Battle of Mukandwara Pass

Battle of Mukundara Pass
Part of the Second Anglo-Maratha War
Date 14 November 1804 Location Kotah, Rajasthan, India Result Maratha victory
Belligerents
Maratha Empire Indore State	East India Company Supported by Kota State
Commanders and leaders
Yashwantrao Holkar Wahid Ali Khan Bakshi Bhawani Shankar	Monson Lucan † Amar Sing † Afsal Khan † Akbayram Pachali (POW) Fais Talib Khan (POW)
Casualties and losses
Unknown	400 to 500 men killed or taken prisoners 2 drowned to death 2 missing

The Battle of Mukandwara Pass, also known as Monson's Retreat (8–10 July 1804) was fought between forces of the Indore Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar, an ally of the Maratha Empire and British East India Company forces under Colonel William Monson supported by Kotah kingdom during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. It was fought just to the south of the Mukandwara Pass, about 50 kilometres (31 mi). Monson, having overextended his supply line, was retreating toward Kotah when Holkar's forces decimated his rear guard on 10 July. Monson reached Kotah on 12 July, but was forced to abandon his guns in the mud at the Chambal River on the 15th. Holkar continued to harass Monson's force, which reached Kushalgarh on 25 Aug. Monson's men were then in a panic as they barely made it to Bayana.

"Monson's loss had been heavy. Twelve British officers had been killed, two were drowned and two were missing. Five other officers were wounded. Half of the five...battalions had been lost. Monson's retreat shook British military reputation and prestige to the core."

References

• MacFarlane, Charles. A History of British India: From the Earliest English Intercourse to the Present Time
• Dorman, Mark Robert Phipps. A History of the British Empire in the Nineteenth Century, Volume 1
• Mehta, J. L. Advanced Studies in the history of modern India, 1707–1813