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Wellington's First Command: The Political and Military Campaign Against Dhoondiah Vagh, February–September 1800

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2010

HUW J. DAVIES
HUW J. DAVIES*
Affiliation:
King's College, London, UK
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Abstract

Wellington's first independent command has been seen as a short, but intense, ‘baptism of fire’ in which the young Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Wellesley commanded a small force against the insurgent, or ‘freebooter’, Dhoondiah Vagh. New evidence presented here, however, demonstrates that the three-month military campaign was preceded by several months of political negotiation and intelligence gathering designed to isolate Dhoondiah and starve him of sanctuary, support and sustenance. As a result, the campaign was much more complex than previously thought, and demonstrates important lessons about British imperial expansion in the region at the beginning of the nineteenth century, on the nature of British authority in India, and on the opening stages of the military career of the future Duke of Wellington.

Type
Research Article
Information
Modern Asian Studies , Volume 44 , Issue 5 , September 2010 , pp. 1081 - 1113
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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References

1 Arthur Wellesley was made Viscount Wellington in reward for the Battle of Talavera, in Spain, on 27 July 1809.

2 See for example, 2nd Duke of Wellington (ed.), Supplementary Dispatches and Memoranda of Field Marshall Arthur Duke of Wellington, 1797–1818 (8 vols., London, 1858) (hereafter SD), Wellesly to Doveton, Seringapatam, 19 January 1800, vol. I, pp. 440–441.

3 SD, Wellesley to Stewart, Seringapatam, 4 February 1800, vol. I, pp. 444–445.

4 SD, Wellesley to Close, Seringapatam, 14 February 1800, vol. I, pp. 450–451.

5 Bryant, G. J., ‘Asymmetric Warfare: The British Experience in Eighteenth-Century India’, Journal of Military History, Vol. 68, No. 2 (April 2004), p. 446CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

6 SD, Wellesley to Stevenson, Seringapatam, 3 February 1800, vol. I, p. 444.

7 Narratives of the campaign against Dhoondiah Vagh can most commonly be found within biographies of Wellington.

8 See Cooper, R. G. S., The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India: The Struggle for Control of the South Asian Military Economy (Cambridge, 2003)Google Scholar. Cooper argues that Wellesley's campaign against Dhoondiah was the main influence on his decisions leading to the Battle of Assaye in 1803. Here, Wellesley sustained 33% casualties, and was clearly misguided by his experiences in 1800.

9 See Boyce, D. G., ‘From Assaye to the Assaye: Reflections on British Government, Force and Moral Authority in India’, JMH, Vol. 63, No. 3 (July 1999), pp. 643–668Google Scholar.

10 For more details on this extensive and ongoing argument see Cooper, R. G. S., ‘Wellington and the Marathas in 1803’, International History Review, Vol. 11 (February 1989), p. 38CrossRefGoogle Scholar; and Barua, P., ‘Military Developments in India, 1750–1850’, JMH, Vol. 58, No. 4 (October 1994), pp. 599–616Google Scholar.

11 Cited in Boyce, ‘From Assaye to the Assaye’, JMH, p. 648.

12 Cited in Boyce, ‘From Assaye to the Assaye’, JMH, p. 646.

13 University of Southampton Library (USL) Wellington Papers (WP) 1/42/1, Montressor to A. Wellesley, 2 May 1800.

14 USL WP 1/42/1, Montressor to A. Wellesley, 2 May 1800.

15 Arthur, Duke of Wellington, The Mysore Letters and Dispatches of the Duke of Wellington, 1799–1805 (Bangalore, 1862) (MD), Wellesley to Close, Cannanore, 5 April 1800, p. 54.

16 MD, Wellesley to Close, Seringapatam, 3 February 1800, p. 29.

17 MD, MacFarlane to Wellesley, Hulliall, 7 February 1800, p. 40.

18 MD, Wellesley to Close, Seringapatam, 14 February 1800, pp. 38–39.

19 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Beloor, 27 May 1800, p. 79.

20 For an in-depth discussion of the residency system see Fisher, M. H., ‘Indirect Rule in the British Empire: The Foundations of the Residency System in India (1764–1858)’, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3 (1984), pp. 393–428CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

21 USL WP 1/42/1, Hodgeson to Wellesley, Baliapatam, 4 May 1800.

22 USL WP 1/42/4, Resident to Wellesley, Malabar, Calicut, 24 May 1800.

23 Wellesley, R. (ed. Martin, M.), The Dispatches, Minutes and Correspondence of the Marquess Wellesley During his Administration in India (5 vols, London, 1836–1837) (RD) II, Mornington to the Court of Directors, Fort St. George, 3 September 1800, pp. 114–117Google Scholar.

24 See MD, Wellesley to Close, 3 February 1800, p. 29.

25 See Gurwood, Colonel John, The Dispatches of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington during His Various Campaigns in India, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, The Low Countries and France, 13 Vols. (London, 1852) (WD), I, Wellesley to Munro, Camp at Hoobly, 20 August 1800, pp. 65–66Google Scholar.

26 Indeed, even those nominally allied to the Maratha's, in particular, Sindiah, were considered too dangerous to negotiate a formal alliance. See USL WP 1/44/1, Close to Wellesley, 2 June 1800.

27 See USL WP 1/44/1, Close to Wellesley, 2 June 1800.

28 USL WP 1/42/1, Montressor to A. Wellesley, 2 May 1800.

29 For evidence of Wellesley's sometimes fraught negotiations with local chieftains and rajahs to secure supplies and transportation, see MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Hurry Hurr, 16 June 1800, pp. 94–5.

30 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Hurihur, 16 June 1800, p. 95.

31 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Eyamungalum, 7 June 1800, pp. 89–90.

32 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Hurihur, 16 June 1800, pp. 94–5.

33 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Eyamungalum, 7 June 1800, p. 90.

34 Sarkar, J. & Sardesai, G. S. (eds), Poona Residency Correspondence (English Records of Maratha History): Poona Affairs 1797–1801 (Palmer's Embassy) (Bombay, 1939) (Hereafter PRC), Palmer to R. Wellesley, Poona, 19 July 1806, vol. 6, p. 575Google Scholar.

35 Ibid.

36 PRC, Palmer to R. Wellesley, Poona, 29 July 1800, vol. 6, p. 580.

37 PRC, Palmer to A. Wellesley, Poona, 4 August 1800, vol. 6, p. 583.

38 See MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp left bank of the Tungabadra, 26 June 1800, pp. 104–5.

39 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp 5 miles south of Savanore, 11 July 1800, p. 113.

40 Ibid.

41 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Kanny Bednore, 30 June 1800, p. 108.

42 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp left bank of the Werdah, 10 July 1800, p. 112.

43 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Savanore, 13 July 1800, p. 113.

44 For more information on this see, for example, Davies, H., ‘Integration of Strategic and Operational Intelligence during the Peninsular War’, Intelligence and National Security, 21/2 (April 2006), 202–23CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

45 See H. Davies, ‘The Influence of Intelligence on Wellington's Art of Command’, in Intelligence and National Security, Special Issue ‘Intelligence and the Art of Command, 1799–1945’, ed. H. Davies, Vol. 22, No. 5 (October 2007).

46 See Page, J., Intelligence Officer in the Peninsula: Letters and Diaries of Major the Honourable Edward Charles Cocks, 1786–1812 (Tunbridge Wells, 1986)Google Scholar.

47 See, for example, an order sent by Wellesley to the Officer commanding at Jemalabad to report on the condition of roads in the area, to facilitate communications. MD, Wellesley to Close, Cannanore, 12 April 1800, p. 59.

48 See, for example, USL WP 1/42/1, Sartorious to Wellesley, Camianione [sic], 7 May 1800, who reported on local roads; Smee to Wellesley, Calicut, 2 May 1800, who identified reinforced and open roads; and WP 1/42/2, Political Officer Robert Luiz to Wellesley, 4 May 1800, who reported on the roads, the status of fortifications in the province of Malabar.

49 See, for example, USL WP 1/42/5, C. Mackenzie to Wellesley, Chitteldroog, 2 June 1800.

50 See James, L., The Iron Duke: A Military Biography of Wellington (London, 2002), pp. 66–83Google Scholar.

51 WD, I, Memorandum upon operations in the Maratha Territory, p. 114.

52 British Library (BL) Asia, Pacific, and African Collection (APAC), H/564A, ff. 186–193, Copy of a report of two Sepoys of the 11th Native Regiment who arrived in Dhoondiah's Camp on 10 April and remained there two days.

53 BL APAC H/564A, Translation of a letter from harkarrah, dated 17 April, received at Hyderabad, 25 April 1800.

54 BL APAC H/564A, ff. 371–378, Substance of a report made by three sepoys of the 11th Native Regiment, dated 7 June 1800.

55 BL APAC H/460, ff. 257–258.

56 BL APAC H/564A, ff. 371–378, Substance of a report made by three sepoys of the 11th Native Regiment, dated 7 June 1800.

57 See MD, Wellesley to Close. Camp left bank of the Tungabadra, 26 June 1800, pp. 104–105; and Wellesley to Close, Camp on the right bank of the Werdah, 6 July 1800, pp. 108–109.

58 BL APAC H/564A, ff. 714–722, J. Kirkpatrick to Close, Hyderabad, 27 July 1800.

59 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp on the right bank of the Werdah, 6 July 1800, pp. 108–109.

60 Ibid.

61 BL APAC H/564A, Translation of a report of the Resident's Harkarrah's who set off from Hyderabad on 25 May, and returned 17 June, concerning the force of Dhoondiah Vagh. They left the latter at Dummal.

62 BL APAC H/564A, ff. 714–722, J. Kirkpatrick to Close, Hyderabad, 27 July 1800.

63 See Bayly, C. A., Empire and Information (Cambridge, 1996) for a discussion of the duplicitous behaviour of the harkarrahsGoogle Scholar.

64 MD, Wellesley toClose, Camp at Eyamungalum, 7 June 1800, p. 89.

65 BL APAC H/564A, ff. 714–722, J. Kirkpatrick to Close, Hyderabad, 27 July 1800.

66 See Kolff, D. H. A., Naukar, Rajput and Sepoy: The Ethnohistory of the Military Labour Market in Hindustan, 1450–1850 (Cambridge, 1990)Google Scholar, for more details of the nature and motivations of South Asian troops during this period.

67 MD, Wellesley to Close, Cannanore, 5 April 1800, p. 54.

68 See USL WP 1/42/1, Hodgeson to Wellesley, Baliapatam, 4 May 1800.

69 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp Left Bank of the Tungabadra, 26 June 1800, p. 98.

70 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Kenny Bednore, 30 June 1800, p. 107.

71 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp Right Bank of the Werdah, 8 July 1800, p. 110.

72 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Soundetty, 3 August 1800, pp. 126–128.

73 See MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Savanoor, 19 July 1800, p. 119.

74 See MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp Left Bank of the Werdah, 10 July 1800, p. 111.

75 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp 5 Miles South of Savanoor, 11 July 1800, p. 113.

76 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Sirhetty, 16 July 1800, p. 116.

77 See MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Dummul, 26 July 1800, p. 124.

78 PRC, Palmer to A. Wellesley, Poona, 11 August 1800, vol. 6, p. 586.

79 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Sirhetty, 16 July 1800, p. 116.

80 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp Right of the Malprabha, Opposite Manowly, 31 July 1800, pp. 124–125.

81 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Soundetty, 3 August 1800, p. 127.

82 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Kittoor, 8 August 1800, p. 130.

83 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Soundetty, 3 August 1800, p. 126.

84 See MD, Wellesley to Close, 25 August 1800, p. 137.

85 See MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Kerry Kerrah, 28 August 1800, p. 138.

86 MD, Wellesley to Close, Camp at Yepalpervy, 11 September 1800, p. 143.

87 MD, Wellesley to Bowser, Camp at Yepalpervy, 10 September 1800, p. 142.

88 BL Add MSS 39892, ‘A Sketch of a Plan for the Attack of a Mountainous Country in India’, ff. 22–24 no date but probably written in the 1780s.