Bhima Koregaon Battle

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The victory pillar (also known as Ransthamb) in Bhima-Koregaon village (Pune district of Maharashtra) is to celebrate the 202nd anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle of 1818 on January 1, 2020.

In 2018, incidents of violence were registered during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle.

Historical Background:

A battle was fought in Bhima Koregaon between the Peshwa forces and the British on January 1, 1818.

The British army, which comprised mainly of Dalit soldiers, fought the upper caste-dominated Peshwa army. The British troops defeated the Peshwa army.

Peshwa Bajirao II had insulted the Mahar community and terminated them from the service of his army. This caused them to side with the English against the Peshwa’s numerically superior army.

The defeat of Peshwa army was considered to be a victory against caste-based discrimination and oppression.

It was one of the last battles of the Third Anglo-Maratha War, which ended the Peshwa domination.

Babasaheb Ambedkar’s visit to the site on January 1, 1927, revitalised the memory of the battle for the Dalit community, making it a rallying point and an assertion of pride.