Holkar - Battle of Mahidpur

Battle of Mahidpur

In 1811, Maharaja Malharrao Holkar III succeeded Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar at an age of 4 years. Maharani Tulsabai Holkar looked after the administration. However, Dharama Kunwar and Balaram Seth with the help of Pathans and Pindaris, who had secretly joined hands with the British, plotted to imprison Tulsabai and Malharrao. When Tulsabai learnt about this, she beheaded both of them in 1815 and appointed Tantia Jog. Due to this, Gaffur Khan Pindari secretly signed a treaty with the British on 9 November 1817 and accordingly killed Tulsabai on 19 December 1817.

The British, led by Sir Thomas Hislop, attacked on 20 December 1817 and defeated the army led by 11 year old Maharaja Malharrao Holhar III, 20 year old Harirao Holkar and 20 year old Bhimabai Holkar in the Battle of Mahidpur. Holkars had nearly won the war but at the deciding moment Nawab Abdul Gaffur Khan betrayed and left the battlefield along with his army. The British gave the Jahagir of Jawara to Gaffur Khan for this betrayal. The treaty was signed on 6 January 1818 at Mandsaur. Bhimabai Holkar didn't accept the treaty, and kept attacking the British by guerilla methods. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhanshi took inspiration from Bhimabai Holkar and fought against the British. At the conclusion of this Third Anglo-Maratha War, the Holkars lost much of their territory to the British and were incorporated into the British Raj as a princely state of the Central India Agency. The capital was shifted from Bhanpura to Indore.