>Soap Boy 1 at 16:21, 10 June 2021

2021-06-10T16:21:23Z

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{{Use British English|date=September 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
[[File:Death of Major General Churchill at Maharajpore.jpg|thumb|280px|Death of Major General Churchill at the Battle of Maharajpore]]
The '''Gwalior campaign''' was fought between the [[British Empire|British]] and [[Maratha]] forces in [[Gwalior]] in [[Company rule in India|India]], December 1843.

== Background ==

The [[Maratha Empire]] controlled much of central and northern India and had fallen to the British in 1818 giving the British control over almost all of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. The [[Maharaja]] of [[Gwalior State|Gwalior]] had died and a young child was appointed as the Maharaja with British support. However, Marathas in [[Gwalior State|Gwalior]] saw [[First Anglo-Afghan War|the failed British campaign]] in [[Afghanistan]] as an opportunity to regain independence and removed the young Maharaja. [[Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough|Lord Ellenborough]], foreseeing the possibility of the Marathas in Gwalior attempting independence had formed the ''Army of Exercise'' near [[Agra]]. After attempts to negotiate failed, the British advanced in a two-pronged attack. The British, under the command of [[Hugh Gough, 1st Viscount Gough|Gen. Sir Hugh Gough]] clashed with [[Maratha]] forces, under the command of Maharaja [[Scindia family|Scindia]], in two battles on the same day; 29 December 1843.<ref name = "OurSol">{{cite book | last = Kingston | first = William Henry Giles | author-link = William Henry Giles Kingston | title = Our Soldiers | year = 2008 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=mV5-ABNlXAgC&q=Gwalior+Campaign&pg=PA52 | isbn = 9780554304946}}</ref>

== Battle of Maharajpore ==
[[File:Battle of Maharajpore.jpg|thumb|Map of the Battle of Maharajpore, 29 December 1843]]
The Maratha army had 14 battalions, 1,000 artillerymen with 60 guns, and 6,000 cavalry at [[Maharajpur, Madhya Pradesh|Maharajpore]]. The British faced them with troops from the [[40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot|40th Regiment of Foot]] with the [[2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry|2nd]] and 16th Native Infantry Regiments forming the central column, the [[39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot|39th Regiment of Foot]] with the 56th Native Infantry Regiment and a field battery forming the left column and the [[16th The Queen's Lancers|16th Lancers]] with two troops of horse artillery as well as other artillery forming the right column.<ref name = "HistRec">{{cite book | last = Raymond Smythies | first = Cpt. R. H. | author-link = Cpt. R. H. Raymond Smythies | title = Historical Records of the 40th(2nd Somersetshire) Regiment | publisher=A. H. Swiss | year = 1894 | url = https://archive.org/details/historicalrecor00smytgoog }}</ref>

The center column advanced to attack where they believed the main enemy force was located. However, during the night the Marathas had moved and the British were surprised as they came under heavy fire from the Maratha artillery in their new positions. The central column then received the order to take the battery positions which they did under continuous heavy fire from shot, grape, canister, and chain. The guns were to the South-East Maharajpore with two battalions of Maratha troops for each battery and in Maharajpore with seven battalions for each battery and the British fought hand to hand with the Marathas, both sides taking heavy casualties, to clear the positions. The Marathas fought intensely and few escaped the battle. The British finally defeated the Marathas with 797 men killed, wounded, or missing. The Marathas were estimated to have lost 3000 to 4000 men.

== Battle of Punniar ==

The Marathas at Punniar (29 December 1843) numbered about 12,000 men and occupied the high ground near Mangore. As the British Army approached, they immediately attacked the Maratha positions, driving them from the hill.

== Aftermath ==

[[File:Maharajpore and Punniar Medals, 1843.jpg|100px|thumb|right|Maharajpore and Punniar Medals, 1843]]
After the defeat of the Maratha forces in Gwalior, the British disbanded their army and established a force in the state that the government of Gwalior maintained. A British governor was appointed at [[Gwalior Fort]]. The British soldiers who participated in the campaign were awarded a medal; the [[Gwalior Star]].

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{coord missing|Madhya Pradesh}}

[[Category:Conflicts in 1843]]
[[Category:Battles involving British India]]
[[Category:19th-century military history of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1843 in India]]
[[Category:1843 in British India]]
[[Category:History of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Gwalior]]

Gwalior campaign - Revision history

>Soap Boy 1 at 16:21, 10 June 2021