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Question 22 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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In the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the small Company force that held off the Peshwa's army at the Battle of Koregaon (1 January 1818) consisted largely of soldiers from which community?

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Answer: Option D — Mahar

Detailed Solution

At the Battle of Koregaon (Bhima Koregaon), fought on 1 January 1818 during the Third Anglo-Maratha War, a small force of the English East India Company, consisting largely of Mahar soldiers of the Bombay Native Infantry, held off a much larger army of the Peshwa Baji Rao II.

About the battle:

  • Koregaon is a village on the Bhima river, near Pune, in Maharashtra.
  • The Company force of about 800-900 men, under Captain Francis Staunton, was marching to reinforce Pune.
  • They were attacked by a Maratha force of several thousand men.
  • They defended their position in the village for about twelve hours, without food or water, and the Peshwa's army finally withdrew.
  • The battle is regarded as a symbol of the courage of the Mahar soldiers.

The Koregaon memorial:

The British built a victory pillar (the "Vijay Stambh") at Koregaon in memory of the soldiers who died, listing their names.

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar visited the memorial on 1 January 1927, and it became a symbol of Dalit pride and resistance against caste oppression.

Every year, on 1 January, many people gather at the memorial.

Background - the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818):

  • The Peshwa Baji Rao II tried to free himself from British control and attacked the British Residency at Pune in 1817.
  • He was defeated at Khadki (Kirkee) in November 1817, at Koregaon in January 1818 and at Ashti in February 1818.
  • The Bhonsle of Nagpur was defeated at Sitabuldi, and the Holkar army at Mahidpur.
  • The Peshwa surrendered in June 1818.

Results of the war:

  • The office of the Peshwa was abolished.
  • The Peshwa's territories were annexed and became part of the Bombay Presidency.
  • The Maratha power came to an end.

About the Mahars:

  • They were a community of Maharashtra, treated as "untouchable" under the caste system.
  • Many served in the armies of the Marathas and later the British.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Gurkhas, Sikhs and Rajputs were not the main soldiers at Koregaon.

Quick tip

Remember: Battle of Koregaon (1 January 1818) = Company force largely of Mahar soldiers held off the Peshwa's army; Third Anglo-Maratha War ended the Peshwa's rule; Ambedkar visited the memorial in 1927.

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Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes and French in India, the growth of the East India Company, and the battles, wars and treaties through which British power expanded, including the Battles of Plassey and Buxar, the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars, and policies such as subsidiary alliance and the doctrine of lapse. Typical questions ask which battle was fought in which year and between whom, which treaty ended which war, and which Governor-General introduced a policy. For example, the Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between Robert Clive and Siraj-ud-Daulah, and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Company the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Practise the arrival of Europeans and expansion of British rule questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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