The Surrender of Punjab & The Fateful Maratha Treaty (1752)

How the Stage Was Set for Panipat

Abdali's Response to Muin Khan

The Epic Answer

Remember the legendary question: "Are you a merchant, butcher, or emperor?"

Abdali's Response:

• Extremely impressed with Muin Khan's courage and dignity
• Decided to show mercy
• Let Muin Khan keep Lahore

The Deal:

• Muin Khan would remain as Subedar of Lahore
• BUT now under Abdali's backing/protection
• Punjab effectively becomes Abdali's territory
• Muin Khan is now Abdali's vassal, not the Mughal emperor's

The Clever Move:

• Abdali doesn't have to fight a costly siege
• Gets control of Punjab without losing soldiers
• Has a loyal governor in place who proved his competence
• Can collect taxes through Muin Khan

The Bigger Picture: Abdali's Master Plan

The Pattern Emerges

Abdali's Strategy:

1. Come to India
2. Loot and raid
3. Establish control over revenue-generating territories
4. Go back to Afghanistan with wealth
5. Repeat whenever he needs money

Why This Works:

• Afghanistan has no agriculture
• India (especially Punjab) is extremely fertile
• Mughal Empire is too weak to resist
• Punjab's tax revenue funds his Afghan kingdom

Meanwhile: Safdar Jung's Rohilla Problem

The Ongoing Conflict

Where: The Doab (fertile land between Ganga and Yamuna rivers)

Who's Fighting:

• Safdar Jung (Mughal Wazir)
• vs. Khan Bangash and Sadulla Khan (Rohilla commanders)

Safdar Jung's Solution: Call in the Marathas (again)

The First Maratha Treaty: February 1752

The Deal

What Safdar Jung Offered:

• Large areas of the Doab to the Marathas
• Right to collect taxes from these territories
• Keep 80-90% of tax revenue, give 10-20% to Mughal Empire

Why This Was Huge:

• The Doab is one of the most fertile lands in India (like Punjab)
• Between Ganga and Yamuna rivers
• Part of it was Safdar Jung's own kingdom called Awadh
• Tremendous income from agricultural taxes

What Marathas Did:

• Came to Safdar Jung's aid
• Repelled attacks on his territory
• Restored his control over Awadh

The Pattern: Marathas fight for territory, then collect taxes from it. That's their business model.

Abdali Demands Punjab (March 1752)

The Formal Request

March 23, 1752 - The Mughal Emperor receives a demand:

Who Delivered It: Kalandar Khan (Abdali's agent/ambassador)

The Demand: Secession of Punjab - hand it over to Abdali

The Emperor's Response

What He Did:

• Ordered Safdar Jung to get help from the Marathas
• Sent urgent summons for them to come to Delhi

The Timeline:

• Early April 1752 - Safdar Jung obtained Maratha help on his way to Delhi
• This was a more generalized agreement than the February treaty
• Not just about Rohillas anymore - this was about Abdali

The Surrender: April 13, 1752

The Emperor Caves

April 13, 1752 - A day that changed everything:

What Happened:

• The Mughal Emperor was unable to resist Abdali's demand
• Gave a formal letter to Kalandar Khan
• Signed away Punjab to Abdali

Why This Was Catastrophic

What It Meant:

• Total surrender
• Emperor became completely helpless
• Punjab was extremely important - fertile land, massive tax revenue
• Abdali now controls the westernmost, wealthiest province

The Emperor's "Tough Guy" Act

The Empty Threat

What the Emperor Said:

"I am faithful to my promise, but if your master Abdali goes back on his word, I am prepared to fight also."

The Real Message:

• "Be content with Punjab"
• "Don't come east of Punjab"
• "Don't raid Delhi"
• Classic appeasement strategy

The Reality Check:

• The emperor wasn't prepared to fight anything
• This was an empty threat
• Everyone knew it, including Abdali

The Game-Changing Treaty: April 12, 1752

One Day Before Punjab's Surrender

April 12, 1752 - The most important treaty in this entire saga:

Who Signed:

• Safdar Jung (on behalf of the Mughal Emperor)
• Maratha Chiefs (Shinde and Holkar)

The Terms

What It Said:

• The Peshwa is now responsible for protection of the Mughal Emperor
• Against ALL internal and external threats
• In exchange: Marathas get big territories in the north to collect taxes

What This Means:

• If Abdali comes back → Marathas must defend Delhi
• Marathas are now the real military power protecting the empire
• Mughals have outsourced their defense to the Marathas

The Historical Irony 🎭

From Aurangzeb to This

Then (Aurangzeb's time):

• Aurangzeb wanted to destroy the tiny Maratha kingdom
• Spent 26 years trying to crush Shivaji's legacy
• Failed completely

Now (1752):

• Mughal Emperor begging Marathas for protection
• Marathas are the dominant military force
• Complete role reversal in less than 100 years

The Power Shift

Aurangzeb's Era:

• Massive Mughal army
• Marathas were the underdogs fighting for survival

1752:

• Mughal army is one hundredth of what it was
• Marathas are the steel behind the Mughal army
• Mughals have "forgot how to fight" - no appetite for war

The Insurance Policy

Why They Made This Treaty

The Reality:

• Emperor and Safdar Jung knew Abdali wouldn't keep his word
• He's not going to be content with just Punjab
• He's going to come back and raid Delhi
• They needed a contingency plan

The Insurance:

• Marathas get tax revenue from northern territories
• In return: protect us when Abdali inevitably returns

The Stakes:

• If Abdali comes eastward → Marathas must fight him
• Marathas are now on the hook

The Northern Commanders Take Charge

Shinde and Holkar's Heavy Burden

The Situation:

• Shinde and Holkar understood this heavy responsibility
• Made the agreement without reference to the Peshwa
• They're the ones with armies in the north

The Power Structure

Peshwa (in Pune):

• Far in the south
• Says: "Okay, I'll do this because I get lots of revenue"
• Collects the taxes

Shinde & Holkar (in the North):

• Have to do the actual enforcement
• Must keep up with events
• Must be ready to fight Abdali if he comes back
• They're the ones who will bleed when war comes

Too Late to Save Punjab

The Rushed Response

April 25, 1752:

• Safdar Jung reached Delhi with the Marathas
• Ready to repel Abdali's invasion
• But it was too late

What Already Happened:

• Punjab was gone
• Abdali was already on his way home to Afghanistan
• Muin ul-Mulk remains as Subedar of Lahore with Abdali's backing

Why They Can't Just Take It Back

The Problem:

• Can't depose Muin ul-Mulk
• If you try → it's like going to war with Abdali
• Would start a fight they can't win
• Mughal Empire has "no appetite" for war

The Trap Is Set

Why This Guarantees War

Abdali's Perspective:

• Has Punjab now (legal control)
• Collects revenue from the richest province
• But his appetite is never-ending
• Views Delhi as a "treasury" he can raid anytime he needs money

The Marathas' Obligation:

• Get revenue from northern provinces (very fertile)
• Must defend Delhi if Abdali comes
• They're now contractually bound to fight him

The Inevitable Conclusion:

• Abdali will come back (everyone knows this)
• When he does → Marathas must fight
• The Battle of Panipat is now inevitable

Key Players

Critical Dates

Geographic Overview

Punjab:

• Westernmost province
• Five rivers (very fertile)
• Major cities: Lahore, Multan, Peshawar
• Now under Abdali's control

The Doab:

• Land between Ganga and Yamuna
• Most fertile region after Punjab
• Includes Awadh (Safdar Jung's kingdom)
• Now Marathas collect taxes here

Delhi:

• Mughal capital
• What Abdali really wants
• Protected by Marathas now

Pune:

• Peshwa's capital (far south)
• Where Maratha decisions are made
• Too far from the action

Strategic Analysis

The Appeasement Failure

The Theory:

• Give Abdali Punjab
• Hope he'll be satisfied
• He'll stay west of Delhi

The Reality:

• Abdali views India as unlimited ATM
• Comes whenever he needs money
• Punjab is just the appetizer
• Delhi is the main course

Why Marathas Are Screwed

The Math:

1. They get huge tax revenues from the north
2. But must defend an indefensible empire
3. If they don't fight → lose all that revenue
4. If they do fight → face Abdali's full force
5. They're fighting for Mughal interests, not their own

The Trap:

• Signed a treaty without fully understanding the implications
• Shinde and Holkar made the call without Peshwa's input
• Now the entire Maratha confederacy is committed
• No way out without losing face and revenue

The Seminal Event

Why This Chapter Matters

The Father's Words:

"Rohan, remember this agreement that was done? This is going to lead to the big battle that is looming."

Why:

• This treaty is the beginning of the war drums
• The decks are now stacked
• Abdali will come back
• Marathas must fight him
• The Third Battle of Panipat is now inevitable

The Domino Effect

1. Mughal weakness → Abdali demands Punjab
2. Emperor surrenders → Shows total helplessness
3. Marathas sign protection treaty → Now committed to defend
4. Abdali gets Punjab → But wants more
5. Marathas collect northern taxes → Must protect investment
6. Collision course = LOCKED IN

Key Themes

1. The Complete Role Reversal - From Aurangzeb crushing Marathas to Mughals begging them for help
2. Appeasement Never Works - Giving Punjab won't satisfy Abdali
3. Treaties Have Consequences - Shinde and Holkar committed without full awareness
4. The Inevitable War - All pieces are now in place
5. Abdali's Business Model - India as an ATM, raid whenever needed
6. Mughal Collapse - From superpower to puppet in 50 years

Cultural/Historical Context

The Doab (Fertile Crescent of India)

The land between two rivers (Ganga and Yamuna) - one of the most productive agricultural regions. Controlling tax collection here = massive wealth.

The Subedar System

Provincial governors who ruled territories on behalf of the emperor. Now these governors are switching allegiance to whoever has real power (Abdali).

The Maratha Business Model

1. Fight wars for territory
2. Get tax collection rights
3. Send portion back to Peshwa in Pune
4. Keep rest for army maintenance
5. Expand and repeat

Vassal States

Muin ul-Mulk is now technically a Mughal official, but really serves Abdali. This ambiguous status creates political cover while shifting real power.

The stage is set. The treaties are signed. The trap is sprung. War is coming.

Next: The countdown to Panipat begins...