The Holkar victory at Pune forced Peshwa Bajirao II to sign the Treaty of Vasai, directly triggering the Second Anglo-Maratha War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 October 1802 (Diwali)
- Holkar force size
- ~20,000 men
- Scindia–Peshwa combined force
- ~25,000 men
- Treaty signed
- Treaty of Vasai, 31 December 1802
- British reinstatement of Peshwa
- 13 May 1803
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Disputes within the Maratha Confederacy prompted Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar to march on Pune in May 1802 with 20,000 troops. He swept through numerous towns before converging on Pune, seeking to resolve conflicts with Peshwa Bajirao II and his Scindia allies through force.
On 25 October 1802, Holkar's forces attacked the combined armies of the Scindia and Peshwa Bajirao II at Ghorpadi, Banwadi, and Hadapsar near Pune. Holkar, commanding around 20,000 men, defeated the approximately 25,000-strong enemy coalition. Following his victory, he ordered his troops to spare Pune's civilian population.
Bajirao II fled and eventually reached Vasai, where British pressure and enticements led him to sign the Treaty of Vasai on 31 December 1802, surrendering his sovereignty. This treaty brought British forces into Maratha affairs and directly precipitated the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Holkar installed Amrutrao as a new Peshwa, but the British restored Bajirao II on 13 May 1803 as a nominal ruler.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Yashwantrao Holkar.
Side B
1 belligerent
Peshwa Bajirao II.