Q. Regarding the military campaigns of the Second Anglo-Maratha War, consider the following statements:
1.Arthur Wellesley led the southern operations and secured decisive victories at Assaye and Argaon, which broke the power of the Bhonsles and Scindias in the Deccan.
2.In the north, Lord Lake successfully captured Aligarh and Delhi, effectively ending Maratha control over the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: C
Notes:
Explanation:
Statement 1: Correct. Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) proved his military genius in India. The Battle of Assaye (1803) was a bloody but decisive victory that forced the Maratha chiefs in the south to realize that their French-trained infantries were no match for the British.
Statement 2: Correct. Lord Lake’s campaign in the north was equally successful. By taking Delhi, the British replaced the Marathas as the “protectors” of the Mughal Emperor. This was a massive blow to Maratha prestige, as they had controlled the imperial capital and the Emperor’s person for decades.
