Yashwantrao Holkar - Battle of Bharatpur

Battle of Bharatpur

Lord Lake attacked Deeg on 13 December 1804 (Battle of Bharatpur); the army of Holkar and Jat resisted successfully and reached the Bharatpur Durg. Lord Lake attacked Bharatpur on 3 January 1805, along with General Manson, Colonel Marey, Colonel Don, Colonel Berne, Major General Jones, General Smith, Colonel Jetland, Setan, and others. The war lasted for three months in Bharatpur and was compared with the Mahabharata war. Many poems on this war were written, praising Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar.

To keep the Indian kings divided, the British declared that they would distribute the territory of Holkars amongst its Indian friends. Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar had become famous throughout India, due to his bravery; however, Amir Khan (Pindari) and Bhawani Shankar Khatri betrayed him. The British gave the Jahagir of Tonk to Amir Khan Pindari, and a Mahal and a Jahagir in Delhi were given to Bhawani Shankar Khatri. Bhawani Shankar Khatri's Haweli, situated in Delhi, is even today referred to as Namak Haram ki Haweli (Traitors House). Daulatrao Scindia decided to help Holkar, but was prevented from doing so by the ill advice of Kamal Nayan Munshi.

Sir P.E. Roberts states that surprisingly, the Jat King Ranjit Singh signed a treaty with the British on 17 April 1805, when they had nearly won the war. Due to this, Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar had to leave Bharatpur.

The failure of General Lake to conquer the fort of Bharatpur shattered the myth of invincibility of British arms, and raised the fears about the revival of Maratha Confederacy against Wellesley’s wars of aggression in India. This came as an anti-climax to Lord Wellesley’s ‘forward policy’. British Prime Minister was therefore constrained to retort that ‘the Marquis had acted most imprudently and illegally, and that he could not be suffered to remain in the government’. Thus Lord Wellesley was recalled.