Akola, Nov 24 (PTI) The forces led by Lord Arthur Wellesley defeated French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in the decisive Battle of Waterloo in 1815 by adopting the strategy of Marathas that he had earlier witnessed in a battle fought in Maharashtra, a former British army officer has said.

Retired British army officer Major Gordon Corrigan, 81, along with a group of citizens from his country on Thursday visited Sirsoli village in Akola district of Maharashtra, where a battle was fought between the Marathas and the British forces in 1803.

The group visited the battlefield site to study various aspects related to it and to pay homage to the British soldiers who laid down their lives during the battle.

The battle fought at Sirsoli is also known as the Battle of Argaon. Under the leadership of Captain Kane and in the presence of Lord Wellesley, the British forces fought against the Marathas for seven days from November 23 to 29, 1803. The Maratha soldiers fought with traditional weapons against the British.

The Maratha forces were led by Nagpurkar Bhosle. From the Marathas, Kartajirao Jayle killed Captain Kane, but sacrificed his own life. However, the British forces defeated the Marathas.

Speaking during his visit, Major Corrigan said, 'After this battle, Lord Wellesley was sent back to England. In the Battle of Waterloo, Wellesley used the tactics as used by the Marathas in the Sirsoli battle and defeated Napoleon.' According to him, the Sirsoli battle and the strategy adopted by Marathas are mentioned in the books written by Lord Wellesley.

For the past 220 years, British citizens have been visiting Sirsoli every November. PTI COR NP