The Duke of Wellesley’s Military Campaigns in India
The history of the world is the history of war and India is no exception. Since the times of the ancient epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, war as a culture has dominated the history of India. In the beginning there was what is known as the Hindu period, when Hindu kings ruled almost the entire subcontinent and beyond, such as Afghanistan and parts of central Asia, Hindus became the ruled and Muslims the rulers.
The Muslim period ended when the British came to India to trade, forming the East India Company. It is one of the wonders of history that a company that came to trade, in a matter of 100 years became the ruler of the subcontinent. This was due to a superior application of military technology, as well as a unique mental devotion to the King of England and the country. This was another period in Indian history where war was the epitome of domination. Only in 1858, after the 1857 mutiny by some sepoys of the Company’s army, was the government of the Company abolished and the crown itself assumed the administration of the subcontinent. Queen Victoria was appointed Empress of Hindustan.
The English became the rulers of this vast area which at that time had a population of around 250 million. The English produced soldiers of caliber, who adapted to the conditions of the Indians better than the Indians themselves. Through superior tactics and devotion, they were able to defeat the Indians (both Muslims and Hindus) decisively. There were some men who played a more than important role in this establishment of English rule and two of the most important are Sir Robert Clive and two brothers, Richard and Arthur Wellesley.
Wellesley’s
The role of the Wellesleys is something that legends are made of. They did not have Indian blood, but both deserve the qualification of “great”. Richard Wellesley was the Governor General of India, while his brother Arthur Wellesley was a military genius. Arthur Wellesley later became the first Duke of Wellington and led the English and Prussian force as a field marshal against Napoleon at Waterloo (1815) and defeated him. The Napoleonic years ended and later Arthur Wellesley also became Prime Minister of England.
Richard Wellesley was always a bit jealous of his brother, but his contribution to the British government in India was immense. He presided over English rule in India from Calcutta and proved himself to be a genius. In his plan to seize India from the Indians, he was assisted by his brother Arturo, who put Ricardo’s dream into practice and in a series of military campaigns defeated the main Indian kings of the time. This was in the 18th and early 19th century.
Arthur Wellesley is bracketed alongside the greats of world history in the pantheon of great warriors and conquerors such as Alexander the Great and Chengiz Khan. However, he was a chivalrous soldier who fought a war as a noble profession and treated the vanquished with compassion. The only act for which he can be found guilty was his order to shoot the tigers that Tippu kept as pets. All the tigers were shot dead.
Arthur Wellesley landed in India in the late 18th century. He had a head start as his brother was the governor general. This was the time when Tippu Sultan spread terror among Hindus and Christians in the Malabar region. His father Hyder Ali had deposed the Hindu ruler of Mysore and crowned himself Sultan. He had also attacked Madras. The English did not love Tippu Sultan and the decision was made to dismiss him. Part of this decision was the culmination of the Hindus’ representations to the Governor General complaining about Tippu’s atrocities on them.
Campaigns of the Ist Duke of Wellesley in India
Arthur Wellesley began his military career in 1787 as an infantry officer. In 1796 he sailed for India and landed in Madras. His decision was largely influenced by the fact that his brother was Governor General of India. He was part of the 33rd Infantry Regiment that moved to India to fight Tippu Sultan, who had unleashed a reign of terror.
Arthur Wellesley on his arrival took stock of the situation and made an assessment of Tippu Sultan’s military capabilities. In a service document that was presented to the Staff College, his opinion of Tippu was reported to be that of an intolerant ruler and, on the advice of his brother, he was tasked with defeating Tippu and restoring the Hindu dynasty. He was also of the opinion that Tippu had little or no concept of offensive tactics and initiative in a campaign. He was shown to be right.
Arthur Wellesley steeled himself and prepared for what is known as the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799). In this campaign Wellesley marched with his force from Madras towards Mysore. The army covered 10 to 15 miles a day and was accompanied by servants, comfort women, shopkeepers, and cooks. Tippu learned of the advance of the army, but decided to lock himself in his fortress. This is a difficult action to understand since offense is the best form of defense. He may have moved against the Company’s force, but his waiting game in taking refuge in his fortress gave the Company’s army the initiative.
Wellesley surrounded the fortress of Seringapatnam and ordered an assault. the fort was breached and Tippu died fighting. Wellesley had removed the greatest obstacle to English rule in the south. He was appointed Governor of Seringapatam and also promoted to Major General. It was a great victory. The Hindu ruler was reinstated and Arthur was congratulated by his brother Richard.
A look at the map of South India will show that Wellesley marched almost 300 km from Madras to the Battle of Tippu and there is no doubt that despite coming from a cold area like England, he adapted to the rigors of the subcontinent and the heat. from the south. India in particular with poise.
Arthur was now tasked with his brother to destroy the Maratha Confederacy. The mantle of the rulers of India had fallen over the Maratha after the Mughal government collapsed and they had to be controlled. The Duke participated in the Second Maratha War (1803-5) and once again showed his military genius.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Maratha were divided. The ruler of Indore, Holkar had fled to the British for help. Arthur Wellesley was tasked with curbing the power of Peshwa Baji Rao II. Arthur began his campaign in 1803. At that time he was a major general. This is known as the Deccan campaign and it began with an assault on Ahmednagar, which he reduced on August 12, 1803. This was a significant move as Ahmednagar was a pivot for the supply chain of the Maratha army.
Wellesley now marched towards Test with a force of 4500 soldiers. Scindia and Peshwa opposed him with a force of 10,500. In a bloody battle, the English won the day and more than 6,000 Maratha soldiers were killed. The British also suffered 1,600 dead, but this victory effectively sealed Maratha’s dominance. Subsequently, on Wellesley’s orders, the British force under Colonel Stevenson occupied Burhanpur (now in Madhya Pradesh).
The Marathas were preparing for one last adventure and Bhosle with a force of 40,000 opposed the English in what is known as the Battle of Argaon. This November 29 battle resulted in the death of more than 5,000 Maratha and only about 350 English dead. It was a decisive victory and once again Wellington showed his genius as a soldier.
Arthur continued his march and surrounded the fortress of Bhosle and captured it. The Maratha again suffered heavy casualties and more than 4,000 were killed by a handful of English soldiers.
Wellesley decimated the Maratha who later asked for peace. At the end of the year Scindia signed the Treaty of Arjungaon and ceded vast rights to the English.
Evaluation of Arthur Wellesley’s campaigns in India
When we study Arthur Wellesley’s military campaigns in India, we find that he led a campaign that spanned more than two thousand miles. Although Wellesley returned after the Second Maratha War, the effect of his military campaigns was stupendous. He beat the Indian generals and kings at their own game and put the East India Company Raj on a firm footing. The Company became the supreme power in India and all credit must go to the First Duke of Wellington. Later, when the duke met Napoleon in battle, he was a field marshal and won there too. So in case Tippu and the Marathas were defeated by him, it wasn’t a shame as they were confronted by a man with a sharp brain and a military strategist. The Indian generals failed to size Arthur Wellesley, who along with his brother Richard laid the foundations of the Raj.
One can endlessly debate whether the Raj was good or bad for India, but what cannot be debated is that men like Arthur Wellesley beat the Indians fairly and directly. There is no doubt that only by the force of his military campaigns in India, the First Duke of Wellington deserves the title of “great”.