Udgir

Udgir is a fortified town in the Deccan, its walls and moat marking a stronghold contested by regional powers. The fort lay within the domains of the Nizam of Hyderabad as the Marathas expanded across the plateau in the eighteenth century. Its name became famous through a battle and treaty that briefly shifted the balance of power in the Deccan.

In February 1760 a Maratha army under Sadashivrao Bhau defeated the forces of Salabat Jung and Nizam Ali near Udgir. The Nizam agreed to surrender extensive territory and important forts, including Daulatabad, as well as lands around Ahmadnagar and Bijapur. The victory preceded the Maratha northern campaign that ended in defeat at Panipat in 1761. Taking advantage of that setback, the Nizam renewed his pressure on Maratha territory, showing how rapidly the gains of Udgir could be contested.