The Fatal Treaty & The Poisoned Nizam

Why the Treaty Was a Mistake & The Murder in the Deccan

Quick Recap: The Players on the Board

The Setup:

Safdar Jung - Wazir with personal kingdom in Awadh (Doab)
Rohilla Afghan faction - Proxies of Abdali at Mughal court
Ahmad Shah Abdali - Staying in Afghanistan (for now)
Mir Manu - Switched allegiance, now in Lahore between them all
Holkar and Shinde - Armies positioned in the north
Nana Saheb Peshwa - In Pune directing everything
Rajput Madhav Singh - Bitter about Maratha interference
Jat King Surajmal - Near Agra, irate that provinces given to Marathas

The Potential Allies:

Jats = good fighters (like Sikhs)
Could potentially be Peshwa's allies
But they're angry right now

The Treaty Recap (April 1752)

What Was Signed

When Ahmad Shah Abdali reached Lahore:

Safdar Jung sought Maratha help on behalf of Mughal Emperor
Signed agreement with Royal Seal in April 1752

The "Ridiculous Subterfuge"

The Process:

Maratha chiefs had to first apply to the Emperor on oath for the terms
Then the Emperor "agreed" to them
Totally fake formality to make it look legitimate

The Document: The Ahadnama

What It Said:

Peshwa obliged to defend the Emperor against ALL internal and external enemies
Payment: 50 lakh rupees

Tax Collection Rights:

Marathas given right to collect one-fourth of the revenue from:
- The Doab
- Punjab
- Sindh
Problem: Both Punjab and Sindh were no longer in Mughal control

Additional Grants:

Peshwa granted governorship of Agra and Ajmer
Two important imperial provinces
Jat King Surajmal and Jaipur's Madhav Rao were ALSO vying for these

The Slap in the Face

Creating Enemies

What Just Happened:

Jat King Surajmal wanted Agra/Ajmer
Madhav Rao (Rajput) wanted Agra/Ajmer
Both got slapped in the face - given to Marathas instead

Why They Got Passed Over:

They weren't capable of protecting the Mughal Empire
Didn't have that kind of army
Only Marathas had the military power

The Consequence

The Mughal Grants Succeeded In:

Sparking a contest between three Hindu powers:
1. Marathas
2. Rajputs
3. Jats

Result: They became rivals instead of allies

The Problem: They're NOT going to be loyal to any "Hindu cause" (if such a thing even exists)

The Northern Reaction

Everyone Wants Marathas Gone

The Rise of Maratha Influence:

At Delhi
Territorial ambitions increasing
Led northern powers to support ANYBODY who could push them back to the Deccan

The Situation:

Everybody in the north was interested in pushing Marathas south
Minus the Emperor/Mughals (sort of)

The Mughal Dilemma

What They Actually Thought:

Wanted to push Marathas down south
BUT knew there was nobody who could protect them
Willing to tolerate Marathas in an uneasy alliance
Lesser of two evils

The Reality:

Had to have them
Would rather not have them
Like a paper tiger - they knew it
So they tolerated Marathas

The Problem for the Northern Powers

The Math:

None of them could take on powerful Marathas
Not individually
Not even in combination
Having a tough time with that

The Emperor's Double-Cross (April 1752)

The Timeline Bomb

April 12, 1752:

Safdar Jung sealed the deal with the Marathas
Treaty signed, Royal Seal applied

April 13, 1752 (ONE DAY LATER):

Emperor had already ceded Punjab and Sindh to Abdali
Before Safdar Jung even arrived!

April 25, 1752:

Wazir reached Delhi with Shinde and Holkar
Found out what happened

The Betrayal

What the Emperor Did:

Refused to ratify the agreement signed by Safdar Jung
Made the treaty essentially worthless for the Marathas

Safdar Jung's Plan:

Take the Maratha chiefs with him
Take Punjab back from Abdali
Now not possible with the Emperor's capitulation

The Rushed Decision: Why This Was a Mistake

The Problem: No Peshwa Consultation

What Happened:

Shinde and Holkar made this decision
Did NOT consult Nana Saheb Peshwa
Time was running out
Decision had to be made right away

Their Thinking:

"Let's do the decision on behalf of Peshwa"
Took sovereign power into their own hands
Said: "Yep, we are agreeable on behalf of the Peshwa"

Were They Allowed to Do This?

The Answer: Sort of.

They had certain powers
Thought "it should be okay"
It was a golden opportunity
Peshwa was always thirsty for money (just like Abdali)
Within realm of normalcy to spot opportunity and go for it

Why They Thought It Would Be Fine

The Logic:

Peshwa gets the money
Shinde and Holkar take care of the northern front
If any issue develops → they're responsible
They're autonomous in charge

The Division:

Responsibility: Shinde and Holkar (do the fighting)
Benefit: Peshwa (gets the money)

The Assumption: Peshwa would be okay with this, probably

Technically: It was a sovereign decision made without proper authority

Why This Was Disastrous: Sardesai's Analysis

The Historian's Opinion

Sardesai Wrote:

They had taken a rash decision
Getting the Peshwa into this kind of contract
Should have been done after thorough analysis
Done rashly without proper consideration

The Strategic Problems

Problem #1: The Deccan Was Not Under Control

Situation in the Deccan was not in complete control
Maratha power did not have enough soldiers and war machinery
To take on this new responsibility
Peshwa had campaigns in the south still going

Problem #2: Getting Stretched Thin

Already fighting in the south
Now committing to defend the north
Not pacified in the south yet

Problem #3: Direct Challenge to Abdali

With this contract, gave a direct challenge to Abdali
Provoking him
Now Abdali understands: if he goes to Delhi → fighting Marathas
Mughals have completely forsaken protection of their own land
Farmed it out to the Marathas

The Conclusion

Sardesai's Verdict:

Had tremendous implications
Not thorough analysis was done before it was inked
A strategic mistake

The Tax Collection Problem

The Reality of Implementation

What They Were Given:

One-fourth taxes from Doab, Punjab, Sindh
Right to governorship of Agra and Ajmer

The Problem:

They had to get those themselves
Had to go fight with Abdali's forces
Put in the infrastructure
Hire the people
All that costs money and troops

Why This Was Hard

The Reality:

Nobody wants to pay taxes
You have to force them
That machinery has to be created
To back up the machinery → need soldiers
If town says "we won't pay" → need force to implement threat
Need a good force

The Consequence: Staying in Delhi

What Happened:

Had to stay in Delhi
Agra, Ajmer, and areas closest to Delhi
Had to maintain presence

The Problem:

Maratha force camped in Delhi
Created hassles for civilian population
Soldiers, machinery, horses in midst of civilian life
These are foreigners - can't blend in easily
Created disharmony in Delhi

The Situation:

Sizable Maratha force presence
Wouldn't leave until they got paid
That was their major thing
Did the whole Ahadnama just for the sake of money
Certainly not leaving without it

The New Nizam Problem

The Deccan Strategy

Peshwa's Order:

Get hold of Nizam's son
Nizam was dead (1749 or 1750)
Throne not completely filled

The Location:

Nizam throne = Hyderabad (Deccan)
His son was in Delhi

The Order:

Get hold of this son
Put him on the throne of Nizam
"Nizam" is a title

Why This Son?

Peshwa's Reasoning:

This son was relatively calm, quiet, and peaceful
Won't create constant troubles for Marathas in the south
That's why he selected him as heir apparent

Historical Context:

Remember: Bajirao I defeated this Nizam at Battle of Allahabad
Encircled him, cut off his water supply
Nizam had no option but to surrender
That Nizam was now dead

The Plan

Peshwa's Guess (Hope):

Once Nizam's son is given the throne
When he sits on throne
Can disengage forces from Deccan towards north
Free up armies to deal with northern situation

The Transaction

How It Worked

The Emperor's Business Model:

This is how the Emperor made money
Wasn't going to do this for free

What Happened:

Emperor took 30 lakh rupees from Ghaziuddin (the Nizam's son)
In order to give him the throne of Nizam
Beneficiary = Ghaziuddin (gets to be Nizam)

Then:

Emperor turned around and handed it to the Marathas
This was their payment (part of it)
Then Marathas prepared to leave

The Tragedy: Ghaziuddin's Murder

The Assassination

What Happened:

Ghaziuddin went to Deccan to sit on throne of Nizam
His stepmother invited him for dinner
She mixed poison in the food
Killed him

Why She Did It

The Motive:

Probably had a son of her own
Wanted HER son on the throne
Ghaziuddin was in the way

The Consequence

For the Peshwa:

His plan of making somebody obedient the Nizam was dynamited
Completely destroyed
Cannot have his own obedient personality in the Nizam position
Not going to happen

For Ghaziuddin's Son:

Became very scared
"What's going to happen to me?"
Probably was a minor (young)

Enter: Imad ul-Mulk

The Survivor

Who He Is:

Ghaziuddin's son
Same person who will become Imad ul-Mulk in the future
Will become somebody important

Where He Was:

Maybe already in Delhi
Or had come to Deccan with his father
Father now dead from poison

His Situation:

Stepmother probably didn't have it in mind to make him next Nizam
Had to go back to safe environment
Was lost day and night (feeling sad, tragic mood)
Lost his father
In very precarious situation (could be killed anytime)
Didn't know who was trying these bad things

Safdar Jung's Adoption

The Rescue

What Safdar Jung Did:

Started loving him like his own son
Took him under his wing
Raised him
Made him Mir Bakshi (Commander-in-Chief)

Amazing Turnaround:

Made out pretty well
Now on the court of the Emperor
Very powerful position

His Age and Position

How Young:

Just beyond 20 now (maybe 21, 22, maybe 24)
Very young
At age 16, became Commander-in-Chief of the Mughal Army

The Ungrateful Protégé

His Character

Imad ul-Mulk's Qualities:

Very smart (buddhi maan)
BUT had no idea about morals or moral standards
Very bright guy
Didn't follow any due process
Had no moral standing

His Principles:

Victory at any cost, no matter what
The ends justify the means

The Betrayal Begins

What He Did:

The moment he was made Mir Bakshi
Started setting up conspiracies against Safdar Jung
His own benefactor!
Biting the hand that fed him

His Nature:

Very unscrupulous
Wanted absolute power

His Reputation

In the Next 10 Years:

Got reputation as the most merciless commander or courtier in the Emperor's court
Ruthless and efficient
Known to be without mercy

The Deaths of 1754

Mir Manu Dies (Natural Causes)

What Happened:

1754 - Mir Manu died
By natural death
Sitting on a horse
Horse suddenly takes off
He falls off the horse
Gets hurt
Dies from the injury

Significance:

Just got unlucky
NOT killed by Marathas
They were NOT going to attack Lahore
Natural accident

Safdar Jung Dies (1754)

What Happened:

1754 - Safdar Jung also dies
Believed to be natural causes

The Consequence:

Now a crop of new people will come up
Generation shift happening
Old guard dying off

Key Players Status Update

Name	Position	Status	Notes
Nana Saheb Peshwa	Peshwa (Pune)	Active	Gets the money, directs from south
Shinde & Holkar	Northern commanders	Active	Made treaty without consulting Peshwa
Safdar Jung	Wazir	Dies 1754	Natural causes
Mir Manu	Subedar of Lahore	Dies 1754	Horse accident
Ghaziuddin	New Nizam (supposed to be)	Dead	Poisoned by stepmother
Imad ul-Mulk	Mir Bakshi (age 16-24)	Rising	Ungrateful, conspiring against Safdar Jung
Surajmal Jat	King near Agra	Angry	Passed over for Agra/Ajmer
Madhav Singh	Rajput ruler	Angry	Passed over for Agra/Ajmer
Ahmad Shah Abdali	King of Afghanistan	Waiting	Knows Marathas are now his problem

Timeline

Date	Event
April 12, 1752	Safdar Jung signs treaty with Marathas (Ahadnama)
April 13, 1752	Emperor cedes Punjab & Sindh to Abdali (ONE DAY LATER)
April 25, 1752	Safdar Jung arrives in Delhi with Shinde & Holkar
April 1752	Emperor refuses to ratify the agreement
April 1752	Emperor takes 30 lakh from Ghaziuddin, gives to Marathas
April 1752	Ghaziuddin goes to Deccan to become Nizam
April 1752	Ghaziuddin poisoned by stepmother at dinner
April 1752	His son (future Imad ul-Mulk) taken under Safdar Jung's wing
~1752	Imad ul-Mulk made Mir Bakshi at age 16-24
1752 onwards	Imad ul-Mulk starts conspiring against Safdar Jung
1754	Mir Manu dies (horse accident)
1754	Safdar Jung dies (natural causes)