third eye
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History stands tall inside Noida golf course - The Times of India
NOIDA: The Noida golf course has its very own historic secret. Tucked away near the 16th hole is a 200-year-old monument that marks the spot where the East India Company fought the Marathas in September, 1803 to decide the fate of Delhi, and impliedly the country for the next century. But somehow the battle has been confined to dusty history books in obscure libraries and only the monument remains, maintaining a lonesome existence in the middle of the green golf course.
At the time of the battle, Delhi was the capital of the weak and aged Mughal emperor Shah Alam. The real power, however lay in the hands of his regent - the Maratha king Daulat Rao Scindia. It was near this monument that the Battle of Delhi was fought between the British troops led by General Gerard Lake and the Scindia Army under French commander Louis Bourquien. Another battle, 12 days later, in Jalna area of Maharashtra effectively decided the fate of the battles that historians have termed as the second Anglo-Maratha War - signifying the decline of Maratha power and the dominance of the British in northern India.
Erected in 1916, the pillar records: "Near this spot was fought on September 11,1803, the Battle of Delhi in which forces of the Mahrattas, commanded by M Louis Bourquien, were defeated by the British Army under General Gerard Lake."
In a letter to Lord Wellesley, the then Governor General of India, the victorious British General Lake reported that the Marathas had crossed the river Yamuna and had prepared to attack the British Forces. He wrote, "the enemy opposed to us a tremendous fire from a numerous artillery, which was uncommonly well served, and caused us considerable loss in officers and men".
According to historians, even though the Maratha forces far outnumbered the British forces, internal clashes between the Marathas and the French - who had been fighting for Scindia - led to a heavy defeat.
In Lake's letter he wrote that there were 4,500 British troops and over 19,000 Maratha troops. Initially the Marathas had occupied a strong position but Lake had feigned a retreat and tricked the Marathas into charging. This charge proved fateful as the British managed to bayonet their opposition into the river, where many of them drowned.
The city of Delhi surrendered three days later.
Today, the sole memorial pillar serves as a reminder of a battle that has been relegated to the confines of libraries and academic musings. Not open to the public, the monument often serves as a popular spot for golfers to take photographs. "Only members or guests can come inside the golf course. We ensure that the spot is well-maintained and nobody scratches it or defaces it in anyway," said an official of the Noida Authority.
History stands tall inside Noida golf course - The Times of India
NOIDA: The Noida golf course has its very own historic secret. Tucked away near the 16th hole is a 200-year-old monument that marks the spot where the East India Company fought the Marathas in September, 1803 to decide the fate of Delhi, and impliedly the country for the next century. But somehow the battle has been confined to dusty history books in obscure libraries and only the monument remains, maintaining a lonesome existence in the middle of the green golf course.
At the time of the battle, Delhi was the capital of the weak and aged Mughal emperor Shah Alam. The real power, however lay in the hands of his regent - the Maratha king Daulat Rao Scindia. It was near this monument that the Battle of Delhi was fought between the British troops led by General Gerard Lake and the Scindia Army under French commander Louis Bourquien. Another battle, 12 days later, in Jalna area of Maharashtra effectively decided the fate of the battles that historians have termed as the second Anglo-Maratha War - signifying the decline of Maratha power and the dominance of the British in northern India.
Erected in 1916, the pillar records: "Near this spot was fought on September 11,1803, the Battle of Delhi in which forces of the Mahrattas, commanded by M Louis Bourquien, were defeated by the British Army under General Gerard Lake."
In a letter to Lord Wellesley, the then Governor General of India, the victorious British General Lake reported that the Marathas had crossed the river Yamuna and had prepared to attack the British Forces. He wrote, "the enemy opposed to us a tremendous fire from a numerous artillery, which was uncommonly well served, and caused us considerable loss in officers and men".
According to historians, even though the Maratha forces far outnumbered the British forces, internal clashes between the Marathas and the French - who had been fighting for Scindia - led to a heavy defeat.
In Lake's letter he wrote that there were 4,500 British troops and over 19,000 Maratha troops. Initially the Marathas had occupied a strong position but Lake had feigned a retreat and tricked the Marathas into charging. This charge proved fateful as the British managed to bayonet their opposition into the river, where many of them drowned.
The city of Delhi surrendered three days later.
Today, the sole memorial pillar serves as a reminder of a battle that has been relegated to the confines of libraries and academic musings. Not open to the public, the monument often serves as a popular spot for golfers to take photographs. "Only members or guests can come inside the golf course. We ensure that the spot is well-maintained and nobody scratches it or defaces it in anyway," said an official of the Noida Authority.
