with their right flank on the Kaitna and the left on Assaye. [28] At this point, Wellesley received further intelligence that, rather than being at Borkardan, the Maratha army was camped just 5 miles (8.0 km) north, but their cavalry had moved off and the infantry were about to follow. Based on this information, Wellesley gave his brother a report setting out how the campaign would develop, advising that it be fought during the monsoon, so that the flooding rivers would hinder the fast-moving Mahratta light cavalry. Wellesley was determined to gain the initiative through offensive action and told his senior subordinate, Colonel James Stevenson, that "a long defensive war would ruin us and will answer no purpose whatever". 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. Wellesley, with his British and Madras native regiments, pursued the retreating Mahratta army to the North East, acting in concert with, but separate from Stephenson’s force. The Mahrattas were ready for battle; with 30,000 horsemen massed on their right and 12,000 infantry on their left; 16 battalions trained and led by French officers, in lines and interspersed by 100 guns. [18] Stevenson was despatched from Hyderabad with an army of some 10,000 men to Jafarabad to deny Scindia and Berar the chance to raid east into the Nizam's territory. However, Scindia and Berar did not believe Wellesley would attack with his small force and had moved away from the area in the morning. He appealed to the company for assistance, offering to accept its authority if he were restored to his principality at Poona. In the event, the Mahratta army of Sindhia and Berar – the force Wellesley had to deal with in this section of the war; General Lake fighting with Holkar’s army in the area of Delhi in the North – encumbered itself with a substantial force of infantry, severely restricting its mobility. British sowar: Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 in the Second Mahratta War in India. Pohlmann's men, their morale low, did not wait for the attack and instead retreated northwards across the Juah. These victories, coupled with Lieutenant General Lake's successful campaign in the north, induced the two Maratha chiefs to sue for peace. [14] After a protracted period of negotiations, Collins reported to Wellesley on 3 August that Scindia refused to give an answer and would not withdraw his troops. Visit our dedicated Podcast page or visit Podbean below. Despatches from British officers give a figure of 1,200 dead and many more wounded but some modern historians have estimated a total of 6,000 dead and wounded. Richard Cavendish | Published in History Today Volume 53 Issue 9 September 2003 [3] Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Munro, the Company's district collector at Mysore, was critical of the high proportion of casualties and questioned Wellesley's decision not to wait for Stevenson. [63], The number of Maratha casualties is more difficult to ascertain. But Cornwell’s description of the British assault at Assaye, in which the 78th calmly marched in formation under enemy fire, took a beating, but still went on to crush the Mahratta right flank, is even more astounding. Maratha sources claim the line marched away from the battlefield in an orderly manner on Pohlmann's orders, but British accounts claim the Maratha infantry fled in an uncontrolled panic. After receiving reports of their movement on 30 August, Wellesley hurried east down to the Godavari to intercept. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
, Map of the Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 during the Second Mahratta War in India: map by John Fawkes. The final phase of the Second Mahratta War broke out the same month, with the Mahrattas finally defeated in 1818 at the end of the Third Mahratta War, thereby assuring the British position in Central India. The commander of the pickets, Lieutenant Colonel William Orrock, had mistaken his orders and continued his oblique path directly towards Assaye. The British Governor-General, the aggressive and resourceful Lord Mornington, seized on the pretext of re-instating the Peshwa in his capital, Poona, close to the British city of Bombay, to invade the Confederacy from Mysore in the South and from Oudh in the North. HM 19th Light Dragoons Without hesitation, Wellesley resolved to attack. [43] The four battalions of Madras infantry to the right of the 78th, accompanied by the Madras Pioneers,[44] reached Pohlmann's line shortly afterwards and attacked in the same fashion. Nevertheless, he resolved to attack at once, believing that if he waited for Stevenson, the Marathas would have the chance to slip away and force the pursuit to drag on. [33] While reconnoitring he had noticed two unguarded villages, Peepulgaon and Waroor, one on each bank of the Kaitna beyond the Maratha left. The British regiments and native units were also awarded the Assaye battle honour and most were later given permission to adopt an Assaye elephant as part of their insignia. [54] Wellesley remained to the south while he established a hospital at Ajanta and awaited reinforcements from Poona. Sometime after his victory at Waterloo, the Duke of … [7] The Treaty of Bassein was signed in December whereby the Company agreed to restore Baji Rao in return for control over his foreign affairs and a garrison of 6,000 Company troops permanently stationed in Poona. 74th Highlanders attacked by the Mahratta Cavalry at the Battle of Assaye on 23rd September 1803 during the Second Mahratta War in India: picture by W.R.S. [17][20] The adjacent fort's defenders capitulated four days later once the walls were breached by British artillery. They agreed on a plan by which their two armies – moving separately along either side of a range of hills with Wellesley to the east and Stevenson to the west – would converge on Borkardan on 24 September. [38] Wellesley's intention was to force back the Marathas from their guns and then – operating by his left to avoid the heavily defended Assaye – throw them back on the Juah and complete their destruction with his cavalry. [67] In response, Wellesley politely rebuffed Munro's accusations and defended his action as necessary because he had received and acted upon incorrect intelligence regarding the Maratha position. A century later, as India struggled to forge a national identity from its motley of ethnic, religious, and tribal factions, the memory of Assaye—and of Indians killing Indians for European coin—began to seem increasingly distasteful, and the Battle of Assaye is now designated a “repugnant battle honour” by modern Indian Army units that still trace their ancestry to service with the East India … Description: A sketch map of the Battle of Assaye, fought on 23 September 1803 between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company under Major General Arthur Wellesley (Duke of Wellington) during the Second Anglo–Maratha War (1803&ndash1805). In the Second Maratha War of 1803–05, the 1st and 10th Battalions fought in the Battle of Assaye under General Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, while the 4th Battalion fought in the Battles of Laswari and Agra in 1803, and Bhurtpore in 1805. The ‘Battle of Ashdown’ was written and contributed by David Young. Once Wellesley’s intentions were recognised, the Mahratta commanders moved their army, establishing a new line across the isthmus formed by the Kaitna and Juah rivers, their left flank now resting on the village of Assaye. Commanders at the Battle of Assaye: Colonel, acting Major-General, Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) against Madhaji Scindia, one of the chief rulers of the Mahratta Confederacy. 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