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32. another signal victory at Argaon, & on December 14th, captured the stronghold of Gawilgarh. This put an end to Bhonsla's resistance, & three days later he signed the treaty of Deogaon, by which he agreed to surrender to the British Berar & Cuttack, of which the former was given to the Nizam & the latter formed a useful link between our Southern & Northern possessions. Besides this, there was to be a British resident at Bhonsla's court; & the claims against the Nizam were to be given up.
Submission of Sindhia.
Meanwhile General Lake in the North was being equally successful against Sindhia. On September 4th, he took Aligarh & a week later defeated Sindhia's army in front of Delhi. He entered the town & assumed charge of "the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam. He besieged Agra & took it on October 18th, & on the 31st, won a decisive vitory over the remnant of Sindhia's French-trained army at Laswari.* Sindhia was now powerless, & was [line] * Sir Alfred Lyall (British Dominion in India; ch:XIV asserts that this force was no longer officered by Frenchmen. This cannot be entirely accurate, for M. Perron's place at
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33. compelled to agree to the treaty of Surji Arjangaon (December 30th) by which he ceded large portions of his lands in the North, - notably all to the north of the Jumna, - & also the extensive district of Ahmadnagar, besides minor conditions of lesser importance.
War with Holkar. Monson's disaster.
The war had thus far been brilliantly successful, & Sindhia & Bhonsla were now completely crushed. But the fighting was not over. Holkar, who had as yet - whether from disinclination or unpreparedness - taken no part against the British, was in the spring of 1804 advancing in arms against them. The Governor-General, therefore, on April 16th, put the command in the hands of General Lake, with General Wellesley under him. The plan of the campaign was that Lake should advance with his army from Delhi, while Colonel Murray & his forces were to proceed forward from Gujarat. The armies were to meet halfway in Malwa, where Holkar would be, defending his territory there. Lake advanced, & on May 16th, took Rampura. [line] the head of the army had been taken by another Frenchman, - M. Bourquin.
