The EIC's Forgotten Enemy: The Maratha Empire's Greatest General

Most people remember the East India Company's wars against Tipu Sultan or the Mughals, but its most formidable opponent may have been Mahadji Shinde, the Maratha commander who nearly drove the British out of India. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Shinde's unlikely rise from a minor noble to the de facto ruler of North India, his alliance with the French, and his crushing defeat of the British at the Battle of Wadgaon in 1779. They uncover how Shinde rebuilt the Maratha army with European training, fought the Company to a standstill, and forced the Treaty of Salbai—a humiliating peace for the British. Along the way, they discuss the political chaos of the Maratha Confederacy, the roles of Nana Phadnavis and Raghunathrao, and how a general who never learned English outmaneuvered the Company at every turn. This episode sheds light on a turning point that could have ended British rule before it truly began. #MahadjiShinde #MarathaEmpire #FirstAngloMarathaWar #BattleOfWadgaon #TreatyOfSalbai #NanaPhadnavis #Raghunathrao #MarathaConfederacy #BritishEastIndiaCompany #India #18thCentury #MilitaryHistory #ColonialIndia #WarrenHastings #Scindia #Pune #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo