Abdali's Jihad & The Systematic Looting of Delhi (1757)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Chapter 12: Abdali's Dharma Yuddha (Religious War)

The Framing:

• Dharma Yuddha = Religious war
• In Islamic terms: Jihad
• Even though Abdali's real goal is wealth, he has to frame it as a holy war

Abdali's Own Words (Delhi, January 1757)

His Honest Statement:

"I need wealth, lots of wealth. Even though I may have to exploit good or bad paths to it. Regardless of which path I have to tread, I have to get lots and lots of wealth."

Translation:

• The ends justify the means
• Doesn't matter if it's moral or immoral
• The wealth is mandatory
• "I want it here, right here and immediately"

The Reality:

• Afghanistan has nothing - just rocky mountains
• Not enough rain, not fertile land
• No natural wealth at all
• His entire Afghan empire is built on Indian loot
• Without Delhi's wealth, Afghanistan would be nothing

1757: The Decisive Year

Why 1757 Was Different

The Declaration:

"1757 turned out to be a decisive year" (निर्णायक वर्ष)

What Made It Decisive:

• Peace in North India the previous year
• Multiple power transitions created opportunities
• All the invitations had reached Abdali
• The perfect storm for invasion

The Political Landscape in 1756-1757

The Key Transitions

Siraj-ud-Daulah's Character:

• Uddhavla = Rash, impulsive (negative connotation)
• Acts without planning
• Quick to action but not thoughtful
• This rashness can backfire

Shuja-ud-Daulah's Character:

• Living a very luxurious and entertaining life
• Not focused on governance or military matters
• Weak link in the defense chain

The Conspiracy Tightens

Who Invited Abdali to Delhi

The Conspirators:

1. Najib Khan (Rohilla chieftain)
2. Mughalani Begum (the betrayed woman with the treasure map)

Their Goal:

• "Checkmate" the Wazir (Imad ul-Mulk)
• He had become their enemy
• His power was growing beyond control
• Even more important than the Emperor himself

Najib Khan's Double Game

His Official Position

Surface Level:

• Supporting Imad ul-Mulk (the Wazir)
• There was a small Maratha regiment in Delhi (~2,000 soldiers)
• This regiment supported Imad ul-Mulk
• Imad ul-Mulk was dependent on:
  1. The Maratha regiment
  2. Najib Khan's Rohilla forces

His Secret Game

The Reality:

• Pretending to help Imad ul-Mulk
• Actually writing letters to Abdali
• Playing both sides

His Real Problem:

• Didn't trust the Marathas
• Knew Marathas would eventually take over everything
• The Mughal Emperor would be gone
• Then Rohillas would be exposed and vulnerable
• Rohillas couldn't match Marathas militarily
• They'd be wiped out

His Master Plan

The Strategy:

1. Invite Abdali to Delhi
2. Abdali loots Delhi (his primary goal)
3. But before leaving, Abdali weakens the Maratha army
4. Rohillas are now safe from Maratha domination
5. Najib Khan becomes Wazir himself
6. Gets unlimited power with weakened Marathas

The Calculation:

• Abdali has no interest in staying in Delhi
• He'll loot and leave
• But he'll damage the Marathas on his way out
• Perfect outcome for Rohillas

The Punjab Campaign Begins

Jahan Khan's Advance

The Route:

• Peshawar (Afghanistan/Mughal border) → Lahore
• Peshawar is the boundary between Mughal Empire and Afghanistan

The Battle:

• Abdali sent a small force to Lahore
• The Mughal army sent to defend Punjab met them
• The Mughal forces were easily defeated
• They had no will to fight
• Nothing to fight for
• Just fled

The Result:

• Jahan Khan (Abdali's commander) took control of Lahore

The Exodus

What Happened:

• Adina Beg was the default defender of Lahore
• Citizens of Lahore panicked
• Knew Jahan Khan was entering the city
• Feared massacre
• Entire population fled to mountainous areas for refuge
• Seeking protection in the hills

Abdali's Follow-Up

The Sequence:

1. Jahan Khan in the lead
2. Abdali followed quickly behind
3. From Lahore → marched to Delhi
4. Abdali has arrived

The Political Summary (1757)

Why Everything Aligned for Abdali

The Invitations: | Source | Motivation | What They Offered | |--------|------------|-------------------| | Shah Waliullah | Protect Islam | Ideological justification | | Najib Khan | Weaken Marathas | Local military alliance | | Madho Singh | Drive out Marathas | Rajput political support | | Mughalani Begum | Revenge on Imad | Treasure map of Delhi |

The Weaknesses in India:

1. Mughal Emperor - Powerless
2. Raghunath Rao - Returned to the south
3. Bengal - Rash new ruler
4. Awadh - Luxury-focused ruler
5. Delhi - Internal conspiracies
6. Maratha presence - Only small regiment (~2,000)
7. Rohillas - Actively helping Abdali

The Perfect Storm:

• Multiple invitations ✓
• Weak defenders ✓
• Divided leadership ✓
• Local allies ✓
• Treasure map ✓
• Religious justification ✓

Timeline

Key Players

Geographic Context

The Route of Invasion:

1. Afghanistan (starting point)
2. Peshawar (border crossing)
3. Lahore (captured by Jahan Khan)
4. Delhi (final target)

Strategic Province:

• Punjab - Abdali's primary territorial goal
• Five rivers emptying into the Sindhu (Indus)
• Extremely fertile and prosperous
• Agricultural output = recurring income
• Afghanistan had no such fertile land
• This was his ONLY land-based goal

The Rest of India:

• Abdali had no interest in ruling
• Didn't want to annex other provinces
• Only wanted Punjab for the tax income
• Everything else was for looting

Abdali's Clear Goals

What He Wanted

What He Didn't Want

No Interest In:

• Ruling India
• Staying in Delhi
• Annexing other provinces (except Punjab)
• Building an administration
• Governing people

His Philosophy:

"Loot Delhi as much as possible in the least amount of time, then get out."

The Religious Cover

Why Frame It as Jihad

The Political Necessity:

1. Gives moral justification to Afghan/Muslim supporters
2. Rallies religious warriors to the cause
3. Creates unity among diverse Muslim factions
4. Legitimizes what is essentially robbery
5. Silences critics who might object to pure looting

The Irony:

• His real goal: Wealth by any means
• His stated goal: Holy war for Islam
• Everyone knows it's about money
• But the religious framing is politically necessary

The Sources Referenced

Franklin's "History of Shah Alam" (1798):

• Looking back at the 1750s from 40+ years later
• Describes the Mughal Empire as "extremely unstable"
• Notes that Marathas were "by default rulers of India"
• Explains that it would have been "surprising had he NOT exploited this golden opportunity"
• Everything was perfect for Abdali's invasion

Key Themes

1. Wealth Above All - Abdali openly states money is his only goal
2. The Double Agent - Najib Khan playing both sides perfectly
3. The Religious Cover - Framing greed as holy war
4. The Weak Chain - Multiple weak rulers at critical positions
5. The Leadership Vacuum - Raghunath Rao gone, Marathas reduced to small regiment
6. Land for Taxes - Punjab is the only territory worth keeping
7. Hit and Run Strategy - Loot Delhi, weaken Marathas, get out
8. The Perfect Timing - 1757 as the decisive moment

The Ironic Parallels

Everyone's Using Religious Language:

• Shah Waliullah: "Come protect Islam"
• Abdali: "This is a Dharma Yuddha/Jihad"

Everyone's Real Motivation:

• Shah Waliullah: Power for his faction
• Abdali: Money, money, money
• Najib Khan: Become Wazir, weaken Marathas
• Mughalani Begum: Revenge

The Pattern:

• Religious language = political cover
• Holy war rhetoric = wealth acquisition
• Jihad = looting spree
• Nobody is fooled, everyone plays along

What Happens Next

Abdali Has Arrived in Delhi Area:

• Small Mughal forces already defeated
• Lahore already captured
• Delhi is the target
• Imad ul-Mulk is vulnerable
• The looting is about to begin

The Questions:

1. How will Imad ul-Mulk defend Delhi?
2. What will Najib Khan do? (probably betray him)
3. Will the Marathas respond?
4. How much wealth will Abdali extract?
5. What happens to the Mughal Emperor?

The Big Picture: Abdali's Business Model

The Economic Reality of Afghanistan

Afghanistan's Problem:

• No agriculture or prosperity
• Rocky mountains
• Insufficient rain
• No fertile land
• No natural wealth source

The Solution:

• Raid India periodically
• Loot Delhi systematically
• Use wealth to build Afghan empire
• Keep Punjab for steady income

The Business Model:

1. Invade India every few years
2. Extract maximum wealth
3. Return to Afghanistan
4. Build infrastructure and power
5. Repeat when wealth runs out

The Sustainability:

• Punjab = recurring revenue stream
• Delhi raids = one-time big scores
• This model worked multiple times
• Will work again in 1757

January 1757: Abdali stands outside Delhi with his army, having already captured Lahore. He's declared his Jihad, but everyone knows it's about the money. "I need wealth, by good means or bad, and I need it NOW." The invitations have been sent. The conspirators are ready. The treasure map is in his hands. The looting of Delhi is about to begin.