Battle of Malpura

In 1800, a crisis developed between Jaipur and Gwalior Scindia`s Government. The main reasons behind it were:

• Burden of more money on Rajput kings annoyed them.
• Rajputs sensed opportunity in the civil war between Scindhia and Holkar in Poona.
• There was same internal conflict in Daulat Rao Sindhia's administration. The feud between the widow of Mahadaji and disruption by his old servant and such condition ensured that Scindia remained in the limit of north India.

Sawai Pratap Singh made an attempt to profit from these internal dissensions of his Scindia rivals prior to the Battle of Malpura. In March 1800, he openly rejected the money clauses of the treaty of 1791 (signed after the Battle of Patan and started to prepare for war. Pratap Singh asked all the Rajput Rajas to join him, but the Maharaja of Marwar was the only one who answered, as the Rathors were eager to win back the territories they had lost to the Sindhias. 5000 Rathor horsemen were sent from the capital of Jodhpur under the command of Sawai Singh Rathor to assist Sawai Pratap Singh. The Jaipur raja gathered an army of his clansmen along with Gosains, Rohillas and irregulars while the Gwalior army had the Campoos infantry and a contingent of Maratha cavalry to support them. The two armies met at Malpura, thus paving the way for the battle.

The battle was started by a charge of the Rathor cavalry which broke the left wing of the Maratha army. The Rathors then charged on the Maratha cavalry, which retreated. Pohlmen who was in right wing, was however able to control the situation and was able to successfully repel several charges made by the Kachwaha cavalry on the right wing. The Kachwaha Raja after suffering heavy losses, mounted a horse and retreated with his army. The Rathors after returning from their charge, thought that they had won the battle and mistook the Gwalior army as their Jaipur allies, they were caught unaware and shot down in great numbers and those who were able to break through the lines were bayoneted by Skinner's men.[3]