Maratha Northern Strategy & Raghoba's Triumph (1752-1756)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Recap: The Civil War Aftermath

The conflict so far:

• Safdar Jang's faction (with Surajmal Jat and Madho Singh) vs. Everyone else (Marathas, Emperor, Imad-ul-Mulk)
• Safdar Jang was defeated
• His son Shuja-ud-Daula (also called Itnizam ud-Daula) negotiated terms
• Imad-ul-Mulk wanted to punish Safdar Jang by giving his territories to the Marathas
• Shuja-ud-Daula refused → Created long-term enmity with Imad-ul-Mulk

The Peshwa Family Tree (Critical for Understanding)

Bajirao I's Sons

1. Nana Saheb Peshwa (elder son) - Current Peshwa, based in Pune
2. Raghunath Rao Peshwa (younger son) - Ambitious warrior, sent to Delhi

Bajirao I's Brother

• Chimaji Appa → His son is Sadashiv Rao Bhau

Key Point: Sadashiv Rao Bhau (the cousin) will eventually lead the Panipat campaign, NOT Raghunath Rao (the brother). This decision will have massive consequences.

Why Sadashiv Rao Instead of Raghunath Rao?

The Characters

Why This Matters for Panipat

Raghunath Rao's advantages:

• Understood northern politics intimately
• Could negotiate and compromise
• Flexible in difficult situations
• Politically savvy

Sadashiv Rao's limitations:

• More of a disciplinarian - very strict
• Quick to anger, had a temper
• Wouldn't tolerate any misbehavior
• Created problems with inflexibility

The verdict: If Raghunath Rao had led Panipat, it would have been a different battle - still tough, but the political maneuvering could have changed the outcome.

The Commanders Arrive (But Too Late)

The Three Warriors Sent North

Nana Saheb Peshwa dispatched:

1. Raghunath Rao Peshwa (his brother)
2. Malhar Rao Holkar
3. Jayapa Shinde

Plot twist: By the time they arrived in Delhi, Safdar Jang had already been defeated and retreated to Awadh. So the big army showed up after the main battle was over!

Historical Flashback: The Marathas in the South (1752-1756)

1752: The Failed Nizam Installation

May 1752: Marathas took Ghazi-ud-Din (chosen to be the new Nizam) from Delhi to Hyderabad to install him on the throne.

October 1752: A royal woman in Hyderabad poisoned and killed him → Situation became "Chigarli" (explosive/highly complex)

Consequences:

• Ghazi-ud-Din's son got scared and fled back to Delhi
• He became Safdar Jang's protégé → Later became Imad-ul-Mulk (Mir Bakshi)
• Eventually betrayed Safdar Jang despite Safdar Jang being his benefactor

Why this matters: This explains Imad-ul-Mulk's background and how he rose to power.

The Replacement Nizam: Salabat Jang

After Ghazi-ud-Din's murder, Salabat Jang became the new Nizam (not Ghazi-ud-Din's family).

The French Connection:

• Salabat Jang hired Bussy (Charles de Bussy) - a Frenchman
• Role: Chief of the cannon force
• Why: Europeans had superior cannon technology that India lacked

The Battle of Balki & Territory Gains

Marathas defeated:

• Bussy (the French cannon chief)
• Salabat Jang (the Nizam)

Maratha gains:

• Nasik (between Tapi and Godavari rivers)
• Trambak Fort
• Territory that had to be ceded to the Peshwa

1756: Emotional Victory

Nana Saheb Peshwa captured Shivneri Fort from the Mughals.

Why this matters:

• This is where Shivaji was born
• Small fort near Pune, not strategically critical
• But HUGE emotional value to Marathas
• Shivaji = founder of the empire, everyone looked up to him
• Getting his birthplace back = symbolic victory

Raghoba's Northern Triumph

The Legendary Campaign

Raghoba = Raghunath Rao Peshwa's nickname ("dada" means elder brother - honorific)

What he achieved:

• Led Maratha army to Punjab
• Kicked out Abdali's remnants from Punjab
• Went all the way to ATTOCK (border with Afghanistan)

Why ATTOCK is Huge

Location: Modern-day Pakistan (Punjab province), at the extreme frontier with Afghanistan

Significance:

• ⌠Hindu forces had NEVER gone this far north before
• ✅ This was the high point of Maratha northern expansion
• ✅ Raghoba achieved the "almost unachievable" and "impossible task"
• ✅ Returned as a victorious Maratha warrior

The Money Problem

The Cost of Victory

Despite the incredible success, there was a major issue:

Raghoba spent TOO MUCH money on the campaign:

• Had to support a huge number of soldiers in the north
• Nana Saheb Peshwa had to take out massive loans
• The debt was becoming unsustainable

The Fateful Decision: Who Goes to Panipat?

The Meeting

When it came time to send forces north again, a meeting was held to select the commander.

First choice: Raghoba

• He knew northern politics inside and out
• He had proven himself militarily
• He understood who was who and how things worked

Why Raghoba Was Rejected

Nana Saheb said NO:

• Raghoba was too expensive
• He demanded 1 crore rupees (10 million) to fund the next northern campaign
• "I can't send you back"

Raghoba's response (pride):

• "If you don't want me to go as commander-in-chief, I won't go at all"
• "I won't go as any lesser personality"
• He refused to serve under someone else

The Alternative: Sadashiv Rao

Result: Sadashiv Rao was selected to go north instead.

This is how Sadashiv Rao ended up leading the Panipat campaign - essentially because Raghoba was too expensive and too proud.

The irony: Raghoba was extremely successful in the north, captured unprecedented territory, and proved he could handle the politics and warfare. But cost too much.

Key Players Reference

Timeline

Geographic Context

Key Territories:

• Pune - Maratha capital (Deccan)
• Delhi - Mughal capital
• Awadh - Safdar Jang's territory
• Hyderabad - Nizam's capital
• Nasik & Trambak - Maratha gains from Nizam
• Shivneri - Shivaji's birthplace (near Pune)
• Punjab - Raghoba's campaign area
• Attock - Furthest north Marathas ever reached (Afghanistan border)

Critical Insights

The Expense Problem

• Military campaigns in the north were EXTREMELY costly
• Maintaining armies far from home base drained resources
• Loans were piling up on Nana Saheb
• This financial pressure influenced major strategic decisions

The Pride Factor

• Raghoba's pride prevented him from serving under someone else
• This pride + expense = he didn't go to Panipat
• A less experienced commander (Sadashiv Rao) went instead

The Politics vs. Discipline Dilemma

• Northern campaigns required political savvy (Raghoba's strength)
• But also military discipline (Sadashiv Rao's strength)
• You needed BOTH - but they picked the disciplinarian
• This would have consequences at Panipat

Raghoba went where no Hindu army had ever gone before - to the gates of Afghanistan itself. But being too successful and too expensive meant he wouldn't get to finish what he started. Instead, his cousin would take the reins... and history would take a dark turn at Panipat.