Rohila Politics & Afghan Tribal Dynamics: The Fifth Column Strategy

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

The Rohila Identity: Where They Came From

Origins:

• Rohilas from specific areas of Afghanistan
• Pathans from different Afghan region/tribe
• Both are Afghan ethnic groups but from different tribes
• Slight differences between them but shared Afghan origin

Migration to Rohilkhand:

• After Nadir Shah's persecution of Afghans in 1730s-40s
• Wave of Afghan soldiers of fortune came to India
• Found employment, opportunity, and prosperity in India
• Settled in Rohilkhand region (between Ganga and Yamuna)

Why India?

• Mistreatment and atrocities by Nadir Shah drove them out
• Afghanistan was poor; India was land of opportunity
• Wealth, agriculture, good prospects—everything lacking at home
• Naturally gravitated to better prospects

The Afghan Lobby: Tribal Bonds Over National Loyalty

The Strategic Alliance:

• All Afghans (regardless of tribe) had unwritten understanding
• Goal: Establish Afghan hegemony in Mughal court and army
• Wanted to ensure Muslims dominated (vs. rising Hindu Maratha influence)
• Tribal bond stronger than individual national loyalty

Religious Dimension:

• Afghans were Sunni Muslims
• Afraid that Hindu Marathas gaining power would undermine Islamic character of Mughal Empire
• Concerned about "Muslimness" being eroded
• Religious bond (Sunni Islam) reinforced tribal bond

The Fifth Column Concept:

• Rohilas functioned as Afghan fifth column within Mughal structure
• Took orders from external Afghan power (Abdali)
• Had loyalty to Afghan tribe before any other allegiance
• Tried to maintain Afghan influence in Mughal court

The Rohila Military Force

The Numbers:

• 40,000 disciplined soldiers
• Fought as cohesive unit with one mind
• Showed no mercy to enemies
• Formidable fighting force by regional standards

Regional Control:

• Stationed throughout north India
• Not centralized under single ruler initially
• Individual chiefs commanded areas but coordinated through tribal ties
• Could mobilize quickly through tribal networks

The Rohila Problem: Not Strong Enough Alone

Their Dilemma:

• Wanted to maintain/expand Afghan influence in Mughal court
• Marathas were strong rival for that influence
• Couldn't defeat Marathas without outside help
• Were facing military inferiority on their own

Their Solution:

• Looked to Ahmed Khan Abdali (powerful Afghan in Afghanistan)
• Thought together they could be formidable force against Marathas
• Expected Abdali's alliance would give them numbers + experience
• Figured combined strength could dominate Mughal court

Safdar Jang: The Peculiar Wazir

His Background:

• Wazir (Prime Minister) of Mughal Empire
• Also Nabab (king) of Awadh kingdom
• Kingdom was wealthy and fertile (between Yamuna and Ganga)
• Occupied dual position: administrator at center, king in province

His Conflicting Interests:

• As Wazir: responsible for all-empire affairs
• As Nabab: responsible for Awadh prosperity
• Often these interests clashed
• Had to choose which hat to wear in each situation

His Relationship with the Emperor:

• Emperor was weak, untrained, interested only in merrymaking
• Safdar Jang had effective power while emperor had title
• Everyone knew real power belonged to Wazir
• But Safdar Jang still needed nominal loyalty to emperor

His Threat to Rohilas:

• Rohilas were in northern Doab (Safdar Jang's backyard)
• They were wealthy territorial power he couldn't control
• Represented threat to his Awadh kingdom's stability
• Wanted to reduce their power or bring them under his control

The Nazib Khan Anomaly

His Unique Status:

• Started as foot soldier in Rohila army
• Rose through ranks to become regional chieftain
• Built personal kingdom between Ganga and Himalayas around Saharanpur
• Held strong fort and commanded significant territory
• Called himself Nazib ud-Daula (Administrator of State)

His Special Relationship:

• Hated Marathas generally
• Exception: Mallar Rao Holkar
• Viewed Holkar as adopted father figure
• Holkar had soft corner for Nazib
• This personal bond created crack in Afghan-Maratha hostility

Why This Mattered:

• Most Afghans: uniform hatred of Marathas
• Nazib: special relationship with one key Maratha commander
• This would create internal tension among Afghans when conflicts escalated
• Personal relationships vs. tribal loyalty—a problem waiting to explode

The Wazir-Rohila Conflict

Why They Fought:

• Safdar Jang tried to control Rohila territories
• Rohilas resisted—they had their own agenda
• Safdar Jang wanted hegemony; Rohilas wanted independence
• Neither willing to submit to the other

The Geographic Issue:

• Rohilkhand was near Delhi—close to center of power
• Safdar Jang from Awadh kingdom (also in north, near Delhi)
• Both competing for same territory and influence
• Proximity meant constant friction

The Religious Angle:

• Both Sunni Muslim but different ethnic backgrounds
• Safdar Jang: Persian administrator (administrator class)
• Rohilas: Afghan warriors (military class)
• Different approaches to power—both wanted control

The Afghan Lobby Inside Mughal Court

Who Was Involved:

• Duradi (Afghan-influenced) faction in emperor's court
• Opposed Safdar Jang because he was Persian Shia (not Sunni Afghan)
• Wanted Sunni Muslim (preferably Afghan) leadership
• Used court politics to undermine his position

Their Strategy:

• Couldn't defeat Safdar Jang militarily (he had imperial resources)
• So used court intrigue and politics
• Encouraged emperor to reduce Wazir's power
• Tried to replace him with someone more sympathetic to Afghan interests

The Failure:

• Marathas intervened on Safdar Jang's side
• Bapu Hingne (Maratha representative) warned him of conspiracy
• Nana Sahib mobilized Shinde and Holkar to threaten counter-action
• Emperor got cold feet and backed down
• Safdar Jang survived due to Maratha support

Timeline of Rohila-Wazir Conflict

The Larger Pattern

Afghan Tribal Loyalty:

• Transcended national boundaries
• Afghans in India answered to Abdali in Afghanistan
• Afghans in court answered to Afghan tribesmen in field
• Created network of allegiance independent of Mughal structure

The Weak Mughal Center:

• Emperor couldn't enforce decisions
• Wazir had power but was under constant threat
• Regional powers (Marathas, Rohilas, Rajputs) doing what they wanted
• Central authority was fiction maintained by inertia

The Maratha Entry Point:

• Safdar Jang's vulnerability drew them into northern affairs
• Simple act of warning him created alliance
• Once allied, couldn't easily disengage
• Deeper involvement in northern politics inevitable

Critical Insights

1. Tribal Networks Over Nations

Afghan tribal loyalty created super-national organization. Afghans in India were part of Afghan world, not just Mughal subjects.

2. The Wazir's Paradox

Safdar Jang had formal power but was constantly under threat. Real power was diffused among regional commanders. Wazir position was increasingly ceremonial.

3. The Fifth Column Reality

Rohilas weren't just regional power—they were actually Afghan expansion into India via migration. Their loyalty to Abdali was real and structural.

4. Personal Relationships Matter

Nazib Khan's affection for Holkar created exception to general Afghan-Maratha hostility. Showed that tribal logic could be overridden by personal bonds.

5. The Entanglement

By supporting Safdar Jang, Marathas committed to northern politics. By fighting Rohilas, they committed to opposing Afghan expansion. Both commitments would pull them toward Panipat.

Key Concepts

Rohilkhand as Region:

• Informally named after Rohila occupation
• No formal district, just colloquial name
• Important because: Afghans created settlement pattern that persisted
• Name survived even after power shifted

The 40,000 Figure:

• Repeated for reason—shows consolidated military force
• Not scattered groups but coordinated army
• Could mobilize as unified force under tribal command
• This is what made them formidable despite being numerically small vs. Marathas

The Self-Made Warrior Pattern:

• Nazib Khan: foot soldier to chieftain
• Ahmed Khan Bangash: administrative chieftain
• Showed Afghan immigrants could rise through merit
• Created incentive for more soldiers to come to India

Where We Left Off: The Rohila-Wazir conflict is escalating with Maratha involvement. Afghans are cohesive through tribal bonds and religious ties. Nazib Khan is the anomaly—loving Holkar while hating other Marathas. Safdar Jang is barely holding on with Maratha help. The Mughal center is hollow. Everyone can see it. This is the situation when Abdali starts watching and planning to intervene.

The Rohilas came to India as economic migrants and became political players. They bonded through tribal and religious ties into a unified force of 40,000. But they couldn't beat the Marathas alone. So they looked to Abdali. They thought Afghan brothers would help. What they didn't realize was that being Afghan would eventually mean choosing between local success and external loyalty. Nazib Khan saw this problem early—he loved Holkar despite hating Marathas. But most Afghans never resolved that contradiction. When Panipat came, they'd have to choose. And the choice would destroy them.