The Court Rivalries Deepen

Kamruddin's Faction & The Sunni-Shia Battle for Control

Quick Recap

Where We Are:

• Mansoor Khan = Safdar Jung (same person)
• He became Governor of Awadh after bribing Nadir Shah with 2 crore rupees
• Got title "Safdar Jung" (Lion of Battle)
• By 1743, appointed Head of Artillery and Governor of Kashmir
• Court is split: Irani/Shia faction (Safdar Jung) vs. Turani/Sunni faction (Rohillas/Afghans)
• Marathas allied with Safdar Jung → Rohillas can't match them militarily

The Battle History: Safdar Jung vs. Malhar Rao Holkar

Understanding the Timeline

1737 (Two Years Before Nadir Shah):

• Safdar Jung (with Saadat Khan) defeated Malhar Rao Holkar
• Holkar was one of the commanders Bajirao I appointed to the North
• Safdar Jung helped his uncle Saadat Khan win this battle

1738 (One Year Before Nadir Shah):

• When Safdar Jung was going to help Nizam ul-Mulk in the South
• Near Bhopal
• Malhar Rao Holkar defeated him (or drove him back to Delhi)

The Score: 1-1 - They had a history of trading victories

Critical Context: This is BEFORE Nadir Shah's 1739 invasion that changed everything.

The Nadir Shah Watershed Moment (1739)

How One Event Changed The Equation

Before 1739:

• Mughals and Marathas were competitive rivals
• They'd win some, lose some
• Normal military competition

Nadir Shah Arrives (1739):

• Creates total terror in Delhi
• Literally massacres thousands and thousands of people
• A different level of cruelty
• Even the Mughals (who were "pretty torturous people") thought this was inhuman
• Another level beyond what they'd ever seen or done

The Realization

What Mughals Understood:

• "We are incapable of dealing with external aggressors"
• This violence was something they had never even seen or done
• "We can't take this"

The Strategic Shift:

• Started inclining towards Marathas for help
• Needed real military power
• That's when alliances began forming
• This changed everything

After Nadir Shah Left: The Succession Bribe

The Claimants

After Saadat Khan Died:

• Three, four, maybe five people claimed they were the true heir to Awadh
• Not just one or two - multiple claimants

Mansoor Khan's Winning Move

What He Did:

• Put forth his case "in a very auspicious and strong manner"
• Why? He was Saadat Khan's son-in-law
• Paid two crore rupees (20 million) as tribute to Nadir Shah

Understanding the Power Dynamic

The Question: Who was in charge then?

The Answer: Nadir Shah, NOT the Mughal Emperor

The Reality:

• Mughal Emperor was a standby - just there in name
• He was a pawn of Nadir Shah
• Nadir Shah was calling the shots
• He would be appointing the Subedar

Mansoor Khan's Smart Move:

• Instead of giving money to his "so-called boss" (the emperor)
• Gave it to Nadir Shah (the real power)
• Bribed the person who actually made decisions

The Details of the Tribute

What Was Sent

The Cash:

• Two crore rupees = 20 million rupees
• In 1739 money (absolutely massive sum)

The Military Escort:

• 200 Qizilbash soldiers
• Typical Persian soldiers
• Specific Iranian-style attire and weapons
• Shows his Shia/Persian identity

The Royal Gift:

• A huge elephant
• Royal animal (symbol of power)
• Perfect diplomatic touch

Why It Worked

The Shia Connection:

• Mansoor Khan = Shia Muslim
• Nadir Shah = Shia Muslim (from Iran)
• Same religious background
• Natural alliance

The Message:

• "I want to be in your good graces thoroughly"
• Well thought out presentation
• Basically a sophisticated bribe
• But presented as respectful tribute

The Appointment Confirmed

What Happened

When Nadir Shah Went Back to Iran:

• He basically appointed Mansoor Ali Khan as Subedar of Awadh/Ayodhya
• Gave him the honorific title "Safdar Jung"
• Meaning: Lion of the battlefield

Clarification:

• Safdar Jung = honorific title (like "Sir" or "Lord")
• His actual name = Mansoor Ali Khan (or Mansoor Khan)
• But now known by the title

The Next Decade: 1740s Campaigns

Following Orders

What Safdar Jung Did:

• Led many campaigns based on Mughal Emperor's orders
• One campaign to Patna (city in Bihar province)
• This is where Nana Saheb Peshwa had also reached during his invasion of Bengal

The Holy Cities Issue

The Setup:

• Varanasi and Gaya = holiest places for Hindus
• Both under Safdar Jung's control (part of Awadh territory)
• Nana Saheb Peshwa wanted to visit them

The Emperor's Order:

• When Peshwa went to Varanasi and Gaya
• Emperor told Safdar Jung: Go back to Awadh
• Translation: "Don't bother Mr. Nana Saheb"
• Smart diplomatic move to avoid conflict

The Delhi Promotion: 1743

The Grand Entry

What Happened:

• Safdar Jung was called to Delhi
• Made a grand entry with lots of pomp
• He understood he might be made wazir

What He Actually Got

The Appointments:

1. Chief of the cannon regiment (Head of Artillery)
2. Subedar of Kashmir (far north)

Plus:

• Kept his own kingdom of Awadh
• Given Kashmir governorship on top of Awadh
• Became the highest Irani noble at the court

Not wazir yet - but these positions set him up for it.

Who Got Displaced: Kamruddin Khan

The Turani Faction Leader

Kamruddin Khan:

• Existing wazir at the time
• Led the Turani faction
• His people previously held these positions
• His loyalists were "overlooked" (not considered)

What "Overlooked" Means

The Example:

• "If I'm considering three candidates for a position"
• "I just say 'Okay Rohan, I'm not going to consider you, get out'"
• That's being overlooked
• Kamruddin's faction got passed over for these key appointments

Understanding the Turani Faction

Who They Were

Kamruddin Khan and His Clan:

• From Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Turkestan, etc.)
• NOT modern Turkey - these are Central Asian Turks
• North of Afghanistan
• Sunni Muslims
• Called "Turani" (Turkish/Central Asian)

Their Natural Allies

The Connection:

• Have camaraderie with Afghans
• Same Sunni background
• Same general region ("in the same line")
• Natural alliance with Rohillas

Important: Kamruddin's Fate (Foreshadowing)

Remember This Character

The Question: What happened to Kamruddin later?

The Answer: He died in battle - his tent was hit by a cannonball

When: During the conflict with Abdali

His Son: Mir Manu (remember him?)

Critical Detail: At that time (when he died), Kamruddin was the wazir

The Connection

This ties back to the Siege of Lahore we read about earlier:

• Mir Manu defended Lahore against Abdali
• His father Kamruddin had been wazir
• Kamruddin died when cannonball hit his tent
• This weakened the Turani/Sunni faction further

The Factional Rivalry Explained

The Religious Division

Irani/Persian Faction:

• Led by Safdar Jung
• Shia Muslims
• From Iran/Persia
• Persian cultural influence

Turani/Afghan Faction:

• Led by Kamruddin Khan
• Sunni Muslims
• From Central Asia and Afghanistan
• Afghan/Rohilla allies

Why They Hated Each Other

The Turani Position:

• All Sunni Muslims
• Didn't want a Shia getting prominent positions
• Religious rivalry (Sunni vs. Shia is deep)
• Felt they were being put under Safdar Jung's thumb

The Dynamic:

• Kamruddin's faction did not like these appointments
• They asked: "Why are you getting this?"
• Felt passed over and disrespected

The Nadir Shah Influence Factor

Why Safdar Jung Got These Positions

The Background:

• Nadir Shah (Iranian Emperor) gave Safdar Jung the subedarship of Ayodhya
• Mughal Emperor was under pressure from Nadir Shah
• Emperor gave these new assignments partly due to that influence

The Resentment:

• It wasn't just merit
• It was Iranian/Shia pressure from Nadir Shah
• The Turani/Sunni faction saw this clearly
• Made them even more bitter

The Strategic Reality: Why Rohillas Were Powerless

The Military Math

The Rohilla Problem:

• Safdar Jung knew to make alliances with Marathas
• Got their commitment to defending Delhi
• Rohillas/Turanis didn't have enough power to defeat Safdar Jung
• Why? The Maratha factor

The Track Record

What Happened:

• After Safdar Jung sought Maratha help
• Marathas won quite a few battles in and around the Doab
• Three or four pitched battles
• Rohillas realized: "We are NO match for Marathas"

The Reality Check:

• Fighting a superior force
• Can't win militarily
• Stuck in a very weak spot
• Can't defeat the Shia faction + Maratha alliance

The Powder Keg

The Situation by the Late 1740s

Safdar Jung's Position:

• Highest Irani noble at court
• Controls Awadh (wealthy kingdom)
• Governor of Kashmir
• Head of Artillery
• Allied with Marathas (military superiority)

Turani/Rohilla Position:

• Losing ground politically
• Can't win militarily
• Feel oppressed by Shia faction
• Resentful and desperate
• Need an external champion

What's Coming

The Inevitable:

• Turanis/Rohillas can't accept this situation
• Too weak to fight Safdar Jung + Marathas
• Too proud to submit
• Need a powerful Sunni ally from outside
• Enter: Ahmad Shah Abdali (Sunni Afghan king with huge army)

Key Players Review

Timeline Consolidated

The Geographic Power Map

Safdar Jung Controls:

• Awadh/Ayodhya - His kingdom (very wealthy)
• Kashmir - Given in 1743 (far north)
• Artillery - Military power
• Parts of Doab - Through Maratha alliance

Contested/Rohilla Areas:

• Parts of the Doab - After Maratha victories
• Rohilkhand - Rohilla homeland, but weakened

Strategic Cities:

• Varanasi & Gaya - Holy cities under Safdar Jung's control
• Delhi - Imperial capital, factional battleground

Strategic Analysis

Safdar Jung's Brilliant Strategy

1. Read the Room - Knew Nadir Shah had real power, not the emperor
2. Made the Right Friends - Allied with Marathas (military superiority)
3. Consolidated Power - Multiple governorships + military command
4. Used Shia Networks - Leveraged Iranian connections
5. Weakened Rivals - Systematically displaced Turani faction

Why the Turani/Rohilla Faction Was Trapped

1. Military Inferiority - Can't beat Marathas on battlefield
2. Political Losses - Lost key positions to Safdar Jung
3. Foreign Pressure - Nadir Shah's influence helped Safdar Jung
4. Religious Isolation - Shia faction has Iranian backing
5. No Good Options - Too weak to fight, too proud to submit

The Religious Fault Line

Why Sunni vs. Shia Matters

It's Not Just Religious:

• Political alliances form along religious lines
• Iranians (Shia) vs. Central Asians/Afghans (Sunni)
• Each side backs their own
• Compromise is seen as betrayal

The Stakes:

• Control of the wealthiest empire in the world
• Who influences the Mughal Emperor
• Who gets tax revenues
• Who holds military power

The Divide:

• Centuries-old schism
• Different interpretations of succession after Prophet Muhammad
• Shia: Ali and his descendants should lead
• Sunni: Elected caliphs were legitimate
• Now playing out in Indian politics

The Abdali Connection (Setup)

Why Rohillas Will Invite Him

The Calculation:

• Rohillas are Sunni Afghans
• Abdali is Sunni Afghan
• Same religious identity
• Same ethnic background
• Same enemy: the Shia-Maratha alliance

The Inevitability:

• Rohillas can't win alone
• Need powerful external Sunni champion
• Abdali is the only one who can match Maratha power
• He's already raided India before
• He wants Delhi's wealth
• Perfect alignment of interests

What This Means for Panipat

The Setup:

• When Abdali comes back (and he will)
• Rohillas/Turanis will support him
• It becomes: Sunni coalition (Abdali + Rohillas) vs. Shia-Hindu coalition (Safdar Jung + Marathas)
• Religious war + political war + ethnic war
• All the fault lines will erupt at once

Key Themes

1. The Nadir Shah Effect - One invasion changed the entire strategic calculation
2. Religious Factions Rule Everything - Sunni vs. Shia determines alliances
3. Military Power Matters Most - Marathas gave Safdar Jung untouchable status
4. The Displaced Seek Revenge - Turani faction won't forget being overlooked
5. Bribing the Right Person - Know who really has power
6. Trading Victories Creates Respect - Holkar and Safdar Jung's history matters

The Irony Loop

The Pattern:

1. Safdar Jung defeats Holkar (1737) → They're enemies
2. Nadir Shah terrifies everyone (1739) → Mughals need help
3. Safdar Jung allies with Marathas → Now he's powerful
4. This alliance crushes Rohillas → They get desperate
5. Desperate Rohillas will invite Abdali → Sets up Panipat
6. Safdar Jung + Marathas must fight Abdali → The trap springs

The Tragedy:

• In making himself powerful through the Maratha alliance
• Safdar Jung created enemies who will bring Abdali
• The alliance that made him strong will commit him to a war
• That war will be Panipat

Looking Forward

What We Know:

• Kamruddin will die (cannonball during Abdali conflict)
• His son Mir Manu defended Lahore
• Rohillas are weak and desperate
• Abdali has already taken Punjab
• Safdar Jung has committed Marathas to defend Delhi
• The factions are set
• The religious divisions are deep
• War is inevitable

Where we left off: Understanding the factional dynamics completely - Irani/Shia (Safdar Jung) vs. Turani/Sunni (Kamruddin/Rohillas), with Marathas tipping the balance. The Rohillas are trapped and desperate, setting up their eventual invitation to Abdali.

The court politics, the religious divisions, the military realities - all pieces in place. The Rohillas know they're losing, and they know exactly who to call. Ahmad Shah Abdali is waiting in Afghanistan, and when the invitation comes, he'll bring hell with him.