The heart of India
Madhya Pradesh
Scindia’s capital Gwalior is located in Madhya Pradesh it was their base for further expansion in Malwa, Chambal valley, Bundelkhand, and Baghelkhand that came under Scindia’s zone of influence. In 1725 on Dussehera under the command of Ambaji Pant, Peshwa ordered a campaign for the conquest of Malwa this army included Ranoji Shinde. In February 1726 this army collected Chauth tax from Lunawada, Banswara and other areas. The Badshah of Delhi ordered Giridhar Bahadur and his chief of the army staff to conquer Malwa from the Marathas but Ranoji defeated them in Aamjhera in Malwa and kept Malwa under Maratha control. Triyambak Rao Dabhade was a Maratha sardar who rebelled against the authority of Peshwa and tried to conquer Malwa but was defeated by the army of the Peshwa, of which Ranojirao was also a part of. After being defeated by Mahadji Scindia in Shivpuri, Bhelsa, Sarangpur, Kolaras and Gohad etc., the British understood Scindia’s power very well. A letter written by Mahadji Scindia to Tipu Sultan's father Hyder Ali on 17 April 1781 shows that Mahadji Scindia defeated the British in Malwa, Haider defeated the British in the south etc. When Mahadji Scindia defeated the British continuously several times and in different battles, then Warren Hasting, sitting in Calcutta, had no choice, the only option that he had and he adopted was to accept the power of Mahadji Scindia in Central India and ask the British army to surrender in front of him. The British decided to surrender and on 13 October 1781, Colonel Muir himself came on foot in front of Mahadji Scindia and put the weapons of his army at the feet of Scindia. Scindia got both the ports of Vasai and Sashti from the British to the Marathas, he assured the British that he would not attack Gwalior and Gohad which was with Rana Lokendra, a friend of the British then at that time. But after some time Scindia won both Gwalior and Gohad, the British were stunned, the drum beat of Scindia's power was being heard in Bengal.