Question

Siege of Aligarh also known as the battle of Aligarh took place in?
A) 1809
B) 1806
C) 1803
D) 1807

Answer 1

Hint: The Siege of Aligarh is also known as the Battle of Aligarh/ Battle of Ally Gurh. It was a part of the second Maratha Anglo war. There were three Maratha Anglo wars but it was the second series of battles in which the fort of Aligarh was fortified.

Complete answer:
The second series of the Maratha Anglo war was fought from 1803-1805. The wars were fought between the alliance of Marathas and the British East India Company. On September 1, 1803, the 76th British regiment (which also participated in the capture of Delhi and Agra) surrounded the fort and attacked it. This regiment was led by Lord Gerard Lake. General Pierre Peron, the supervisor of the battalion of Scindias in North India, fortified the Aligarh fort and commanded the forces from the fort. The war ended with the defeat of Marathas and the great loss of life on both sides. On September 4 Britishers took over the fort. Aligarh fort was one of the strongest forts in India at that time and the seizure of the fort of Aligarh was a big step in ratifying British rule.

Therefore, the correct answer is option (C).

Note: The presence of Marathas at Aligarh fort (even though the fort was made by Muhammad under the Lodi Dynasty) was because it was taken over by Madhav Rao Scindia 1 in 1759 who contributed immensely to heighten the fort’s grandeur.

De Boigne, a Frenchman, became the supervisor of battalions of Scindias in the North Indian region. He was succeeded by General Pierre Peron who commanded the forces during the war of 1803. However later, due to the circumstances and defeat of Marathas, Peron had to negotiate his way back to Europe.