Pakistan is a paradigm example of a failed state that has undergone an extremely dangerous form of radical Islamisation.
The Second Battle
AIthough the defeat of Tipu left the Marathas as the chief rivals to Britain,
the Second Maratha War arose initially from internal conflict within the Maratha
Confederacy. The Peshwa, Baji Rao II, was still the offiicial head of the
Marathas, but the most powerful were Doulut Rao Sindhia of Gwalior, and Jaswant
Rao Holkar of Indore; lesser powers were the Gaekwar of Baroda and Ragogee
Bhonsla, Raja of Berar. Marquess Wellesley's attempts to bring these states into
his `subsidiary' system were unsuccessful, and civil war among the Marathas
resulted in the utter defeat of the Peshwa's forces by Holkar at the battle of
Poona (25 October 1802). Baji Rao II fled to British protection, and by the
Treaty of Bassein formed an alliance with the British, ceding territory for the
maintenance of a subsidiary force, and agreeing to treat with no other power.
This considerably extended British influence in western India, but Wellesley was
still concerned over possible French interference, given the French influence in
the Maratha forces, notably from Perron.
Marquess Wellesley determined to support the Peshwa, and Arthur Wellesley led
a force, which re-installed Baji Rao in Poona, without opposition, on 13 May
1803. By early August, negotiations with Sindhia having failed, the
governor-general moved against the two principal Maratha forces: a combined army
of Sindhia and the Raja of Berar in the Deccan, about 50,000 strong, including
10,500 regular infantry; and further north, Sindhia's main army, about 35,000
strong, commanded by Perron. Marquess Wellesley formed two armies, the northern
under General Gerard Lake, and the southern under Arthur Wellesley.
Collaborating with the latter was the Hyderabad Contingent, some 9,400 strong,
and in addition to Wellesley's own army, more than 11,000 strong were some
5,000-allied Mysore and Maratha light horse.
The British defeats the Marathas
On 6 August 1803 Arthur Wellesley received news of the failure of
negotiations, and marched immediately upon the fortification of Ahmednagar. On 8
August he stormed and took the city, laid siege to Ahmednagar fort, and accepted
its surrender on 12 August. This success had a profound effect upon the Maratha
chieftain Gokhale, one of the Peshwa's supporters whose forces were present with
Wellesley; he wrote that `These English are a strange people and their General a
wonderful man. They came here in the morning, looked at the pettah-wall, walked
over it, killed all the garrison, and returned to breakfast.'
Wellesley encountered the army of Sindhia and Ragojee Bhonsla at Assaye on 23
September. The latter numbered between 40,000 and 50,000 men, including three
brigades of regular infantry, the largest under the command of the ex-Hanoverian
sergeant, Pohlmann. Despite the numbers, Wellesley determined to attack; as
Colonel Stevenson's Hyderabad force was not within range of support, Wellesley
had only some 7,000 men, of whom perhaps 500 had to guard his baggage, and of
the remainder, he had only three European regiments (l9th Light Dragoons, 74th
Foot and 78th Foot). The Mysore and Maratha light horse, some believed to be of
dubious loyalty, could not be used in the main action. Despite sustaining heavy
casualties in their frontal attack, the small British and Company force won a
considerable victory; it was Wellesley's first major success, and one which he
always held in the highest estimation, even when compared to his later
triumphant career. His losses, however, were severe, numbering nearly 650
Europeans and more than 900 Indian troops; from a strength of about 500 rank and
file, the 74th lost ten officers and one volunteer killed and seven wounded, and
124 other ranks killed and 270 wounded, a casualty-rate of about three-quarters
of those engaged. Having sustained such casualties, and having fought the battle
after a 24-mile march, Wellesley was unable immediately to pursue his defeated
enemy, who had left 98 guns on the field, which they had bravely attempted to
defend.
Wellesley pressed on in due course, until the Raja of Berar's army, with
large numbers of Sindhia's cavalry made a stand at Argaum on 29 November 1803.
They numbered probably between 30,000 and 40,000, Wellesley's army about
10-11,000, the European part being only the remains of those who had fought at
Assaye, plus the 94th Scotch Brigade from Stevenson's force. The European
infantry outpaced the rest as Wellesley ordered a frontal attack; the Marathas
broke, abandoning 38 guns and Wellesley's cavalry did severe execution in the
pursuit. Wellesley suffered barely 360 casualties in all. On 15 December 1803 a
ferocious British assault captured the fortress of Gawilghur; the Raja of Berar
sued for peace next day, and on 17 December ceded the province of Cuttack to the
Company, and other territory to its allies.
Treaty of Amritsar
After the Treaty of Amritsar with British which simply stated that the
International boundry of line between the Sarkar Khalsa and British India is
Satluj. Ranjit singh was virtually made master of all the territory to the west
of Satluj. But.. there was several small kingdoms, like Peshawar, Rawalpindi,
Kashmir, Multan, Sialkote which were ruled by Afghani or local chiefs.
Thus, Ranjit singh first turned towards North towards Kangra valley which was
taken over from Raja Sansar Chand by Gurkhas. Ranjit Singh's forces fought with
Gurkhas in Kangra Valley in the end the Gurkha leader Amar Singh thapa fled
leaving the field to the Sikhs. Ranjit singh entered the fort of Kangra and held
a royal Darbar which was attended by the hill chiefs of Chamba, nurpur, Kotla,
Shahpur, Guler, Kahlur, Mandi, Suket and Kulu. Desa Singh Majithia was appointed
governor of Kangra.
Then Ranjit singh sent a force under the command of Hukma Singh Chimmi to
Jammu and himself marched on to Khushab. The fort of Khushab was held by Jaffar
Khan, a Baluch chief. He gave up the city and defended the fort stoutly. Ranjit
singh invited him to vacate the fort and accept a jagir. In few months, Jaffar
Khan accepted Ranjit singh's terms and gave up the fort. He was given a jagir
and allowed to remain in Khushab with his family.
