Which Maratha statesman signed the Treaty of Bassein on December 31, 1802 ?

The Treaty of Bassein was signed on December 31, 1802, by Peshwa Baji Rao II and the British East India Company [1]. Following the death of Nana Fadnavis, internal Maratha factionalism intensified, leading to a conflict between Jaswantrao Holkar and the combined forces of the Peshwa and Daulat Rao Sindhia. After being defeated at the Battle of Hadapsar on October 25, 1802, Baji Rao II fled to Bassein and sought British protection. By signing this treaty, the Peshwa accepted a Subsidiary Alliance, agreeing to maintain a permanent British force and ceding territories yielding an annual revenue of Rs. 26 lakhs [1]. This pact effectively reduced the Maratha Empire to a British client state and directly triggered the Second Anglo-Maratha War, as other Maratha chiefs like Sindhia and Bhonsle viewed the terms as a humiliation to their sovereignty [2].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 15: The Marathas > Anglo-Maratha War (b) The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1806) > p. 234
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Second Anglo Maratha War (1803-1805) > p. 105