Battle of Assaye
Part of Second Maratha War
The Royal Highland Fusiliers at Assaye
Date September 23, 1803 Location Assaye, India Result British victory
Combatants
United Kingdom	Maratha Confederacy
Commanders
Arthur Wellesley	Sindhia, Ragojee Bhonsla
Strength
4,500 infantry, 2,000 cavalry[citation needed]	50,000 infantry, 100 cannons
Casualties
3,657	6,000

The Battle of Assaye occurred September 23, 1803 near the village of Assaye in south-central India. It was one of the decisive battles of the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803 - 1805) was the second conflict between the United Kingdom and the Maratha Empire in India. ... Image File history File links Dhm_333_small. ... The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margarets Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) was a regular Scottish infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division, and known (for short) as The RHF. The regiment was formed on 20th January 1959 by the (then) controversial amalgamation of the Royal... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of Assaye took place on September 23, 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. ... Extent of the Maratha Confederacy ca. ... Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1 May 1769–14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, widely considered one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. ... The Sindhia, also spelled Scindia , Sindia, or Shinde are a prominent Maratha family in India. ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of Assaye took place on September 23, 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. ... The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803 - 1805) was a second conflict between Britain and the Maratha empire in India. ...

Assaye is located near Jafrabad in Jalna district of Maharashtra and is 261 m. north-west of Hyderabad. Jalna is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. ... Maharashtra   (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र , English: , IPA: ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ...

The Background

The Second Maratha War arose initially from internal conflict within the Maratha Confederacy. The Peshwa, Baji Rao II, was the official head of the Marathas, but the most powerful princes were Daulatrao Sindhia of Gwalior, and Jaswant Rao Holkar of Indore. Baji Rao was defeated by Holkar at the Battle of Poona (25 October 1802). After his defeat Baji Rao fled to British protection and, by the Treaty of Bassein, formed an alliance with the British Governor-General of India Lord Wellesley and the British East India Company. Extent of the Maratha Confederacy ca. ... The Maratha Empire at its peak in 1760 Statue of the great Baji Rao, near Shaniwar Wada, Pune The Peshwa (also known in Marathi as Peshwe) were Brahmin Prime Ministers to the Maratha Chattrapatis (Kings), who began commanding Maratha armies and later became the hereditary rulers of the Maratha empire... Baji Rao II was the last Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. ... Daulatrao Sindhia (born 1779, died 1827) was the king (Maharaja) of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. ... The Governor-Generals Flag (1885–1947) depicted the Star of India on a Union Flag. ... Richard Wellesley ,1st Marquess Wellesley The Most Honourable Richard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley (20 June 1760 - 26 September 1842), was the eldest son of Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington, an Irish peer, and brother of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was one of the first joint-stock companies. ...

The Governor General determined to support the Peshwa. He re-installed Baji Rao in Poona on 13 May 1803 and attempted to negotiate with Sindhia but by early August negotiations had failed. The Governor General moved against the two principal Maratha forces: a combined army of Sindhia and the Raja of Berar.

Lord Wellesley formed two armies, the northern under General Gerard Lake, and the southern under Major-General Arthur Wellesley, his younger brother (who would later become better known as the Duke of Wellington). Collaborating with General Wellesley was the East India Company's Hyderabad Contingent, some 9,400 strong, under the command of Colonel Stevenson. In addition to General Wellesley's own army were some 5,000-allied Mysore and Maratha light horse. Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (July 27, 1744 - February 20, 1808), was a British general. ... Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. ...

The Battle

On the 20th September, in pursuit of the Marathas, General Wellesley and Colonel Stevenson separated at Bednapur, to make use of two narrow roads. Stevenson advanced through a valley some 14 miles west of Wellesley's line of march. He and Wellesley planned to rejoin forces at a village twelve miles from Bokerdunon on the 24 September. But Wellesley encountered the army of Sindhia and Ragojee Bhonsla on 23 September. The latter numbered between 40,000 and 50,000 strong, including three brigades of regular infantry, the largest under the command of Anton Pohlmann, a Hanoverian soldier of fortune, who had previously been a sergeant in the East India Company before defecting to the Marathas. The Maratha forces had taken position on a tongue of land between the Kaitna and the Juah rivers, a position that the princes thought could be only attacked from across the Kaitna. Despite the numbers facing him, Wellesley determined to attack. A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict and is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was one of the first joint-stock companies. ...

Wellesley could have been prudent, digging in to a defensive position, and awaiting the arrival the following day of Stevenson's troops. However, he judged that an immediate attack, even against the astounding odds of one to seven, had a chance of success, considering the brittle morale and looser discipline of the Maratha soldiers.

In the event, Wellesley marched his little army along the river looking for a place to cross. Despite the vigorous assertions of his native guides that no crossing existed thereabouts, he found a ford near the village of Assaye. He then attempted to attack a flank of the princes' army. This maneuver failed because his party was spotted as they crossed the river; the Indian army, in an example of excellent discipline, turned their front so that they were again facing the British. But a valorous charge led by two Scottish battalions, HM 74th Highlanders (which lost all its officers) and 78th Highlanders, shattered the combined forces, and the armies of the princes fled. The Maratha casualties numbered about 6,000 men, while the British lost approximately 1,500. Despite sustaining such heavy casualties in their frontal attack, the British/Indian combined force had won a considerable victory; but having fought the battle after a 24-mile march, Wellesley's exhausted army was unable to pursue the defeated enemy. Flank is a word which might mean any of several different things: A flank is the side of either a horse or a military unit. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margarets Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) was a regular Scottish infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division, and known (for short) as The RHF. The regiment was formed on 20th January 1959 by the (then) controversial amalgamation of the Royal...

This was 34 year old Wellesley's first major success, and one that he always held in the highest estimation, even when compared to his later triumphant career. According to anecdotal evidence, in his retirement years Wellington considered this his finest battle, surpassing even his victory at the Battle of Waterloo. Combatants France Seventh Coalition: United Kingdom Prussia United Netherlands Hanover Nassau Brunswick Commanders Napoleon Bonaparte Michel Ney Duke of Wellington Gebhard von Blücher Strength 73,000 67,000 Coalition 60,000 Prussian (48,000 engaged by about 18:00) Casualties 25,000 dead or wounded; 7,000 Captured; 15...

The Battle in Fiction

This battle provides the backdrop for the book Sharpe's Triumph: Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Assaye, September 1803. This is chronologically the second book in the popular Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. A scene in which Sergeant Sharpe saves the life of General Wellesley is pivotal to the series, as through his actions, Sharpe obtains his commission as an officer. Sharpes Triumph is a fast paced continuation of Richard Sharpe story in his early, pre-officer days. ... Lieutenant Colonel Richard Sharpe is the central character in the Bernard Cornwell Sharpe novels. ... Bernard Cornwell OBE (born February 23, 1944) is a prolific and popular English historical novelist. ...

References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...