Pindari war
Also called: Pindaris · Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Pindaris were bands of irregular horsemen in central India in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were not paid a regular salary. They lived by raiding and looting, and often rode with Maratha armies. From 1817 to 1818, Governor-General Lord Hastings led a large campaign to destroy them. This campaign is called the Pindari War. It soon merged with the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
Example
Well-known Pindari leaders included Chitu, Wasil Muhammad and Karim Khan. Lord Hastings surrounded them with large Company armies, and by 1818 the Pindari bands had been broken up. Karim Khan surrendered and was given land to live on. Chitu fled into the jungle and was killed by a tiger. In the same period, the Marathas were also defeated, and the Peshwa's lands were annexed.
Don't confuse with
- Warren Hastings: he was Governor-General in the 1770s–1780s. The Pindari War took place under Lord Hastings (Marquess of Hastings, Governor-General 1813–1823).
Related concepts
- Divide and rule
- Dastak
- Black Hole of Calcutta
- Siraj-ud-daulah
- Robert Clive
- Battle of Plassey
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- Mir Qasim
- Battle of Buxar 1764
- Treaty of Allahabad 1765