The Battle of Koregaon was fought on 1 January 1818 between the British East India Company and Mahar against the Maratha Empire at Koregaon Bhima.
A 28,000-strong force leader of Maratha Empire by Peshwa Baji Rao II whilst on their way to attack the company-held Pune, were unexpectedly met by an 800-strong Company force that was on its way to reinforce the British troops in Pune. The Peshwa dispatched around 2,000 soldiers to attack the force which sought entrenchment in Koregaon. Led by Captain Francis Staunton, the Company troops defended their position for nearly 12 hours, before the Peshwa's troops ultimately withdrew, fearing the imminent arrival of a larger British force.
The battle was part of the Third Anglo Maratha war, a series of battles that culminated in the defeat of the Maratha Empire rule and subsequent rule of the British East India Company in nearly all of Western, Central and Southern India. There is a "victory pillar" (obelisk) in Koregaon commemorating the battle.
Background
By the 1800s, the Marathas were organized into a loose confederacy, with the major constituents being the Peshwa of Pune, the Scindia of Gwalior, the Holkar of Indore, the Gaekwad of Baroda, and the Bhosale of Nagpur. The British had subjugated and signed peace treaties with these factions, establishing Residencies at their capitals. The British intervened in a revenue-sharing dispute between the Peshwa and Gaekwad, and on 13 June 1817, the Company forced Peshwa Baji Rao II to sign an agreement renouncing claims on Gaekwad's revenues and ceding large swaths of territory to the British. This treaty of Pune formally ended the Peshwa's titular overlordship over other Maratha chiefs, thus officially ending the Maratha confederacy. Soon after this, the Peshwa burnt down the British Residency at Pune, but was defeated in the Battle of Khadki near Pune on 5 November 1817.
The Peshwa then fled to Satara, and the Company forces took complete control of Pune. Pune was placed under Colonel Charles Barton Burr, while a British force led by General Smith pursued Peshwa. Smith feared that Peshwa could escape to Konkan and overpower the small British detachment there. Therefore, he instructed Colonel Burr to send reinforcements to Konkan, and in turn, call in for reinforcements from Shirur, if needed. Meanwhile, the Peshwa managed to escape beyond Smith's pursuit, but his southward advance was constrained by the advance of a Company force led by General Theophilus Pritzler. He then changed his route, marching eastwards before turning north-west towards Nashik. Realizing that General Smith was in a position to intercept him, he suddenly turned southwards towards Pune. Towards the end of December, Colonel Burr received news that the Peshwa intended to attack Pune, and asked the Company troops stationed at Shirur for help. The troops dispatched from Shirur came across the Peshwa's forces, resulting in the Battle of Koregaon.
Maratha's forces
The Peshwa's army comprised 20,000 cavalry and 8,000 infantry. Out of these, around 2,000 men were deployed in the action, constantly reinforced during the battle. The force that attacked the Company troops consisted of three infantry parties of 600 soldiers each. These soldiers included Marathas (the empire soldiers). The majority of the attackers were Arabs (mercenaries and their descendants), reputed to be the finest among the Peshwa's soldiers. The attackers were supported by a cavalry and two pieces of artillery.
The attack was directed by Bapu Gokhale, Appa Desai and Trimbakji Dengle. Trimbakji was the only among these to enter the Koregaon village, once during the attack. The Peshwa and other chiefs stayed at Phoolsheher (modern Phulgaon) near Koregaon. The Maratha Chatrapati, Pratap Singh of Satara, also accompanied the Peshwa.
Company forces
The Company troops dispatched from Shirur comprised 834 men, including:
2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment Bombay Native Infantry—Around 500 soldiers led by Captain Francis Staunton. Other officers included: Lieutenant and Adjutant Thomas Pattinson Lieutenant Connellan Lieutenant Jones, 10th Regiment Assistant-Surgeon Wingate Auxiliary Horse—Around 300 under Lieutenant Swanston, Madras Establishment Madras Artillery—24 European and 4 Native of the with two 6-pounder guns, led by Lieutenant Chisholm. Assistant-Surgeon Wyllie (or Wyldie) was the only other artillery officer.
The Company troops of Indian origin included Mahars Muslims
. This was mostly the troops that Capt. Staunton had raised three months ago with the object of strengthening the defense of Poona that was already under British control.