Revenge accomplished in 1745-1746
BUT truce treaties took much longer to finalize
1751: Final settlement reached
Took 6 years to decide:
- Exact terms of the truce
- How much tribute would be paid
- Final peace articles

Until 1751, the details remained unsettled.

The Succession Crisis in Nagpur (1755)

Raghuji Bhosle Dies

1755: Raghuji Bhosle (ruler of Nagpur kingdom) died

The problem:

Had three sons
All started claiming their father's estate and kingdom
Couldn't come to unanimous opinion
Fighting among themselves over inheritance

Why This Matters

The Nagpur Marathas were different:

Not as pervasive and ambitious as the Pune Peshwas
More content with their territory
Their focus: Bengal only (as Shahu had decided - territorial division)
Not as capable as Nana Saheb Peshwa and his forces

The resolution:

Since the three sons couldn't decide
The whole affair went to Nana Saheb Peshwa in Pune
He was the ultimate authority for such disputes

Ali Wardi Khan Dies (1756)

The Capable Leader Lost

1756: Ali Wardi Khan himself died

He was capable, shrewd, and mature
Knew how to navigate politics

The Immature Successor

Siraj-ud-Daula became the new Nawab/Subedar of Bengal

Described as "Paripakwamji" = immature
NOT like his father
Lacking in capability and shrewdness

The concern: An immature leader might do something rash or make poor decisions.

The Battle of Plassey: British Enter the Game (1756)

The Small Town That Changed Everything

1756: War in a small Bengal town called Plassey

The opponents:

British (led by General Robert Clive)
Siraj-ud-Daula (new Nawab of Bengal)

The Absurd Numbers

Military strength comparison:

British: 5,000 fighting force
Siraj-ud-Daula: ~100,000 soldiers

The British won anyway.

How the British Won Despite Being Outnumbered 20:1

Factor 1: Immature Commander

Siraj-ud-Daula's weakness:

Young and inexperienced
Poor military decision-making
Lacked his father's political acumen

Factor 2: British Corruption Tactics

The British playbook:

Bribed some of Siraj-ud-Daula's generals
Paid them to not participate in battle
Generals said: "We're not coming to fight"
Created division and confusion

Result: Sections of Siraj-ud-Daula's massive army simply didn't show up or fight.

The Consequences: Bengal Falls to British

1756: British Flag Over Mughal Bengal

What happened:

Bengal went into British hands
First major Indian province under British control
The beginning of the British Raj

The Maratha Miscalculation

Why Marathas didn't pay attention:

Perceived British as "basically merchants with some weapons"
Thought: "They just want defense for merchant activities"
Believed: "That's why they fought this battle"
âŒ Didn't realize British had ambitions beyond commerce

The fatal error:

This was a BIG DEAL - entire province falling to foreigners
But Marathas did not pay the attention it deserved
Underestimated British colonial ambitions
This blindness would cost them dearly

The European Power Shift

Bussy vs. The British

Remember Bussy? French general who worked with Nizam

The changing balance:

Bussy was previously the most powerful European in India
Helped Nizam with his cannon force
But now: British were getting more powerful than Bussy
British becoming more entrenched, more powerful
Starting to overtake French influence

This is just stated as a fact - not discussed whether Marathas/Nizam liked it or not.

The Nizam Connection to Pune

Why Hyderabad Mattered

Geographic reality:

Mughal Empire based in Delhi (far from Pune)
But Hyderabad had the Nizam
Nizam = vassal king representing Mughal Empire
Hyderabad was not too far from Pune

The representation:

Even though Mughal Emperor was distant
Nizam in Hyderabad = Mughal representative
Relatively close to Maratha power center
Mattered for regional politics

The Kolhapur vs. Satara Question

Who Should Have Dealt with the Nizam?

The dilemma (unclear in sources):

Was it Shahu's idea to let Nizam stay in power in Hyderabad?
OR was it because of Kolhapur king's inaction?

The context:

Kolhapur Maratha king should have taken action to finish off the Nizam
But didn't do it
Unclear if this was by design (Shahu's plan) or negligence

The Maratha Kingdom Division (1730)

The Boundary Settlement

1730: Clear boundaries drawn between two Maratha kingdoms:

Kingdom	Ruler	Territory
Satara	Shahu Maharaj	Shahu's territory
Kolhapur	Sambhaji II	Rajaram's son's territory

Important clarifications:

This Sambhaji = NOT Shivaji's son
This Sambhaji = Rajaram's son
Rajaram = interim king after Shivaji's sons

The relationship:

Friendly Maratha kingdoms (not rival)
Twin kingdoms, clearly delineated
Boundaries well drawn by 1730

The Expansion Problem

Sambhaji's Lack of Ambition

The Kolhapur king (Sambhaji and his heirs):

âŒ Not intent on expanding the kingdom
Content with what they had
Couldn't be bothered with southern expansion

The consequence:

Responsibility for southern expansion fell to the Peshwa
Only Nana Saheb Peshwa was doing the work
Kolhapur wasn't pulling its weight

Bajirao's Missed Opportunities with the Nizam

The Four Defeats

Historical fact: Bajirao I defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad FOUR times

But he did NOT vanquish the Nizam's power:

Could have finished him off
Every time he won, he let the Nizam live
Never completely destroyed his capacity to fight

The Nizam's Persistence

Despite four defeats:

Nizam was not ready to accept defeat
Never became peaceful
Always considered Peshwa and Marathas as rivals and enemies
Kept wanting to fight back
Never accepted: "I'm never going to win"
Thought: "Maybe next time I'll do better"

The result: He was a constant threat that never went away.

The connection: This is the same Nizam whose son (or successor) eventually goes to Delhi and becomes Imad-ul-Mulk.

What could have been prevented: If Bajirao had finished off the Nizam, the entire Imad-ul-Mulk situation could have been avoided.

The Bussy Threat to Marathas

Why The French General Mattered

Bussy: French general in service of the Nizam

What made him dangerous:

Developed novel technique with cannon force
Long-range cannons (French technology and know-how)
French fighting techniques
âŒ Marathas were NOT acquainted with this style
Marathas had no answer for it

The verdict: Bussy's cannon regiment = real reason the Nizam was a threat

Normally: Nizam was beatable With Bussy: Nizam became deadly - much more dangerous than usual

Bussy Gets Fired (1756)

The Falling Out

1756: Bussy and Nizam Salabat Jang fell apart

Bad blood developed between them
Bushi was relieved of duty (fired by the Nizam)

The mistake: Firing Bushi was a strategic error for the Nizam.

The Charminar Standoff

Bushi's Power Play

Location: Charminar area in Hyderabad (historic tower, still stands today)

What Bushi did:

Took his cannon regiment to the Charminar area
Set up defensive position
Wouldn't leave

Why this worked:

Cannon regiment was incredibly well-defended
Loyal to Bushi (not to Nizam)
They were his personal followers
Some may have been Frenchmen, most were local
But Bushi paid their salaries, trained them, was their boss
Loyalty to him > loyalty to Nizam

The standoff:

Nizam couldn't dislodge him
Too difficult to attack the cannon regiment
Bushi basically said: "Come any closer and I'll blow you to bits"
Everyone was "shit scared"
Nobody would come close

Result: Bushi got to stay put in his fortified position despite being fired.

Why the Peshwas Were Impressed

The News Reaches Pune

Who heard about it:

Sadashiv Rao Bhau (cousin of Nana Saheb Peshwa)
Nana Saheb Peshwa himself

Why they were impressed:

Such a good cannon regiment
Could keep the Nizam at bay in his own capital
Demonstrated raw power of cannon technology

The Maratha Realization

The problem:

Maratha power was now projected to the very north
No longer a ragtag army
Established themselves with Mughals and northern players
BUT in the north = no mountains
- Can't do Ganinikawa (guerrilla warfare)
- No Sahyadri mountains
- No mountain forts
- Had to fight in open, fertile plains

The dilemma:

Fighting in open warfare = need an ace up your sleeve
Without some advantage = 50-50 battle
Can't leave it to chance

The solution they saw:

"We need long-range cannons"
"We need a force trained in it"
"This is the ace we need"
Otherwise: can't project Maratha power all the way to north
Otherwise: stuck playing old Shivaji tactics (run to fort when enemy comes)

The strategic shift:

Old way: Retreat to Raigarh, Rajagarh, Simhagarh when threatened
New reality: In northern plains, there's nowhere to run
"You are in front of each other"
Need this cannon regiment - long range and highly disciplined

Why Bushi's importance comes in: He was a Frenchman who trained his guys for months. They were the best trained cannon force available.

Key Players

Name	Role	Affiliation
Bhaskar Ram Kulkarkar	Commander	Marathas (Nagpur - Raghuji Bhosle)
Ali Wardi Khan	Subedar of Bengal	Mughal Bengal (capable, shrewd)
Raghuji Bhosle	Ruler	Nagpur kingdom (died 1755)
Siraj-ud-Daula	New Nawab of Bengal	Succeeded Ali Wardi Khan 1756 (immature)
Robert Clive	British General	British East India Company
Nana Saheb Peshwa	Peshwa	Pune (arbiter of Nagpur succession)
Shahu Maharaj	Former ruler	Satara (set territorial divisions)
Sambhaji II	King	Kolhapur (Rajaram's son, not expansionist)
Bajirao I	Former Peshwa	Defeated Nizam 4x but didn't finish him
Nizam Salabat Jang	Ruler	Hyderabad (fired Bushi)
Bushi (Bussy)	French general	Cannon force chief, stood ground at Charminar
Sadashiv Rao Bhau	Commander	Cousin of Nana Saheb, impressed by cannons

Timeline

Date	Event
1730	Boundary between Satara & Kolhapur clearly drawn
~1743-1745	Bhaskar Ram massacred by Ali Wardi Khan in Bengal
1745-1746	Marathas take revenge for Bhaskar Ram
1751	Final truce articles/tribute finalized with Bengal
1755	Raghuji Bhosle dies → succession crisis in Nagpur
1756	Ali Wardi Khan dies → Siraj-ud-Daula becomes Nawab
1756	Battle of Plassey - British defeat Siraj-ud-Daula
1756	Bengal falls to British control
1756	Bushi fired by Nizam Salabat Jang
1756	Bushi's standoff at Charminar with cannon regiment
1756	News reaches Peshwas - decide they need cannons

Geographic Context

Key Territories:

Bengal - Eastern India, fell to British 1756
Plassey - Small town in Bengal (site of battle)
Nagpur - Raghuji Bhosle's kingdom (eastern Marathas)
Pune - Nana Saheb Peshwa's capital
Hyderabad - Nizam's capital (not far from Pune)
Charminar - Historic area in Hyderabad (Bushi's stronghold)
Satara - Shahu's territory
Kolhapur - Sambhaji II's territory
Delhi - Mughal capital (far from Pune)

Critical Insights

The Fatal Underestimation

The Maratha blindspot:

Saw British as "merchants with weapons"
Didn't recognize colonial ambitions
Thought Plassey was about protecting trade
Lost an entire province to foreigners and barely noticed
This casual attitude toward European powers = strategic disaster

The Treachery Pattern

Bengal betrayal:

Show cooperation → invite to tent → massacre
Classic tactic when facing superior force
Bribe enemy generals to not fight
British learned from local playbook (bribery at Plassey)

The Cannon Awakening

Why Bushi's standoff mattered:

Demonstrated raw power of modern artillery
One man with cannon regiment > entire Nizam army
Could hold off a kingdom with technology
Marathas realized: "We need this for northern campaigns"
No mountains = need technological ace

The Succession Curse

Power vacuum problems:

Raghuji's three sons fighting = weakness
Immature leaders (Siraj-ud-Daula) = vulnerability
Lost Bengal because young, inexperienced nawab
Pattern will repeat (leadership transitions = crisis)

Bajirao's Mercy = Future Problems

The four victories wasted:

Defeated Nizam four times
Let him live every time
Nizam never accepted defeat
Constant threat that festered
Eventually his lineage (Imad-ul-Mulk) causes major problems
Mercy toward enemies = strategic error

The Northern Plain Problem

Geographic determinism:

Shivaji's tactics = mountain-based guerrilla warfare
North India = flat plains, no mountains
Old tactics don't work
Need to adapt or die
Cannons = answer to geographic disadvantage
But cultural resistance to new warfare styles

1756 was a watershed year: Bengal fell to the British while the Marathas barely noticed, the Nizam fired his best general who then held an entire city hostage with cannon power, and the Peshwas finally understood they needed to completely reinvent Maratha warfare for the northern plains. The age of guerrilla tactics was over. The age of artillery had begun. But were they adapting fast enough?