Maratha Military Victory & Northern Consolidation: The Safdar Jang Partnership (1750-1751)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

The Mughal Court's Three Factions

The Political Reality:

• Shia Faction: From Iran (Safdar Jang's group)
• Sunni Faction: From Afghanistan (Rohila/Afghan allies)
• Hindustani Muslim: Converted Indian Muslims
• Few Hindus in power, mostly in minor positions

Why This Mattered:

• Safdar Jang (Shia from Persia) was unusual as Wazir
• Sunni Afghan faction opposed him naturally
• Religious-ethnic divide became political divide
• Afghan Sunni faction allied with local Rohilas (common ethnicity + religion)

The Failed Coup & Its Aftermath

The Plot:

• Emperor Ahmad Shah weak, easily manipulated by court
• Udhambai (ambitious mother/courtesan) pushed to reduce Wazir's power
• Emperor summoned Nasir Jang (Nizam's son) from Deccan to replace Safdar Jang
• Nasir Jang advanced north to Narmada River (boundary between Deccan and north)

The Counter-Move:

• Bapu Hingane (Maratha diplomat at Delhi) secretly warned Safdar Jang
• Safdar Jang sought Maratha help immediately
• Peshwa ordered Shinde and Holkar to intercept Nasir Jang
• Rapid Maratha mobilization alarmed Emperor

The De-Escalation:

• Emperor got cold feet seeing Maratha involvement
• Recalled Nasir Jang to Deccan from Narmada (before he crossed north)
• Tension defused without civil war
• Safdar Jang kept Wazir position but now indebted to Marathas

The Rohila War & Early Maratha Victories

Safdar Jang's Strategy:

• Decided to enlarge influence by suppressing Rohilas and Afghans
• They had grabbed Mughal territories with impunity
• Invaded Rohila territories around Bareilly
• Attempted to confiscate Ahmed Khan Bangash's estates at Farrukhabad

The First Battle (September 1750):

• Before Marathas could arrive, Safdar Jang lost at Kasganj
• Safdar Jang was beaten unconscious, carried away on elephant
• Rohilas pursued into Awadh territory
• Looted Lucknow and invaded Allahabad (Safdar Jang's kingdom base)
• Wazir's fortunes sinking rapidly

Why Awadh Mattered:

• Between Yamuna and Ganga rivers (Doab region)
• Extremely fertile land—best tax base in north India
• Even today: dig 40 feet and find no stone (pure soil depth)
• Farmers were wealthy, so taxes were enormous
• Vassal state to Mughal but semi-independent due to emperor's weakness

The Maratha Entry as Mercenaries

The Agreement (Late 1750):

• Safdar Jang urgently seeking help with large daily cash payments
• Shinde and Holkar demanded guaranteed money (not volunteers)
• Became mercenaries—"going to the highest bidder"
• Accepted Safdar Jang's offer after settling Rajasthan succession issues

The Intelligence to Peshwa:

• Divans (administrators) of Shinde and Holkar informed Peshwa on February 12, 1751
• Agents from Safdar Jang came seeking help
• They advised Peshwa: "This is opportunity to create impact in north"
• Peshwa authorized the operation (already aware through diplomatic channels)

The Strategic Calculation:

• Malhar Rao Holkar had been requesting standing army in north for years
• Northern politics too unstable; emergencies needed quick response
• Distance from Pune to Delhi too great for reactive deployment
• Solution: Station permanent Maratha force in north under Jayappa Shinde
• By time messages reached Pune from north, damage already done in old system

The Maratha Military Dominance

The Campaign:

• Rohilas sustained successive defeats in Doab (Safdar Jang's territory)
• Also defeated near Kumaun hills (border region)
• Maratha armies finally arrived and turned tide
• Bangash was completely defeated
• Victory was "beginning of many Maratha successes in the north"

The Result:

• Marathas created hegemony over north Indian territories
• Rohilas now careful not to attack Marathas directly
• Maratha influence replaced Afghan/Rohila dominance
• Areas came under Maratha control; tributes collected

Govind Bundel: The Administrator-Fighter

His Background:

• Revenue manager, accountant-come-fighter
• Went north with Bajirao I in 1730s
• Stayed in Bundelkhand to administer the 1/3 kingdom gifted to Bajirao I (along with Mastani)
• Collected taxes and handled administration for Maratha holdings

His New Role:

• Led revenue managers collecting tributes in newly conquered areas
• Accountant-like work coordinating taxation across north
• Govindpant Bundel: Important character for future events
• Will play significant role as Maratha territories expand

The Complicated Victory

The Problem:

• Marathas defeated Bangash but allowed him to survive
• Denied Marathas access to holy sites: Kashi, Ayodhya, Allahabad
• Safdar Jang blocked Maratha access to these sacred places
• Marathas "let the Vazir enjoy empty victory"—meaning Marathas held back

Why This Mattered:

• Safdar Jang was Muslim, wanted to maintain Muslim character of sites
• Marathas (Hindu) wanted to control/access these sacred places
• This denial created tension—Marathas limited by religious restrictions
• Eventually would become issue in future northern campaigns

Ahmed Khan Abdali: The External Threat Preparing

Who He Was:

• Afghan ruler unifying Afghanistan
• Earlier invaded India but was defeated at Manupur by Mughal Suhedar
• Afghanistan: Poor, nothing but dirt
• Had "tasted blood" in that earlier invasion attempt

His Motivation:

• Not interested in becoming emperor in Delhi
• Interested in looting wealth: money, diamonds, gold
• Plan: Take Indian wealth back to Afghanistan to build empire there
• Afghanistan too poor to be self-sufficient; must extract external wealth

His Strategic Position:

• Abdali watching situation in north India unfold
• Saw Marathas defeating Rohilas
• Understood Marathas were rising power
• Would need to reckon with them eventually
• Already planning return invasions (next chapter: "Abdali Invades Punjab")

The Pattern:

• First invasion: Defeated at Manupur
• Will keep coming back because Afghanistan has nothing
• "Pathetic" by Abdali's own assessment
• Only positive: good fighters
• Will be back again and again seeking plunder

Timeline

Critical Insights

1. The Mercenary Transition

Marathas move from free allies to paid mercenaries. This creates different dynamic—they fight where paid, not where strategically necessary. Makes Peshwa vulnerable to financial exhaustion.

2. The Standing Army Realization

Holkar understood standing north army needed. Reaction-based deployment too slow. This insight leads to permanent Maratha presence in north—sets stage for Panipat.

3. The Holy Sites Problem

Marathas exclude themselves from sacred Muslim sites. This Hindu-Muslim religious divide limits Maratha territorial ambitions even as military power grows.

4. The Declining Mughal Reality

During Aurangzeb: Central army dominated. By 1750: Wazir needs mercenaries to fight regional powers. Shows complete collapse of Mughal military authority.

5. Abdali's External Threat

Rohilas/Afghans allied with Abdali because tribal kinship. Abdali's earlier defeat didn't discourage him—just whetted appetite. Will try again. Marathas now need to prepare for this threat too.

6. The Entanglement Deepens

By taking mercenary contracts from Safdar Jang, Marathas committed to permanent northern presence. Can't just leave when done. This is entanglement, not conquest.

The Declining Mogul Center vs. Rising Maratha Power

Mughal Weakness Exposed:

• Wazir needs mercenary help against regional rebels
• Emperor too weak to command respect
• Central army can't maintain order
• Territories breaking away piece by piece

Maratha Strength Demonstrated:

• Can move armies rapidly north
• Win battles decisively against experienced fighters
• Create administrative structure (Bundel collecting taxes)
• Can fight for pay indefinitely if funded

The Vulnerability:

• If funding dries up (mercenary model), Marathas leave
• If multiple demands (north + south), armies split
• If Abdali invades with unified force, Marathas scattered
• This is the weakness that Panipat will expose

Key Themes Emerging

The Tribal Loyalty Problem:

• Rohilas looked to Abdali because Afghan kinship
• Marathas looked to profit because mercenary interest
• Neither had deep institutional loyalty
• All based on individual commanders' relationships

The Standing Army Insight:

• Holkar's request for permanent north force was prescient
• Shows strategic thinking beyond immediate campaign
• But also shows Marathas now committed to indefinite engagement
• No "return to south" once north becomes expensive commitment

The Sacred-Secular Divide:

• Hindu Marathas excluded from Muslim holy sites by Muslim Wazir
• Creates religious dimension to power struggle
• Afghans and Rohilas also motivated by "preserving Islam"
• Religion becoming factor alongside money and power

Where We Left Off: Marathas have achieved military victory in north and established hegemony. Safdar Jang is grateful and friendly. But Marathas are now permanently stationed in north, dependent on payment, and blocked from controlling holy sites. Meanwhile, Abdali is preparing to invade again. He won't give up after one defeat. The stage is set for larger confrontation. Next chapter: Abdali's second invasion.

The Wazir thought he could hire Marathas as mercenaries. But once they arrived, they didn't leave. They beat the Rohilas, controlled territory, collected taxes, stayed. Because mercenaries create permanent interest. Holkar understood this better than anyone—he asked for a standing army in north, realizing emergencies can't wait for deployment from the south. But nobody realized how this would trap them. Abdali watched from Afghanistan, saw Marathas getting stronger in north, and decided he needed to come back stronger too. The two forces—Maratha and Afghan—were on collision course. And Panipat was waiting.