Mudhoji II (1796 – 15 July 1840), also known as Appa Sahib, of the

Bhonsale Bhonsle are a group within the Maratha clan system. Bhonsle or its variants may also refer to: * Anubha Bhonsle, Indian TV and print journalist, author * Nagesh Bhonsle (also Bhosle or Bhosale), Indian film, television and theatre actor * Dig ...

dynasty, ruled the

Kingdom of Nagpur The Kingdom of Nagpur was a kingdom within the Maratha Confederacy in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was ruled by the Maratha Bhonsles of Nagpur, Bhonsle dynasty in the mid-18th century. The city of Nagpur was the capital of the state. After ...

in central

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

from 1816 to 1818. His reign coincided with the

Third Anglo-Maratha War The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1819) was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire, Maratha Confederacy in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an in ...

between the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

and the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

, which ended with the defeat of the

Marathas The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

Biography

On the death of Raghoji II Bhonsale in 1816, his son Parsaji was soon supplanted and murdered by Mudhoji II. A treaty of alliance providing for the maintenance of a subsidiary force by the British was signed in this year, a British resident having been appointed to the Nagpur court since 1799. In 1817, on the outbreak of war between the British and the

Peshwa The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...

, Appa Sahib threw off his cloak of friendship, and accepted an embassy and title from the

. His troops attacked the British, and were defeated in the action at Sitabaldi, and a second time round Nagpur city. As a result of these battles, the remaining portion of

Berar Berar may refer to: *Vidarbha, the eastern region of Maharashtra, India, historically known as Berar * Berar Sultanate (1490–1596), one of the Deccan sultanates *Berar Subah (1596–1724), a subah (province) of the Mughal Empire *Berar Province ( ...

and the territories in the

Narmada The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

valley were ceded to the British. Appa Sahib was reinstated to the throne, but shortly afterwards was discovered to be again conspiring, and was deposed and forwarded to

Allahabad Prayagraj (, ; ISO 15919, ISO: ), formerly and colloquially known as Allahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, Varanasi (Benar ...

in custody, while the British placed his successor Raghoji III Bhonsale, a minor, on the Nagpur throne. On the way, however, he bribed his guards and escaped, first to the

Mahadeo Hills The Mahadeo Hills are a range of hills in Madhya Pradesh state of central India. The hills are situated in the northern section of the Satpura Range. The Mahadeo Hills run east and west through Betul, Chhindwara, and Seoni districts, separating ...

and subsequently to the

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. Raja Mansingh of Jodhpur gave him asylum at Man Mandir in

Jodhpur Jodhpur () is the second-largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, after its capital Jaipur. As of 2023, the city has a population of 1.83 million. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jodhpur district and ...

against the wishes of British. When British sent forces against Man Singh, he stood surety for Appa Saheb. Appa Saheb remained in Jodhpur, where he died on 15 July 1840 at 44 years while in exile.

References

* Hunter, William Wilson, Sir, et al. (1908). ''Imperial Gazetteer of India'', Volume 17. 1908-1931; Clarendon Press, Oxford. Maratha Chiefs in the Maratha Empire People from the Maratha Empire 19th-century Indian royalty 1840 deaths Maharajas of Nagpur Year of birth unknown {{India-royal-stub