Bajirao's Northern Campaigns: Marwa & Bundelkhand (1728-1729)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Moving North: A New Frontier

The Change in Strategy:

• After Palkhed victory, Bajirao turned north
• First time Marathas conquered Marwa
• Marwa = province north of current Marathi territory
• Not traditional Maratha homeland

Why This Matters:

• Marwa has no mountains, flat plains
• Forces different tactics than Sahyadri region
• Marathas had to adapt warfare style
• Must now fight open field battles

The Warrior's Dilemma: Speed vs. Geography

The Problem:

• South of Marwa: Mountains, hills (Sahyadri)
• Shivaji era tactics: Guerrilla warfare, surprise attacks, mountain forts
• North of Marwa/Bundelkhand: Flat plains
• Can't use terrain advantage anymore

Bajirao's Solution:

"He would only engage in open warfare when he does a surprise attack on the enemy"

• Adapted hybrid strategy
• Combined Shivaji's surgical strike mentality
• With open field capability
• Hybrid = psychological surprise + tactical positioning

The Confidence:

• Maratha armies now "much more powerful than at time of Shivaji"
• Could handle open warfare
• But still careful about when and how

The Marwa Campaign: New Territory

The Geographic Situation:

• Marwa: North of current Marathi territory
• Not the Deccan (Khan)
• First major Maratha incursion
• Mughal-controlled territory

The Execution:

• Bajirao and his brother went different routes
• Attacked Mughal garrison areas
• Defeated Mughal forces
• Giridhar Bahadur was the Mughal Subedar

The Strategic Value:

• Marwa itself valuable territory
• But more importantly = gateway to Bundelkhand
• Bundelkhand = northern part of Marwa, even closer to Delhi

Bundelkhand: The Opportunity Emerges

What Happened:

• While campaigning in Marwa
• Got opportunity to enter Bundelkhand
• Bundelkhand is north of Marwa
• Even further toward Delhi

The Geography:

• Bundelkhand = province by itself
• Northern outpost of Marwa region
• After Bundelkhand = closer to Delhi
• Increasingly important territory

Why It Mattered:

• Moves Maratha presence closer to Mughal heartland
• Extends control to northwest
• Challenges Mughal authority directly
• New frontier opened

Chhatrasal's Desperate Appeal

Who He Was:

• Independent king of Bundelkhand
• Aged warrior
• Experienced but aging
• His army no match for Mughal commander

His Crisis:

• Faced Mohammed Bangush (Mughal commander)
• Bangush's army superior
• Chhatrasal couldn't win alone
• Literally imprisoned by Bangush
• Escaped from prison but kingdom still in danger

His Famous Comparison:

"The elephant's foot is in the mouth of a crocodile. It is up to you to safeguard the reputation of that elephant."

• Comparing himself = old elephant
• Crocodile = Mohammed Bangush
• Chhatrasal stuck, cannot escape on his own
• Asks Bajirao to save him

The Language:

• Originally spoken in Hindi variant (Bundelkhand language)
• "Please help me and keep my reputation intact"
• "Nobody else can save me"
• "Preserve my honor"

Bajirao's Impulsive Decision

The Situation (January 1729):

• Bajirao at Garha Mandala
• Not close to Bundelkhand
• Had army of 25,000 men (cavalry-based)
• Chhatrasal's desperate message arrives

The Procedure Broken:

• Normally: such decisions go to Shahu (sovereign decision)
• Getting into war with Mughal commander = major decision
• Technically should wait for approval

Bajirao's Response:

"What the heck, you know, I am going. Another Hindu king is asking me for help."

The Executive Authority:

• Bajirao knew Shahu would approve
• Had some autonomous decision-making power
• Said: "I am sure that Shahu will not object"
• Took his cavalry army and marched

The Speed: The Legendary Ride

The Distance:

• Normal journey: 4 days
• Bajirao's march: 2 days
• Covered same distance in half the time

How:

• Day and night marching
• No rest stops
• Pushed horses and men hard
• Incredible pace

Why It Mattered:

• Mohammed Bangush expected Bajirao in 4 days
• Had 4 days to prepare, build defenses, reinforce
• Bajirao arrived in 2 days
• Caught Bangush unprepared
• No time to fortify or reinforce

The Advantage:

• Surprise element preserved
• Bangush wasn't ready for immediate battle
• Maratha forces fresh despite the ride
• Psychological impact of sudden arrival

The Battle Unfolds

Chhatrasal's Escape:

• Had been imprisoned by Bangush
• Escaped to his own fort
• But kingdom still under threat
• Needed Bajirao to defeat Bangush completely

Bangush's Complications:

• His son was coming to reinforce him
• From different direction
• Would arrive with additional army
• Would threaten Bajirao's position

The Interception:

• Kajankhan (possibly Bangush's son or ally) was coming
• Bajirao caught him en route
• Defeated and turned him away
• Prevented reinforcements from arriving

The Fort Siege: Water & Food

Bangush's Position:

• Retreated to a fort
• Not a mountain fort
• Land fort = fortified compound
• Hedged in, defended positions

Bajirao's Tactic:

• Surrounded the fort
• Blocked food supply
• Blocked water supply
• Standard siege warfare

The Pressure:

• Fort can't last long without supplies
• Garrison gets weaker
• Bangush's options narrowing
• Surrender or starvation

The Negotiated Settlement

Bangush's Dilemma:

• Can't break siege
• No reinforcements coming
• Supplies running out
• Fort can't hold indefinitely

The Truce Terms:

1. Non-Aggression Pledge:

"I will never again come back to Chhatrasal's area in Bundelkhand"

• Bangush promises to never attack Chhatrasal again
• Written into treaty
• Binding agreement

2. Bundelkhand Secured:

• Chhatrasal's kingdom guaranteed protection
• Mughal forces withdraw
• Territory remains under Chhatrasal
• But now allied with Marathas

The Significance:

• Maratha presence established in Bundelkhand
• Hindu king (Chhatrasal) now under Maratha protection
• Mughal authority challenged and pushed back
• New territory added to Maratha sphere

The Larger Context

Marathas Expanding North:

• Started in Deccan (south)
• Moved through Marwa (central)
• Now into Bundelkhand (north)
• Getting close to Delhi itself

Power Shift:

• Mughal authority weakening
• Marathas becoming continental power
• Previously: regional kingdom
• Now: competing for all-India dominance

The Pattern:

• Palkhed: Defeated semi-independent Nizam
• Marwa: Defeated Mughal garrisons
• Bundelkhand: Defeated Mughal commander, protected Hindu king

Key Players

Timeline

Geographic Context

Key Locations:

• Garha Mandala: Where Bajirao was when message arrived
• Mahoba: Where Bajirao met Chhatrasal and fought battle
• Bundelkhand: Chhatrasal's kingdom, now protected
• Marwa: Mughal province, now Maratha-controlled
• Narmada River: Southern boundary (earlier campaigns)
• Krishna River: Boundary set in Palkhed treaty
• Delhi: Now much closer to Maratha sphere

Major Themes

1. Speed as Strategy

Bajirao's legendary 2-day journey wasn't just about bravery. It was strategy. It prevented Bangush from preparing, from getting reinforcements, from optimizing his position. Speed created psychological and tactical advantage.

2. Alliance vs. Conquest

Instead of just conquering Bundelkhand, Bajirao made an alliance. Chhatrasal remained king but became Maratha protectorate. This was smarter than direct rule—fewer enemies, easier administration, local legitimacy preserved.

3. Expanding the Maratha Sphere

With each campaign, Marathas move further north. From Deccan → Marwa → Bundelkhand → approaching Delhi. Not conquering and holding everywhere, but establishing presence and alliances.

4. Using Hindu Solidarity

Chhatrasal's appeal worked because of Hindu solidarity. A Hindu king asking another Hindu king for help against Muslim Mughal. Bajirao responded. This was part of the narrative, whether explicitly stated or not.

5. Mughal Authority Crumbling

Each Mughal commander defeated, each territory lost, each alliance forged with local Hindu kings—this all shows Mughal power in Deccan is fading. Marathas are replacing them as the hegemon.

Critical Insights

The Decision-Making Authority

Bajirao had enough authority to march an army north without explicit Shahu approval. This shows the trust and delegation is working. Shahu didn't object (and probably approved). But Bajirao had freedom to act in moment of opportunity.

The Executive Decision vs. Sovereign Decision

Normally such decisions require sovereign approval. But in practice, Bajirao was making strategic decisions in real time. This works when there's perfect alignment (which there was between Bajirao and Shahu). But it's fragile—only works with absolute trust.

The Hybrid Warfare

Marathas were trained in Shivaji-era guerrilla tactics. Now fighting in open plains where those don't work. Instead of forcing the old way, Bajirao adapted. Kept the psychological element (surprise) but added ability to fight open battles. True strategic flexibility.

The Siege vs. Pitched Battle

Instead of fighting pitched battle, Bajirao surrounded and starved out Bangush. This wasn't dramatic but was effective. Shows understanding that warfare has options beyond direct combat. Supply denial is as effective as combat.

The Chhatrasal Alliance

Most interesting decision: didn't absorb Bundelkhand directly. Left Chhatrasal as autonomous ruler but now protected by Marathas. This meant:

• Chhatrasal's legitimacy preserved = local support stays
• Maratha gets alliance and influence = strategic gain
• Easier to hold than direct rule
• Creates buffer against Delhi

Key Quotes

"The elephant's foot is in the mouth of a crocodile. It is up to you to safeguard the reputation of that elephant."

"What the heck, you know, I am going. Another Hindu king is asking me for help."

"I am sure that Shahu will not object"

"I will never again come back to Chhatrasal's area in Bundelkhand"

The Warrior Ethos

Chhatrasal was aged, not as militarily powerful as Bangush. But he had pride, reputation, honor. When he asked for help, he wasn't asking to be conquered or ruled—he was asking for a warrior alliance. Bajirao understood this. He didn't treat Chhatrasal as conquered subject. He treated him as allied king. That respect was what created the lasting alliance.

Where We Left Off: In just a few months, Bajirao has expanded Maratha control northward dramatically. He defeated Mughal commanders, protected a Hindu king, and established Maratha presence in Bundelkhand. The empire now extends from Deccan all the way north toward Delhi. Marathas have transitioned from regional power to continental power in one decade. They're now challenging Mughal authority directly, winning battles, making alliances with other Hindu kingdoms. The dominoes are falling. And the Mughal Empire's grip on the Deccan is slipping away.

Chhatrasal was an old elephant with his foot in a crocodile's mouth. Bajirao was the young warrior who pulled him out. But he did something smarter than conquest—he made an alliance. Chhatrasal remains king, but now protected and allied with Marathas. The territory is secured not through occupation but through mutual interest. And in doing so, Bajirao moved the Maratha frontier all the way north to the gates of Delhi. The Mughals were crumbling, the Marathas were rising, and the old order was giving way to the new. One decade of strategy, speed, and smart decisions had transformed everything.