Important Facts For Prelims
203rd Anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon Battle
- 02 Jan 2021
- 2 min read
Why in News
The victory pillar (also known as Ranstambh or Jaystambh) in Bhima-Koregaon village (Pune district of Maharashtra) celebrated the 203rd anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle of 1818 on 1st January, 2021.
- In 2018, incidents of violent clashes between Dalit and Maratha groups were registered during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle.
Key Points
- Historical Background:
- A battle was fought in Bhima Koregaon between the Peshwa forces and the British on 1st January, 1818.
- The British army, which comprised mainly of Dalit soldiers, fought the upper caste-dominated Peshwa army.
- The British troops defeated the Peshwa army.
- Peshwa Bajirao II had insulted the Mahar community and terminated them from the service of his army.
- This caused them to side with the English against the Peshwa’s numerically superior army.
- Mahar, caste-cluster, or group of many endogamous castes, living chiefly in Maharashtra state and in adjoining states.
- They mostly speak Marathi, the official language of Maharashtra.
- They are officially designated Scheduled Castes.
- The defeat of Peshwa army was considered to be a victory against caste-based discrimination and oppression.
- It was one of the last battles of the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18), which ended the Peshwa domination.
- Babasaheb Ambedkar’s visit to the site on 1st January, 1927, revitalised the memory of the battle for the Dalit community, making it a rallying point and an assertion of pride.
- The Victory Pillar Memorial:
- It was erected by the British in Perne village in the district for the soldiers killed in the Koregaon Bhima battle. It has attained legendary stature in Dalit history.
