442 THE INDIAN EMPIRE [CHAP.
and it was by treaty with the Peshwa that the English obtained
Bankot (Fort Victoria), their first possession on the mainland
of the western coast.
Two motives conspired to induce the British to intervene
in Maratha affairs. On the one hand, the Bombay Government
was naturally desirous to imitate the example of Madras and
Bengal by acquiring influence at a Native court, and, in par-
ticular, to gain possession of the island of Salsette, which they
had always maintained to be appurtenant to Bombay. On the
other hand, as the British were now becoming the paramount
power in India, though by no means yet supreme, it was neces-
sary that they should enter into relations of some sort with the
Marathis, who might at any moment throw their weight into
the opposite scale, or even open a door to the French on the
sea-board.
The first As early as I76I the Bombay Government had sent an
Maratha envoy to Poona, to treat for the transfer of Salsette, without
success. The disputed succession to the Peshwiship afforded
another opportunity. Raghuba (or Raghunath Rao), one of
the claimants, had fled to Gujarat; and there, in 1775, the
Bombay authorities, without the knowledge of the Supreme
Government, concluded with him the Treaty of Surat, by
which they undertook to reinstate him at Poona, on condition
of receiving Salsette and Bassein. This led to what is some-
times called the first Maratha War. The Bombay army was
uniformly successful in fighting against the confederate Ma-
rathas in the plains of Gujarat; but the Supreme Government
at Calcutta intervened by sending its own envoy to Poona,
who negotiated the Treaty of Purandhar (I776), restoring
Thesecond the status quo. Two years later, when the French were
Maratha believed to be intriguing at Poona, a second attempt was
War.
made to restore Raghuba. The Bombay army advanced up
the Bor ghdt to within a short distance of Poona, but was
there surrounded by the Mlarathas, and compelled to sign the
ignominious convention of Wargaon. Meanwhile, Warren
Hastings had dispatched a Bengal army, under Colonel
Goddard, across the width of the Peninsula, which made
conquests in Gujarat, captured Bassein, and restored the
honour of the British name. Other blows were struck in
Central India, within the dominions of Sindhia, the most
powerful of the Maratha chiefs. The rock-fortress of Gwalior
was escaladed by Popham, and Camac beat up Sindhia's camp.
At this time, however, the British in Southern India were
engaged in a death struggle with Haidar Ali; and Warren
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