Arthur Wellesey, who had arrived in India as a Lieutenant-Colenel in 1797, had now become Major-General Wellesey and he was to experience two of his most fiercely contested battles during this period, first at Assaye and then at Argaum. The Maratha troops, led by Daulat Rao Sindia and the Raja of Berar, showed their strength in their high level of infantry and artillery capability, but lacked the officer corps and subsequent deployment of troops that would have made the most of these abilities.

Assaye
On 23rd September, with a force of 4500, the British swept a total victory in Assaye over the 10,500 Maratha forces, led by Sindia. The British suffered 1566 killed and wounded and the Marathas approximately 6000. Wellesley encountered some criticism for dividing his forces which was viewed as a contributing factor to his high number of casualties. After some delay Wellesley did conclude a suspension of arms with Sindia on 22 November, which did not include the Raja of Berar.

On 21st October, the British accepted the surrender of the fortress at Asirgarh. This implied that Sindia had lost his last possession in the Deccan region. However the Marathas still had 40,000 troops and their leaders decided to try again to defeat Wellesey and the East India Company.

Argaum
On 29th November, the combatants met again on the plains near Argaum (known in India as Argaon), a village 50 miles south east of Burhanpur. The Maratha line was five miles in length and consisted of 38 guns artillery and massed ranks of infantry and cavalry. The British forces formed in two lines and included the cavalry of the Mysore tribe. Their infantry, probably suffering from battle fatigue after Assaye, intially retrested under heavy fire from the Maratha artillery.

However, Wellesey rallied his troops, who supported by light artillery of their own, regained control and eventually won the battle, capturing 38 cannons in the process. The Maratha casualties numbered approximately 5000 whilst the British forces suffered a total of 360 casualties in all. The Mysore cavalry along with East India company forces pursued the defeated Marathas for two days and ‘captured their baggage’.

After The Battle
The victories at Assaye and Argaum, followed by the storming of the hill fort at Gawilgarh, eventually led to a successful peace with Sindia on 30th December 1803, with the signing of the treaty of Surji-Anjangaon.

Wellesley rose to prominence as a general during the Peninsular campaign of the Napoleonic Wars, and was promoted to the rank of field marshal after leading the allied forces to victory against the French at the Battle of Vitoria in 1813. He later became the 1st Duke of Wellington, defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo and even had two spells as Prime Minister.

It wasn’t until 1851, a year before his death, that the Army of India medal was created commemorating 3 prominent battles, including Argaum. This meant that many who had taken part in the campaign were no longer around to receive the medal.

Around this time, streets in Stoke and Devonport were being named after famous battles, with one such being Argaum Villas, where this rugby club gets its distinctive name.

As for the Marathas, they remained the pre-eminent power in India until they were defeated by the British colonists in the 3rd Maratha War.

The Maratha Light Infantry however, has endured as the one of oldest regiments in the Indian Army, being formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768. They distinguished themselves in both first and second world wars, with two of their members receiving the Victoria Cross in the latter campaign.

Sharpe’s Fortress
The Battle of Argaum is captured in fiction in the form of Sharpe’s Fortress; a book by Bernard Cromwell featuring the inimitable Richard Sharpe. It follows Sharpe, newly made an officer, during the battle of Argaum and the following siege of the Fortress of Gawilghur in 1803.

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