The 1818 battle of Bhima-Koregaon 

The 1818 battle of Bhima-Koregaon, should be included in the history textbooks, said Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.

Battle of Koregaon::

>>The Battle of Koregaon was fought on 1st January 1818 between the British East India Company and the Peshwa faction of the Maratha Confederacy, at Koregaon Bhima (present day Maharashtra)  It is also called the Battle of Koregaon Bhima, after the river Bhima that flows close to it.

>>The battle was part of the Third Anglo Maratha war - a series of battles that culminated in the defeat of the  Maratha Empire. It led to the subsequent rule of the British East India Company.

Significance of the Battle ::

>>The Mahars were considered as untouchable in the contemporary caste-based society.

>>The Peshwas, who were high-caste Brahmins, were notorious for their mistreatment and persecution of the untouchables.  This battle has thus attained legendary stature in Dalit history.

>>The Dalits who follow BR Ambedkar view this battle as a victory of Mahars over the injustice and torture meted  out to them by the Brahminical Peshwas. 

Mahars and the Victory Pillar::

>>The Koregaon pillar inscription features the names of Company soldiers killed in the battle. 22 of these soldiers were Mahars.  The pillar was erected by the East India Company in memory of those who fought the  battle.  While the obelisk was built by the British as a symbol of their own power, today it serves as a memorial of the Mahars.  Ever since Bhima-Koregaon Ranstambh Seva Sangh (BKRSS) was formed, they regard the stambh or pillar as a site of their velour and a symbol of their place in the political diaspora.  B. R. Ambedkar visited the site on 1st January 1927. To commemorate his visit to the site,  today thousands of his followers visit the site.