GREAT FIGHT 5
bravery against hopeless odds. As the sun set the British found themselves in a desperate situation. The Maratha Army, led by their able general Gokhle, was dominating the British on all sides. Fortunately, the nightfall brought some relief to the British and the attacks of the Maratha forces relaxed in vigour. Then, just one of the unaccountable chances of war changed the course of events. It was difficult to say why the Peshwa’s forces ceased firing by 9 o’ clock at night and withdrew from Koregaon when victory was within their reach. Twelve men of the Madras Artillery and fifty men of
2/1st Regiment Bombay Native Infantry as also three British Officers were killed in action. One hundred and thirteen men and two British Officers were wounded. Of the men of the
2/1st Regiment Bombay Native Infantry who fell in action, 22 were Mahars or Parwaris (identified by their names ending with “ nak”), *16 were Marathas, 8 were Rajputs, two were Muslims, and one or two were probably Indian Jews.
This action of “ heroic valour and enduring fortitude ” displaying “ disciplined intrepidity ” and “ devoted courage and admirable constancy ” [1] won imperishable renown for the Mahar soldier. It has been recorded that “ it is hard to say who has the greater glory, the Indian soldiers themselves, or the British Officers, who had been able to ensure and command such faith and such staunch and amazing loyalty ” [2] (Many of the Indian soldiers were Mahars.)
*Names of martyred Mahar : 1 Somnak Kamalnak Naik, 2 Ramnak Yemnak Naik, 3 Godnak Kothenak, 4 Ramnak Yeshak, 5 Bhognak Harnak,
6 Ambanak Kananak, 7 Gannak Balnak, 8 Balnak Kondnak, 9 Rupnak Lakhnak, 10 Wapnak Ramnak, 11 Vitnak Dhamnak, 12 Ragnak Gannak,
13 Wapnak Harnak, 14 Rainak Wannak, 15 Gajnak Dharmanak, 16 Deonak Aannak, 17 Gopalnak Balnak, 18 Harnak Hirnak, 19 Jetnak Dhainak,
20 Gannak Lakhnak
Names of Injured Mahar : 21 Jananak Hirnak, 22 Bhiknak Ratannak,
23 Ratannak Dhannak. (Ref. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkaranche Bahishkrit Bhartatil Agralekh, (Marathi) Editor Ratnakar Ganvir, P. 247.)
1 . Brigadier-General Lionell Smith’s report to the Resident at Poona, the General Orders of the C-in-C of the Army of the Deccan and the GovernorGeneral of India, and the Despatch of the Court of Directors of the East India Company.
2 . Maj. J. T. Gorman, Historical Record of the Second Battalion Fourth Bombay Grenadiers, 1796-1933.