Battle of Farrukhabad

The Battle of Farrukhabad also called the Battle of Fatehgarh was an engagement during the Second Anglo-Maratha War between forces of the British East India Company and the forces of Yashwantrao Holkar of the Maratha Confederacy.

Battle of Farrukhabad
Part of the Second Anglo-Maratha War
Charge of 8th Dragoons at Farrukhabad
Date 16 November 1804 Location Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 27.37°N 79.63°E / 27.37; 79.63 Result British victory
Belligerents
Maratha Confederacy	British East India Company
Commanders and leaders
Yashwantrao Holkar	Gerard Lake
Casualties and losses
	2 dead 20 wounded
Farrukhabad Location within Uttar Pradesh Show map of Uttar Pradesh Farrukhabad Farrukhabad (India) Show map of India

Background

With the British victory at the Siege of Delhi, General Lake continued to pursue the fleeing Marathas in a series of forced marches, leaving Delhi on the 31st of October. The british forces first sighted Maratha cavalry on November 7, but the encounter went by without an engagement.^[1] The next day, leaving Colonel Burns in charge of a detachment at Meerut, Lake continued following the Maratha force.

Battle

The battle took place at Farrukhabad in what is now Uttar Pradesh, India.^[a] The Company's forces, led by General Gerard Lake, surprised Holkar's forces after making forced marches of more than 60 miles (97 km) in the preceding 24 hours.

Holkar had ordered his force to camp through the night, and when he received news of his defeat at the Battle of Deeg, he retired to rest without informing his officers.^[1]

In the early hours of November 16, the Maratha force awoke to find themselves under bombardment from Lake's Horse Artillery. Following the cannonade, the dragoons led by the 8th Royal Irish charged into the maratha camp.^[2] Holkar himself narrowly avoided capture, fleeing from the field when the battle started.

Notes

1. It is also known as the Battle of Fatehgarh after the town of Fatehgarh which is the administrative headquarters of the district and at that time contained a fort with military significance.