Key Facts
- Battle dates
- 8–10 July 1804
- British officers killed
- 12 killed, 2 drowned, 2 missing
- British officers wounded
- 5
- Battalions lost
- Half of 5 battalions
- Distance from pass
- ~50 km south of Mukandwara Pass
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 8–10 July 1804, Holkar's forces attacked Monson's retreating column south of the Mukandwara Pass, decimating the British rear guard. Monson reached Kotah on 12 July but was forced to abandon his artillery in the mud at the Chambal River on 15 July. Holkar relentlessly harassed the column as it fled to Kushalgarh, arriving on 25 August, with troops in a state of panic barely reaching Bayana.
01 / The Origins
The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) arose from British expansion in India and tensions within the Maratha Confederacy. Yashwantrao Holkar of Indore resisted Company encroachment and sought to defend Maratha sovereignty. Colonel Monson led a British East India Company column into Holkar's territory but dangerously overextended his supply lines, setting the stage for a disastrous confrontation near the Mukandwara Pass in Rajputana.
03 / The Outcome
Monson's force suffered severe casualties and the loss of its guns, constituting one of the most humiliating British reverses in India at the time. The retreat shook British military reputation and prestige significantly. Although the broader Second Anglo-Maratha War eventually ended with a British victory in 1805, the defeat at Mukandwara highlighted Holkar's military capability and temporarily bolstered Maratha resistance to Company expansion.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Yashwantrao Holkar.
Side B
2 belligerents
Colonel William Monson.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.