Battle of Rakshasbhuvan

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Battle of Rakshasbhuvan
Part of Maratha–Nizam War
Date10 August 1763
Location
Rakshasbhuvan dam, Godaveri, India
Result Maratha victory [1]
Belligerents
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg  Maratha Confederacy Asafia flag of Hyderabad State.svg Nizam of Hyderabad
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Madhavrao I
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Raghunath Rao
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Malhar Rao Holkar [2]
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Damaji Rao Gaekwad [3]
Asafia flag of Hyderabad State.svg Asaf Jah II
Asafia flag of Hyderabad State.svg Vitthal Sundar  
Asafia flag of Hyderabad State.svgVinayak das 
Asafia flag of Hyderabad State.svg Murad khan (POW) [4]
Casualties and losses
Unknown 10000 [1]

The Battle of Rakshasbhuvan in India was fought on 10 August 1763. After the defeat of the Maratha Confederacy at the Battle of Panipat, their rivals started seizing the opportunity to recover their losses in the past at the hands of Marathas. Particularly, the Nizam of Hyderabad wanted to recover territory he had lost at the Battle of Udgir. He decided to launch a war on the Marathas. [5] [1]

Contents

Battle

As Nizam Ali made his way towards Aurangabad, the Peshwa's army followed closely behind. However, Nizam Ali crossed the Godavari River with a portion of his forces, leaving Vithal Sundar in charge of the remaining troops and all the artillery and baggage on the south bank. Rakshasbhuvan was situated on this side of the river. Raghunath Rao, sensing an opportunity, decided to prevent Vithal Sundar from crossing. Meanwhile, Janoji Bhonsle left Vithal Sundar's side under the pretext of not being paid his troops. Raghunath Rao quickly marched to attack Vithal Sundar at Ralshasbhuvan. The ensuing battle, known as the Battle of Ralshasbhuvan, was a decisive victory for Madhav rao's forces. Vithal Sundar was severely wounded and killed in the battle, along with another prominent commander Vinayak das on Nizam Ali's side. Another prominent commander Murad khan captured by the marathas and sent to Asaf jah to cede territories worth crores and some forts.This battle marked a significant setback for Nizam Ali's army as they lost a large number of troops and valuable resources. [6] [1]

Truce

A truce was reached and a treaty was signed at Aurangabad, whereby the Nizam lost 50 lacs territory including Bhalki and except Telangana and the eastern part of the Godavari river in Maharashtra. They gained the Bidar and Naldurg forts in exchange for Bhalki. [5] [ page needed ]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Jaques, Tony (30 November 2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity through the Twenty-first Century [3 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 838. ISBN   978-0-313-02799-4.
  2. Ramakrishna Gunesh, Burway (1930). Life Of Subhedar Malhar Rao Holkar. p. 142.
  3. Ramakrishna Gunesh, Burway (1930). Life Of Subhedar Malhar Rao Holkar. p. 142.
  4. "Peshwa Madhav Rao 1". 11 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 Stewart Gordon (1993). New Cambridge History of India: The Marathas - Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9781139055666.
  6. Banerjee, Anil Chandra (1943). Peshwa Madhav Rao 1.