The internal problems of the Marathas and the growing ambition of the English saw the conflict of interests between the British and the Marathas during the period between 1775 to 1818.
First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82)
The British wanted to sign an alliance with aspiring Peshwa, Raghunath Rao against Madhav Rao II. The Maratha chieftains backed Madhav Rao. The British provided 2,500 men to Raghunath. He gave Salsette and Bassein to the English along with a part of revenue from Broach and Surat districts. The two sides signed the Treaty of Salbai (1782). It gave the British 20 years of peace with the Marathas.
Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05)
In 1801, there was a conflict among the Marathas over Peshwaship. Peshwa Baji Rao II entered the Subsidiary Alliance with the British and got British protection against Jaswant Rao Holkar. The British troops drove Holkar out. Peshwa Baji Rao signed a treaty with the British. It was opposed by Maratha chieftains Sindia and Bhosale. This resulted in the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803.
The Maratha chiefs failed to unify and were defeated by the well-equipped and disciplined British army. The Bhosales and Sindias were forced to sign treaties with the British and handover large territories.
Do You Know? :-Subsidiary Alliance was the British policy of providing military assistance to Indian rulers in exchange of paying for army maintenance. A British resident was stationed at the court for security from other rulers, but the main purpose was to keep other European powers away.
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18)
Peshwo Baji Rao II did not like his subordinate position under the British. He tried to unite the Maratha chiefs against the British but failed. He was forced to surrender. The British abolished the position of Peshwa and Marathas were limited to the small kingdom of Satara. This was the end of the mighty Maratha power Between 1834 to 1826, the British had to fight many wars against Gurkhas in the North and the Burmese in the North East. The British signed peace treaties with them.
Do You Know? :-Lord William Bentinck was appointed the First Governor-General of India in 1833.
ANGLO-SIKH WARS
First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46)
During this period, the Sikh power was growing in the North-West region of Punjab. The British made a peace treaty with Maharaja Ranjit Singh to check his growing power. After his death, there was a lot of infighting amongst Sikhs.
The Sikhs had built up a strong army against the British and Afghan aggressions. When the British attacked, the united forces of Punjab-Hindu, Muslim and Sikh, faced the huge British army bravely. But Prime Minister Lal Singh and Commander Tej Singh turned traitors and the Punjab army was defeated. They were forced to sign the Treaty of Lahore. The British occupied Jullundur Doab and sold Jammu and Kashmir to Raja Gulab Singh Dogra.
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49)
The British wanted complete control of Punjab by ending the Sikh Kingdom. The immediate cause of this war was the exile of Lal Singh on charges of conspiracy. Lord Dalhousie, the greatest annexationist, attacked Punjab and made it a part of British India in 1849.
The British started consolidating their power by limiting the powers of the Indian princes and building a stronger army in India.