Shahu's Support for Bajirao & The Commander Conflict Crisis

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Bajirao: The Irreplaceable Pillar

Shahu's Perspective:

"Bajirao was the main supporting column of Maratha Empire"

The Reality:

• Bajirao was primary reason for expansion
• Shahu understood his critical importance
• Gave him maximum autonomy & resources
• Any reasonable request = approved

The Conservative vs. Pragmatic Split:

• Conservative Pune society: Opposed Mastani relationship
• Shahu: Pragmatic about Bajirao's private life
• Wrote to court secretary: "Don't make Bajirao unhappy"
• Message: Leave him alone about Mastani

The Consequence:

• Conservative elements ignored Shahu's order
• Separated Mastani from Bajirao anyway
• Bajirao "much aggrieved in his last months"
• Tension between ruler & ruled created

British Reconnaissance: 1741

The Visitor:

• British lawyer came to Pune after Portuguese defeat
• Wanted to know: What's Shahu's policy toward British?
• Portuguese had just been expelled from Vassal (south of Mumbai)
• British worried: "Will we get the same treatment?"

Captain Gordon's Report on Pune:

• "Well-built, well-developed city"
• "Most fertile land I've ever seen"
• Manufacturing: 13-inch cannons being produced locally
• Textile industry thriving
• Tax concessions for farmers = prosperity

Military Assessment:

• 40,000 standing army
• Can raise bigger forces if needed
• Bajirao maintains absolute secrecy about campaigns
• Even soldiers don't know destination until march
• Complete trust despite information blackout
• "Force to be reckoned with"

British Conclusion: Marathas are serious power. Better maintain good relations.

The Shinde-Holkar Problem: Roots of Conflict

The Setup:

• Ranoji Shinde & Malhar Rao Holkar: Two major northern commanders
• Both permanent stations in north (rarely came to Pune)
• Were supposed to work together, didn't

The Issues:

1. Economic Competition

   • Both collect Chautai (1/4 taxes) from their zones
   • If one gains territory = other loses revenue
   • Zero-sum game created tension

2. Ego & Personal Animosity

   • General personality conflicts
   • Some degree of personal hatred

3. Succession Competition in Rajasthan

   • When Rajput king died with multiple sons
   • Shinde would support one son
   • Holkar would support other son
   • Both using Maratha forces to influence succession

Why Bajirao Couldn't Fix It:

• Happened toward end of his life
• Vested interests were "exactly opposite"
• No compromise possible
• Died 1740 before resolving

The Rajasthan Succession Problem

How the System Worked:

• Local Rajput kingdom: King dies, leaves 2+ sons
• Each son wants to be next king
• Shinde backs eldest; Holkar backs younger
• Marathas fight on both sides of same family

The Rajput Perception:

• Treated Marathas as kingmakers, not allies
• Felt like Marathas were exploiting internal disputes
• Resentment: "We'll handle succession ourselves"
• But too weak to resist: "You're too powerful"

The Bitterness:

• Rajputs saw Marathas as usurpers trying to take over
• Destroyed bond between Hindu brothers (Marathas & Rajputs)
• Turned natural allies into bitter enemies
• Rajputs: "Make money off us, then absorb our kingdom"

The Sangharaja Problem: Federation of Warlords

What Emerged:

• Empire became Sangharaja (literally: mixed/hybrid)
• Not centralized like Shivaji's
• But decentralized network of regional commanders
• Each had autonomy over assigned territories
• As long as: (1) Met quotas, (2) Sent revenue up, (3) Didn't rebel

Why the Change:

• Geographic distance too vast
• Peshwa couldn't be everywhere
• Information took month to reach Pune
• Commanders needed autonomy to act

The Downside:

• Commanders thought of personal wealth, not empire welfare
• "What will make me rich?" instead of "What helps Marathas?"
• Day-to-day governance was their responsibility alone
• No oversight or coordination

How It Differed from Shivaji:

• Shivaji: Centralized power in king, good governance priority
• Bajirao: Delegated power to commanders, expansion priority
• Shivaji: Personal leadership everywhere
• Bajirao: Mobile but couldn't manage decentralization chaos

The Structural Weakness

The Problem:

• Commanders in far-flung areas (north, Rajasthan)
• Based there permanently
• Reporting to Peshwa they saw once every 1-2 years
• De facto independent rulers despite nominal subordination

The Information Gap:

• News took month to reach Pune from north
• By then, damage done or situation changed
• Peshwa couldn't make real-time decisions
• Had to trust commanders' judgment

The Vested Interest Problem:

• Shinde & Holkar had exactly opposite interests
• Both wanted to expand their zones (= other's loss)
• Competing for same Rajasthan resources
• No natural cooperation incentive

The Lost Rajput Alliance

What Happened:

• Shivaji: Earned Rajput respect through martial courage & governance
• Bajirao: Lost Rajput respect through manipulation & extraction
• Hindu-Hindu relationship broken by greed & power play

The Resentment:

"Marathas want to exploit our differences and swallow our kingdom"

"You're kingmakers behind the scenes, deciding our succession"

"This is not your role, but we can't resist you"

The Strategic Loss:

• Lost potential allies
• Turned them into passive-hostile
• Could become active enemies if given chance
• Will matter at Panipat

The Three Root Causes Building

Already Identified (from this session):

1. Mastani Precedent: Wives now follow armies (logistical problem)
2. Rajasthan Alienation: Lost Rajput trust through interference

Now Adding: 3. Shinde-Holkar Split: Two northern commanders with opposite interests, unable to coordinate 4. Decentralization Chaos: Empire becoming federation of profit-seeking warlords 5. Information Breakdown: Peshwa can't control or even know what's happening in territories

The Governance vs. Expansion Trade-off

What Shivaji Prioritized:

• Good governance
• Citizen welfare
• Stable administration
• Balanced expansion

What Bajirao Prioritized:

• Rapid expansion
• Military victory
• Territory acquisition
• Delegated administration

The Cost:

• Vast empire, but shallow roots
• Many territories, but few loyal allies
• Military victories, but political enemies
• Expansion, but decentralization

Bajirao's Legacy (The Mixed Picture)

Positives:

• Expanded empire dramatically
• Defeated major enemies
• Created 40,000-person standing army
• Demonstrated military genius
• Made Marathas continental power

Negatives:

• Lost Rajput alliance
• Created commander rivalries
• Established decentralized system bound to fragment
• Set precedent (Mastani) that affected future operations
• Prioritized expansion over governance stability

Key Players

Timeline

Critical Insights

1. The Decentralization Trap

Autonomy to commanders = expansion. But also = loss of control. Works great with one genius (Bajirao). Falls apart when he's gone.

2. The Information Lag

Month to get news from north = month too late to fix problems. Peshwa essentially flying blind.

3. The Rajput Mistake

By manipulating Rajput succession, Marathas created enemies from would-be allies. Short-term gain, long-term disaster.

4. The Mastani Precedent

Romantic story, but unintended consequence: wives following armies. Creates logistical nightmare 25 years later.

5. The Opposite Interests Problem

Shinde & Holkar couldn't be mediated because their interests are literally opposite. One's gain = other's loss. Built-in conflict.

Key Quote

"The bottom line was that Marathas were becoming powerful... But day to day decisions they had the freedom to decide what they wanted to do"

Where We Left Off: Bajirao is at his apex—feared by Mughals, observed by British, commanding 40,000 troops. But the structure underneath is cracking. Commanders are becoming autonomous warlords. Rajputs are turning hostile. Succession conflicts are brewing between Shinde & Holkar. And Bajirao is about to die. When he does, there won't be anyone strong enough to hold this decentralized empire together. The centrifugal forces will take over.

Bajirao built an empire on military genius, but forgot to build the infrastructure to hold it together. He delegated to commanders because he had to—geography was too vast. But he never solved the problem of what happens when those commanders have conflicting interests and he's not there to mediate. He died thinking he'd built something permanent. He'd actually built something fragile. Within years, it would start cracking. Within decades, it would collapse at Panipat.