Which treaty formally ended the First Anglo-Maratha War and recognized Madhav Rao II as the Peshwa under British protection?
The Treaty of Salbai (1782) ended the First Anglo-Maratha War. Its key term was the British formal recognition of the infant Madhav Rao II as the legitimate Peshwa, thereby abandoning their support for the rival claimant, Raghunath Rao (Raghoba). The treaty secured a period of peace for 20 years, allowing the British to focus on Mysore. ANSWER: (A) Treaty of Salbai.
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The Treaty of Salbai (1782), mediated by Mahadji Scindia, was a diplomatic victory for the Marathas. Crucially, the British agreed to abandon their protégé Raghunath Rao (who was pensioned off) and formally recognize Madhav Rao II as the rightful Peshwa. While the British retained the strategically important island of Salsette, the treaty restored most territories conquered since the Treaty of Purandar back to the Marathas. It established a 20-year peace (until 1802), which allowed the British to concentrate on neutralising Hyder Ali of Mysore, who had been an ally of the Marathas