September 23rd: Today in 1803 Arthur Wellesley, later and more famously known as the Duke of Wellington, won his first major battle at Assaye. The battle was against the Mahratta and is one of a long string of battles fought in India in the early 19th century that chipped away at local rule of the sub-continent. It was an extremely hard fought battle with a smaller British force carrying the day against a much larger Mahratta army and despite the heavy losses it made Wellesley’s name as fighting general. He regarded it as his best win, surpassing even the Battle of Waterloo which was his most famous victory by far.

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