Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Rohilla War
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quizzes
Civil War era cannon overlooks Kennesaw Mountain National Battle. (military, artillery, American history)
Pick Your Battles Quiz
Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)
World Wars
D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.
A History of War
Quick Facts
Date:
1774
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Rohilla War

Indian history
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Rohilla War, (1774), in the history of India, the conflict in which Warren Hastings, British governor-general of Bengal, helped the nawab of Oudh (Ayodhya) defeat the Rohillas by lending a brigade of the East India Company’s troops. This action later formed a preliminary charge in a parliamentary impeachment of Hastings, but Parliament vindicated him.

The Rohillas were Afghans who had entered India in the 18th century during the decline of the Mughal Empire and gained control of Rohilkhand (formerly Katehr). When threatened by the Marathas, they sought help from Ayodhya, but they failed afterward to pay stipulated sums. Hastings supported Ayodhya in crushing the Rohillas in order to strengthen Ayodhya as a buffer between the company and the Marathas. Hastings’s critics charged him with letting out troops on hire and condoning atrocities.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.