Long-range cannons - could project cannonballs 1.5 to 2 kilometers away
Required special training (French expertise)
Highly skilled operation
Technology developed by the French
NOT available to every rival in North India (very expensive, needed right contacts)

Sadashiv Rao's Crucial Observation

Even though Bussy and the Nizam's combined forces were defeated by the Marathas, Sadashiv Rao Bhau was deeply impressed by the cannon regiment's performance.

Why this mattered:

In the Deccan, Marathas could use guerrilla warfare in the mountains (Sahyadri)
In North India = flat plains → Can't use mountain tactics
On flat land, battles become 50-50 chances (Kautilya's warning: never fight such battles!)
Solution: Long-range cannons could be the "ace" that tips the scales

Kautilya's principle: If you fight a battle where your chances are 50-50, never fight it. The risks are too high - you could lose everything.

Sadashiv Rao's logic:

"If I'm going to fight in the north on flat land against a very strong enemy like Abdali..."
"I MUST have a cannon force with 1.5-2 kilometer range"
"This is the only way to avoid a 50-50 battle"

The Cannon Force Switches Sides

Round 2: Nizam vs. Marathas (A Couple Years Later)

Setup:

Another battle between Sadashiv Rao Bhau (Marathas) vs. Nizam
This time, Bussy's student (trained by Bussy) is leading the Nizam's cannon force
Nizam defeated again

The Recruitment

After the second defeat, Sadashiv Rao Bhau made a request:

"I want that cannon regiment general to join MY force"
Nizam agreed (had no objection)

What transferred over:

The cannon force chief (Bussy's student, possibly named Ibrahim Khan Gardi)
The ENTIRE cannon regiment came with him

The Strategy: Buy Don't Build

The shortcut:

Instead of teaching Marathas this skill from scratch
Instead of raising and training a regiment within the Maratha army
Just get the general and the entire trained regiment
"Why waste time teaching our people when this guy already has experts?"

Seemed like a brilliant plan at the time.

The Mercenary Problem

Ibrahim Khan Gardi's Loyalty (or Lack Thereof)

Key issue: This general (still trained by Bussy) was a soldier for hire.

His mentality:

Loyalty was NOT to any particular fighting force
Would go with whoever paid more
Didn't care if fighting for Marathas, Nizam, Mughals, or anyone else
No investment in the mission beyond payment

The red flag: "That was not a good thing" - his mercenary nature would become a problem later.

The Emperor's Promise & The Beginning of Major Campaigns

The One Crore Rupee Deal

The arrangement:

Emperor promised 1 crore rupees (10 million) to the Maratha army in the north
Purpose: To fight against Safdar Jang
Around mid-1753

What actually happened:

By the time Raghunath Rao, Holkar, and Shinde reached Delhi (takes 2-3 months travel with army)
Safdar Jang had already been defeated
He went back to Awadh (his home kingdom)
So they didn't have to fight that battle

But they reached Delhi anyway - and this changed everything.

The Escalation: From Defense to Offense

Before: Small Defensive Force

Previous Maratha presence in Delhi:

3,000-5,000 soldiers
Under command of Antaji Mankeshwar
Mainly a defensive force
Small scale operations

After: Major Military Power

New arrivals:

Raghunath Rao Peshwa (brother of Nana Saheb)
Malhar Rao Holkar
Jayapa Shinde
Probably 30,000 soldiers with them

This was the beginning of major Maratha campaigns in the north - now they had enough forces for aggressive offensive actions, not just defensive ones.

The Power of Sovereign Authority

Why Raghunath Rao Changed Everything

Before Raghunath Rao arrived:

Jayapa Shinde and Holkar = just commanders
âŒ No sovereign authority
Limited in what decisions they could make

After Raghunath Rao arrived:

✅ He was the sovereign's brother (Nana Saheb's brother)
✅ His word carried weight
✅ Could take major decisions
✅ Could make sweeping strategic calls

The difference: He wasn't just another fighter - he was royalty, so:

Maratha forces felt empowered
Big decisions could be made on the spot
Semblance of sovereignty joined the northern forces

The Long Game: 1753-1761 and Beyond

A Permanent Northern Presence

The campaigns that began in 1753:

Would continue all the way to 1761 (Panipat)
Even beyond that
4-5 decades total
Marathas were now a permanent part of North India
They would be stationed there for the long term

This wasn't a temporary excursion - this was empire building.

Historical Context: Qutub Minar & The Dynasties

Qutub Minar: Very tall tower (minar = pillar/spire)

Dates back to 13th-14th century
Seen in Delhi
Hyderabad has its own Qutub Minar too

Note: This is NOT related to Qutub Shah (who ruled during Shivaji's time and was destroyed by Aurangzeb).

The Dynasties Aurangzeb Destroyed

Three kingdoms Aurangzeb wiped out:

Nizam Shahi (Ahmednagar) - destroyed by Shah Jahan
- Had Malik Ambar as prime minister/wazir
- Based in Maharashtra (Ahmednagar)
Adil Shahi (Bijapur) - destroyed by Aurangzeb
Qutub Shahi (Hyderabad) - destroyed by Aurangzeb

Important: The current Nizam (Salabat Jang and his lineage) has NOTHING to do with the old Nizam Shahi kingdom. He came from Persia (Iran) originally. Totally different dynasty.

Key Players

Name	Role	Affiliation
Ghazi-ud-Din	Failed Nizam candidate	Murdered October 1752
Salabat Jang	New Nizam	Ruler of Hyderabad/Deccan
Bussy (Charles de Bussy)	French general	Cannon force chief (Nizam's employee)
Ibrahim Khan Gardi	Cannon commander	Bussy's student, mercenary, joins Marathas
Sadashiv Rao Bhau	Commander	Impressed by cannons, gets regiment to switch
Antaji Mankeshwar	Commander	Led small Maratha force in Delhi
Raghunath Rao Peshwa	Commander	Brother of Nana Saheb, sovereign authority
Jayapa Shinde	Commander	Senior general
Malhar Rao Holkar	Commander	Senior general
Nana Saheb Peshwa	Peshwa	Based in Pune, strategic planner

Timeline

Date	Event
October 1752	Ghazi-ud-Din murdered in Hyderabad
1752	Marathas defeat Bussy & Salabat Jang at Balki
1752	Marathas gain Nasik & Trimbak Fort
~1753-54	Second battle: Sadashiv Rao vs. Nizam (wins again)
~1753-54	Cannon regiment general switches to Maratha side
Mid-1753	Emperor promises 1 crore rupees to Marathas
Mid-1753	Raghunath Rao, Holkar, Shinde arrive in Delhi
1753	Beginning of major Maratha offensive campaigns in north
1753-1761+	Marathas permanently stationed in North India

Geographic Context

Southern Theater:

Hyderabad - Nizam's capital
Aurangabad - Old Mughal Deccan capital (still under Nizam)
Balki - Location of first defeat of Bussy & Salabat Jang
Nasik & Trimbak - Territory gained by Marathas

Northern Theater:

Delhi - Mughal capital
Awadh - Safdar Jang's kingdom (where he retreated)

Critical Insights

The Cannon Force Gamble

Smart decision:

Recognized the importance of long-range cannon technology
Understood that flat land warfare required different tactics
Outsourced rather than built from scratch - faster

Potential problems:

Mercenary loyalty = unreliable
Not integrated into Maratha army culture
"Soldier for hire" mentality could backfire

The Flat Land Problem

Why cannons became essential:

Marathas built their empire on guerrilla warfare in mountains
Shivaji's whole strategy: never fight on flat land, use terrain advantage
North India = NO mountains = forced to adapt
Cannons were the solution to the 50-50 battle problem

Sovereign Authority Matters

The Raghunath Rao effect:

Commanders need authority to make big decisions
Having the Peshwa's brother = instant legitimacy
Could mediate between rival commanders (Holkar vs. Shinde)
Empowered the entire force

From Visitors to Rulers

The shift:

3,000-5,000 defensive troops → 30,000+ offensive army
Temporary presence → permanent occupation
Reactive defense → proactive expansion
This was no longer about protecting the Mughal emperor
This was about Maratha empire building

The Marathas got the cannon technology they needed to compete in the north. But they also got a mercenary force whose loyalty was only as deep as their pockets. Meanwhile, with 30,000 troops and the Peshwa's brother leading them, the Marathas weren't just defending Delhi anymore - they were claiming North India as their own.