Battle of Rattihalli

The Battle of Rattihalli, fought in 1764, pitted the forces of the Maratha Confederacy against those of the Mysore forces led by Hyder Ali. The Maratha army was commanded by Peshwa Madhavrao.

Background
In the year 1764, after Hyder Ali attacked the Nawabs of Savanur, who were under the protection of the Marathas, the Maratha army led by Peshwa Madhav Rao responded. However, Hyder Ali tried to avoid direct confrontation with the Maratha forces.

Battle
During the battle, the Peshwa himself led his troops, with Gopal Rao on his right and Naro Shankar on his left. Vithal Shivdeo Vinchurkar guarded the rear. Despite heavy attacks, Mir Faizulla managed to break through the Maratha lines and join his master with 3,000 foot soldiers. However, Haidar's army had only four-pounder field pieces, most of which were three-pounders. He did not use these guns to repel a Maratha attack before sunset. The Marathas succeeded in capturing one of his guns during the battle. They were then driven back, but they could not renew their attack due to a severe dust storm. Gopal Rao wanted to continue the operations during the night, but the Peshwa refused. Haidar then retreated to his camp. The battle lasted for about six hours and resulted in more than 1,000 casualties and injuries on both sides, with very few survivors from Haidar's side. In his anger, Haidar hanged the spies who had provided information about the Marathas' movements. The Peshwa wrote to his mother that this battle instilled fear in Haidar's heart and he became wary of facing the Marathas again. On the Maratha side, fewer than 100 soldiers and 100 horses were killed, and 200 soldiers were wounded.

Despite this, the Maratha army intercepted Hyder Ali's forces near Rutehalli Fort in Karnatak. In a fierce battle, the Maratha forces inflicted a crushing defeat upon Hyder Ali's army. The Mysore forces suffered heavy losses, with over 1,000 men killed in action. Hyder Ali himself narrowly escaped the battlefield and fled into the nearby forest to save his life. This decisive victory over Hyder Ali's forces was a significant blow to his expanding empire in southern India. The Maratha army emerged victorious once again, demonstrating their military prowess and strategic acumen.

After this battle, Haidar was afraid to confront the Marathas again and began fortifying his camp with batteries to protect himself.