to Sindhia.
instructions and lacked authority to conclude it.
Treaty of Salbai (1782) Salbai, located 32 kms to the south of Gwalior,
became the venue for a treaty signed between Mahadji Sindhia, acting for the
Peshwa Madhav Rao, and the British, on May 17, 1782, ending the First
Anglo-Maratha War. The treaty stipulated that:
The Company was to restore all territories captured by them (including
Bassein) to the Peshwa, and return to him and the Gaekwad territories taken
in Gujarat.
Salsette and its three neighbouring islands as well as the city of Broach, were
to remain with the British.
Territories granted earlier to the Company by Raghunath Rao would be
restored to the Marathas.
The Company was not to afford Raghunath Rao any support or protection.
The Peshwa was to make Haider Ali relinquish his claims to British territory.
Both parties were to abstain from attacking each other’s allies, while the
Peshwa would neither support any other European power nor allow it to settle
in his dominions without the English consent.
The Company’s trade privileges were to be restored.
The treaty has great importance, particularly for the Company. It was, in fact,
a turning point in its career, securing peace with the Marathas for nearly 20
years to come and establishing beyond dispute its predominance as an
important controlling factor in, Indian politics.
Treaty of Bassein (1802) At the beginning of the 19th century, the
Marathas had shown signs of drifting apart, with a weak central authority and
mutual jealousies and wrangles marking the day. Thus Daulat Rao Sindhia
and Yashwant Rao Holkar fought for supremacy at the peshwa’s court; the
latter had Malhar Rao Holkar murdered and took his son Kande Rao prisoner;
a little later Peshwa Baji Rao II got Vithoji Holkar murdered. This made
Yashwant Rao to march to Poona to settle scores. Sindhia, even though pre-
occupied in the north, sent troops to the peshwa’s rescue but their combined
forces were bested by Holkar. Baji Rao took to heels and reached Bassein to
seek an alliance with the English to re-establish his authority. Consequently,
on December 13, 1802, a subsidiary treaty was signed whereby the Peshwa
virtually signed away his own independence as well as that of his people.