Maratha–Patiala clashes

Maratha–Sikh Clashes
Date 1766–1798 Location India Result Maratha Victory
Belligerents
Maratha Empire	Sikhs
Commanders and leaders
Bapu Malhar Dhar Rao Devi datta Lakshmi rao	Bibi Sahib Kaur Raja Bhag Singh Gudrat Singh
Strength
7,000-12,000	25,000-30,000
Casualties and losses
Less	High

The Maratha–Sikh clashes were a significant chapter in Indian military history, in which two formidable powers, the Marathas and the Sikhs, collided in a series of engagements and battles. This period of conflict, often argued to be marked by strategic brilliance, fierce battles, and shifting alliances, occurred in 18th-century India—a time when regional powers vied for dominance and control.

Background

The conflict unfolded against the backdrop of the 18th century, a time when the Indian subcontinent was marked by a mosaic of regional powers vying for supremacy. In this era, the Marathas and Sikhs emerged as formidable players, each with a distinct martial tradition and territorial ambitions. The conflict witnessed repeated incursions and counterattacks as Sikhs and Marathas sought to assert their dominance over strategic regions. Sikh forces, under various leaders, were known to launch raids into Maratha territories, targeting military camps and supply lines. These incursions, marked by cavalry charges and guerrilla tactics, often caught the Maratha forces off guard. The Marathas, in response, mounted defenses against these Sikh offensives. They fortified their camps, employed advanced artillery, and devised strategies to counter the Sikh cavalry. The clash of these two states played out across diverse landscapes, from the fertile plains to the rugged terrains of the subcontinent. However, the narrative of these clashes was far from one-sided. While the Sikhs were initially successful in their attacks, the Marathas turned the tide in several engagements. Despite facing losses in the initial stages, the Marathas adapted their strategies, learning from each encounter and strengthening their defensive and offensive capabilities.

List of Major Conflicts

Maratha victory

Sikh victory

The table below lists some of the major military conflicts of Marathas and Sikhs.

Year	Conflicts	Marathas Commander	Sikh Commander	Locations	Result
1785 CE	Battle of Merut	Bapu Malhar	Unknown	Delhi	Marathas defeated forces of Sikhs invited by Najaf Quli Khan to raid Dehli
1786 CE	Battle of Banur	Dhar rao	Unknown	Punjab	Marathas repulsed the invasion of Sikhs who marched against the Raja of Patiala
1787 CE	Battle of Sonipat	Unknown	Unknown	Sonipat	Sikhs contingent ravaged territory of Sonipat but a body of Marathas attacked them, seized some of the horses and drove them away
1789	Battle of Saifabad	Rane Khan Dadaji and Ali Bahadur	Rani Rajinder Kaur	Bahadurgarh fort	After occasional skirmishes between the Marathas and the Patiala forces for a month and a half the Maratha forces were defeated by Sikh troops and rest of them retired to Delhi.
1793 CE	Battle of Doab	Bapu Malhar	Unknown	Doab	Sikhs Bapu Malhar routed Sikhs forces near Doab and killed 50 Sikhs, the defeated Sikhs fled to Patiala
1793 CE	Battle of Karnal	Devi Datta	Gurdat Singh	Karnal	Devi datta twice routed Sikh forces led by gudrat singh and expelled then from territory
1793 CE	Battle of Delhi	Khanderao Hari	Unknown	Delhi	Khanderao hari successfully replused Sikhs contingent which were ravaging Delhi
1794 CE	Battle of Mardanpur	Lakshmi Rao	Bibi Sahib Kaur	Patiala	During the night the Sikhs made a surprise attack on Madho Rao who was busy performing the funeary rites of his dead soldiers. Following another attack by the Sikhs before dawn, the Marathas retired to Karnal.
1795 CE	Battle of Thanesar	Nana Rao	Raja Bhanga Singh, Sardar Mehtab Singh	Thanesar	Raja Bhanga Singh attacked the Marathas and barred their way to Thanesar. Sardar Mahtab Singh at the head of eighty horsemen, fearlessly fell upon Nana Rao's personal guards, and put them to flight.
1795 CE	Battle of Muzaffarnagar	Bapu Malhar	Unknown	Doab & Muzaffarnagar	On the 12th November, 1795, a fight took place between Bapu Malhar and the Sikhs. Many people were killed and wounded on both sides. On the 15th another action was fought between them in which Bapuji was defeated.
1795 CE	Battle of Thana	Nana Rao	Raja Bhanga Singh of Thanesar	Thanah, Thanesar	A foraging party of the Marathas was plundered by Sardar Bhanga Singh who killed many persons and seized about fifty horses and camels.
1796 CE	Battle of Saharanpur	Bapu Malhar	Unknown	Saharanpur	Bapu Malhar tried to check the progress of invading Sikh forces in Doab and Saharanpur, but was defeated by Sikh troops and lost four pieces of cannon.
1798 CE	Second Battle of Karnal	Thomas	Rebellion Sikhs	Karnal	Thomas (Irish general underMarathas) fought a battle against the Sikhs suffering 500 deaths and killing 1000 Sikhs who tried to rebel against the Marathas, later peace concluded with the Sikhs evacuating the place.