Battle of Koregaon Bhima Anniversary

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is the importance of Koregaon Bhima?
• What happened in Battle of 1818?
• What is Koregaon Pillar (Jaystambh)?
• What is the significance of the battle of 1818?
• What happened at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018?

Why in news?

• The 205^th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima was celebrated at the Jaystambh in Pune’s Perne village amidst heavy police deployment.

What is the importance of Koregaon Bhima?

• A small village in Pune district of Maharashtra, Bhima-Koregaon is associated with an important phase of Maratha history.
• The people of Dalit communities gather in Bhima Koregaon on 1 January every year to pay tribute to the Dalit heroes who died in the war between the British and the Peshwas on 1 January 1818. 
• The Peshwas were defeated in this battle of Bhima Koregaon.

What happened in Battle of 1818?  

• The battle of Bhima Koregaon was fought on January 1, 1818, between Peshwa Bajirao II and British army commanded by Captain FF Staunton of the East India Company.
  • The battle was a part of the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
• The British army was largely dominated by Mahars – the most populous of the Dalit sub-castes in Maharashtra.
• The Dalit-dominated British Army had defeated a Peshwa army, led by Peshwa Bajirao II, in Koregaon.
• It resulted in losses to the Maratha empire, then under Peshwa rule, and control over most of western, central and southern India by the British East India Company.

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What is Koregaon Pillar (Jaystambh)?  

• In the memory of Battle, the British built squared-pillar to pay homage to the martyr soldiers, which is popularly known as ‘Koregaon Pillar’.
• The pillar symbolises the courage of Mahar Regiment.
• The names of the martyred soldiers were engraved on the pillars and soldiers were honoured with a medal by the British in 1851.

 What is the significance of the battle of 1818?  

• Mahar relates this battle to their self-respect because they were insulted by the Peshwa Baji Rao II on their identity and caste when they offered their services to the Peshwa.
• Many historians have termed this incident as the first historic step towards making India free of caste, which happened almost two hundred years ago.
• After Dr. Ambedkar visited the site on January 1, 1927, it became a place of pilgrimage for Dalits, an assertion of pride. In recent years, attendance has been in the lakhs, with Dalits coming from all over India.

What happened at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018?

• 2018 marked the 200th year of battle and hence there was a larger gathering at Bhima Koregaon as compared to previous years. 
• During the celebrations there were violent clashes between Dalit and Maratha groups, resulting in the death of at least one person and injuries to several others.

Q1) Who won the Bhima Koregaon Battle?

The Dalit-dominated British Army had defeated a Peshwa army, led by Peshwa Bajirao II, in Koregaon.It resulted in losses to the Maratha empire, then under Peshwa rule, and control over most of western, central and southern India by the British East India Company.

Q2) What happened in 2018 clash at Bhima Koregaon?

2018 marked the 200th year of battle and hence there was a larger gathering at Bhima Koregaon as compared to previous years. During the celebrations there were violent clashes between Dalit and Maratha groups, resulting in the death of at least one person and injuries to several others.

Source: 

Bhima-Koregaon battle anniversary passes peacefully amid heavy security with lakhs in attendance  |  Jagaranjosh  |  Business-Standard