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Oct 28 24 tweets 4 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
Yashwant Rao Holkar,the last of the great Marathas , who took on the British, attempted to forge a common united front against them, but was let down by self centered rulers who could not look beyond their petty rivalries.

Thread on his death anniversary today. Image
Typically when we speak of the Holkar dynasty of Indore, the focus is more on it's founder Malhar Rao Holkar, and the great queen Ahilyabai Holkar, but not much is known about Yashwant Rao Holkar, the last of it's great rulers.
Ahilyabai Holkar had passed away on August 13, 1795 leading to a succession crisis. Her son Male Rao, had passed away earlier in 1767, due to mental sickness. It was at this juncture that her faithful commander in chief Tukoji Rao Holkar took charge.
Though Kashi Rao ascended the throne after his father’s death, he proved to be a weak and incapable ruler. Both Vithoji and Yashwant Rao,opposed him, and wanted to see their eldest brother Malhar Rao take charge.
Though Tukoji had favored Kashi, his incapability and unpopularity among the nobles as well as the masses made him a liability. A bitter conflict broke out between Kashi Rao and Malhar Rao,with the former seeking the support of Daulat Rao Scindia
While Malhar Rao sought the support of the Peshwa, he was killed by Scindia in a sudden attack on September 14, 1797. Yashwant Rao and his brother Vithoji however managed to escape and took refuge under Raghoji II Bhonsle of Nagpur.
Though Bhonsle arrested Yashwant Rao Holkar under the orders of Scindia, he managed to escape with the help of Bhawani Rao Khatri in 1798. He had earlier helped the Dhar ruler, Anandrao Pawar in curbing a revolt by one of his ministers winning his loyalty.
And that saw him ascending the throne in January 1799, going on to become one of the greatest rulers of the Holkar dynasty. With the support from the nobles, as well as the army and common people, Yashwant Rao was now firmly established on the throne.
He decided to expand the empire further as he mounted a campaign towards the North, while his brother Vithoji Rao ventured down South. However Vithoji captured by Balaji Kunjir, one of the Peshwa’s loyal ministers and sentenced to death.
Even though the well wishers of the Peshwa, advised him against taking such a foolhardy step which would laid to the collapse of the Maratha Confederacy, he paid a deaf ear, with terrible consequences.
A furious Yashwant Rao swearing revenge against the Peshwa, first attacked Ujjain, then capital of the Scindias in 1801, and routed their army. He still gave an option to the Peshwa asking Scindia to restore all the possesions of Holkar seized by him.
However with the Peshwa paying a deaf ear, he marched on towards Pune in May 1802. In a long campaign, he captured most of Khandesh, and the territories around Pune, before engaging with the combined Peshwa-Scindia forces on October 25,1802 at Hadapsar near Pune.
Though the Holkar forces faced a barrage of cannon fire, Yashwant Rao advised them to wait for some time, and then ordered his forces to fire back. The Holkar forces routed the opponents on a Diwali day, as the Peshwa fled to Sinhagad.
Couple of days later, the Peshwa again fled to Raigad with some of the Scindia soldiers and his loyal associates Chimnaji, Baloji and Kunjir. And finally on December 1, 1802 he reached Bassein( Vasai), where the British made a deal with him to sign the Subsidiary Treaty
Baji Rao II, signed the Treaty of Bassein in 1802, which in effect would sound the death knell for the Maratha empire. Effectively the empire had become a client state of the British, as they began their expansion over India.
Also the British felt that restoring the Peshwa on the throne, would be an effective check on their main rivals the French in India. As well as countering Yashwant Rao Holkar, from attacking the Peshwa or their other ally, the Nizam.
However most of the Maratha Sardars, including the close associates of Baji Rao II, were totally opposed to the treaty, which they saw as total surrender to the British. Yashwant Rao Holkar took control of Pune, and appointed Amrut Rao as the Peshwa.
Amrut Rao was supported by all the Maratha chieftains and rulers, except the Gaekwads of Baroda, who had already accepted British protection. However by August 14,1803 Amrut Rao stepped down under British pressure.
He in turn would get an annual pension of Rs 7 lakh and a jagir in Banda district. Baji Rao II was more or less a nominal Peshwa, with all the power in the hands of the British
Yashwant Holkar met with Raghoji Bhonsle and Daulat Rao Scindia on June 4, 1803 at Bodwad to forge a common front against the British. However Scindia once again played a double game, informing Baji Rao II, that they would not have to worry about Holkar’s demands,
Coming to know about this, a dejected Holkar quit the alliance. In the meantime Raghoji Bhonsle II having lost at Laswari on December, 1803 signed the Treaty of Deogaon with the British, that gave them full control over the provinces in the East that the Marathas held.
Scindia in the meanwhile after facing a complete rout at the Battle of Assaye, ceded the entire Ganga-Jamuna Doab area, parts of Bundelkhand, Gujarat to the British by the Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon.
Yashwant Rao was now effectively isolated, with the Peshwa, Scindia, Gaekwad and Raghoji Bhonsle all surrendering to the British. He however refused to surrender, and began to reach out to different rulers to wage a common war against the British.
However with most of them already having signed treaties with the British, his appeal fell on deaf ears. Though he was effectively isolated, Yashwant Rao Holkar refused to surrender.

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