Notes on the Events before Outbreak of Third Maratha War

Before the outbreak of the Third Maratha War, the British concluded a treaty at Amritsar (1809) with Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab.

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The treaty restricted Ranjit Singh’s territories to the west of the river Satluj. The territories east of the Satluj came under British influence and British territories came close to the border of Nepal the land of the Gurkhas.

The Gurkhas began to encroach upon British territories in India. This resulted in the Anglo-Gurkha War (1814-1816). The Gurkhas were defeated, and had to cede the provinces of Garhwal and Kumaon, including Almora, Naini Tal, Mussoorie and Shimla.

They also withdrew from Sikkim and accepted a British resident at the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. The Gurkhas were henceforth recruited into the Company’s forces in large numbers.

Having forced subsidiary treaties on the chiefs of Rajputana, the British were already the supreme political power in India on the eve of the Third Maratha War.