The Systematic Looting of Delhi: Torture, Treasure & The Price of Hidden Wealth (January 1757)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Abdali's Ultimatum (Recap)

The Demands

What He Said:

"Good way or bad way, I have to get my wealth or ransom. Right now and right here. No loans or any business like that."

Translation:

• By any means necessary
• Immediately
• Cash only
• No negotiations
• No installment plans

The First Big Score: Kamruddin Khan's Widow

The Scared Informant

Who Was Itni Zaam:

• Some official/courtier
• Scared to the core (गर्भ गरित)
• Abdali was interrogating him
• He broke under pressure

What He Did:

• Pointed with his finger toward someone
• Kamruddin Khan's widow (Sholapuri Begum)
• Gave up her name to save himself

The Threat to the Widow

Abdali's Words to Her:

"If you show me the exact location of the hidden treasure, I would treat you like my mother or my sister. I will give you the honor of my mother or sister."

OR:

"Otherwise, iron nails would be hit under your nails."

Translation:

• Show me = respect and safety
• Don't show me = extreme torture
• The choice is yours

Who She Was

Her Status:

• Very highly placed in society
• Some famous person's mother
• Another famous person's widow
• Another notable's mother
• Multiple connections to power
• Very well-respected
• High social standing

Why This Matters:

• Even high-status women weren't safe
• Abdali would torture anyone
• No respect for traditional hierarchies
• The wealth was all that mattered

THE HAUL: Three Days of Digging

The Excavation

Location:

• Her haveli (mansion/estate)
• Remember: the reading group had been to a haveli in Rajasthan

The Process:

• Three days of continuous digging
• Following her instructions
• She told them where to dig
• She had no choice

The Discovery

What They Found:

• Approximately 2 crore rupees worth of treasure
• Hidden beneath the ground
• In that single haveli

Specific Items Found:

• मानसाची आकाराची दोनशी सोन्याची कांबी
  • Golden sticks in human form/shape
  • Elaborate gold sculptures
  • Buried in dirt

And More:

• Precious stones (अमूल्य हीरे)
• Diamonds (पत्सु)
• Rubies (माणिक)
• Pearls (मोती)
• Gold objects (सोन्या)
• Silver items (चांदी)
• अगणित संपत्ती - Incalculable/uncountable wealth

Abdali's Reaction

What He Did:

• Took it all under his control (ताबात घेतला)
• "Subhan Allah" - Praise to God (Islamic expression of awe)
• Even he was impressed by the amount

The Historical Accumulation

How Much Wealth? From When?

The Timeline:

• Since Aurangzeb's death (1707)
• To 1757
• 70 years of accumulation
• By Kamruddin Khan and his father Amin Khan

What This Means:

• Three generations of hoarding
• 70 years of hidden treasure
• All procured by powerful Wazirs
• Now taken by Ahmad Shah Abdali in one day

The Bitter Irony

What Kamruddin's Descendants Got:

"His descendants got only the dirt that was dug up in that haveli."

Translation:

• Ancestors accumulated for 70 years
• Hidden it carefully underground
• Abdali took it all in 3 days
• Descendants left with nothing but dirt
• Ultimate reversal of fortune

Why They Buried Wealth

No Banking System

The Reality:

• No banks existed
• No institutional security
• No safe deposit boxes
• Had to physically hide wealth

The Method:

• Bury it underground
• Hide in walls
• Secret rooms
• Only family knew locations

The Reasons:

1. Pass it to posterity - Leave inheritance
2. Use for luxury - When they wanted to indulge
3. Security - Felt safer buried than exposed
4. Tax evasion - Government couldn't confiscate what they couldn't find
5. Political insurance - If you fall from power, still have secret wealth

The Raid on the Janan Khana (Women's Quarters)

The Sacred Space Violated

What Janan Khana Was:

• Women's quarters (ज़नान खाना)
• Separate living area for women
• Hallmark of highly placed people:
  • Mansabdars
  • The Emperor
  • Very rich people
• Traditional, protected space
• Men (except family) not allowed

The Raid

What Happened:

• Afghans raided the Janan Khana
• Broke all traditional boundaries
• About 100 women were taken

Their Fates: | Group | Fate | |-------|------| | Some | Let go | | Selected ones | Dispatched to Kabul (kidnapped) |

The Violation:

• Not just wealth theft
• But human trafficking
• Taking women as prizes
• Complete disregard for cultural norms
• Ultimate humiliation

The Systematic City-Wide Looting

खांती लगणे (Digging Everything)

खांती = Digging (खणने) खांती लगणे = Starting to dig / digging operation

The Scope:

• Every rich person's house was dug up
• All Mansabdars targeted
• All courtiers
• Anyone who was "who's who" in Delhi
• No one was spared

The Logic

Why Dig Everywhere:

• Abdali's soldiers realized the pattern
• If Kamruddin Khan buried wealth
• Any rich person probably did the same
• It was common practice
• Better to dig everywhere

The Strategy:

"Let's just go after each and every rich person in Delhi. Dig up all their houses."

छळ सत्र आणि आत्महत्या (Torture Sessions & Suicides)

The New Normal

छळ सत्र = Schedule of torture आत्महत्या = Suicide

What Became Daily Routine:

1. Torture - To extract information
2. Suicides - Out of fear or after torture

Why This Happened

The Reality:

• You can't get wealth from rich people "just like that"
• You have to torture them
• Make them confess
• Nobody wants to give up hard-earned wealth
• People would rather die than reveal everything

The Process:

• Extreme torture became commonplace
• Daily occurrence
• Out of fear, many committed suicide
• Rather than face torture
• Or after being tortured

Abdali's Background: He'd Seen This Before

The 1739 Connection

His Experience:

• Had come to Delhi with Nadir Shah of Iran in 1739
• Seen firsthand all the wealth
• Knew what could be gotten out of Delhi
• This wasn't his first rodeo

The Mughal Accumulation

The Timeline:

• Babur came in 1526 (actually ~1526)
• By 1757: About 230 years of Mughal rule
• Mughals had accumulated wealth for over two centuries
• Most of it concentrated and hidden in Delhi

Abdali's Knowledge:

• Knew exactly what was there
• Had personal experience from 1739
• This time he's in charge
• Would extract even more than Nadir Shah did

Mughalani Begum's Reward

The Informant Gets Paid

What She Did:

• Gave Abdali all the intelligence about Delhi
• Named names
• Revealed who had what wealth
• Told him where to look
• Complete inside information

Her Reward:

• Showered with rewards
• Land grants
• Wealth
• Made good on her promise
• Handsomely rewarded

The Forced Marriage

Another Price

What Happened:

• Some man (likely Imad ul-Mulk based on context)
• Had to divorce his wife
• Was married off to Mughalani's daughter (Umda Begum)

The Irony:

• Remember this was promised to:
  1. First: Taimur (Abdali's son)
  2. Then: Imad ul-Mulk (as bribe for help)
  3. Now: Finally forced through

Why This Matters:

• Shows Abdali keeping track of promises
• Using marriage as political tool
• Forcing compliance through family ties
• Mughalani finally got what she wanted

Letters from the Maratha Camp

Letter #1: Antaji Mankeshwar (January 30, 1757)

From: Faridabad (close to Delhi, but not in Delhi itself) To: Peshwa in Pune

What He Reported:

1. About Imad ul-Mulk:

   • Under arrest
   • Surajmal Jat and Najib Khan said his appointment shouldn't be permanent

2. His Communication:

   • Written to Peshwa (Shrivant Peshwa - honorific) 2-3 times
   • Asking for help

3. His Request:

"If Peshwa were to come, everything will be alright."

4. His Position:

   • Not safe to stay too close to Delhi
   • Will operate from Mathura
   • Will keep Peshwa updated
   • Doing what he can from a distance

5. About Bapuji Hingne:

   • Has written to Abdali
   • Will give him land in Antarvedi
   • (Antarvedi = fertile land between Yamuna and Ganga rivers)

6. About Najib Khan:

   • This is the Rohilla he's referring to
   • When he can get hold of him, will meet
   • Suggests Wazir should meet him too

7. Military Status:

   • "We have killed 4-500 of their soldiers"
   • "We are ready for battle"

8. A Cryptic Note:

   • Something about "Hindu dveshi" (Hindu hater)
   • Won't meet with him
   • Unclear who he's referring to

Letter #2: Laxman (February 6, 1757)

From: Delhi itself To: [Unclear, probably Peshwa]

What He Reported:

1. The Looting:

   • Abdali digging people's homes
   • Taking out valuables
   • Found a lot of precious stuff

2. The Shipment:

   • All the confiscated gold and precious stones
   • Given to his son
   • Sent to Afghanistan
   • Securing the loot first

3. Abdali's Location:

   • Staying close to Shalimar Bagh
   • Area in Delhi
   • Established base of operations

4. Maratha Forces:

   • "Our forces are at some location"
   • Not clear where exactly

The Next Phase: Turning on Marathas and Jats

After the Looting

What Happened:

• Abdali finished digging and confiscating
• Got the Mughals under control
• Went to Shalimar Bagh
• Then turned his attention to remaining resistance

The New Targets:

1. Marathas - Still fighting, won't accept his hegemony
2. Jats - Warrior community, still resisting

Why:

• They wouldn't accept his authority
• Still pockets of resistance
• Had to be dealt with
• Before he could consolidate control

Timeline

Key Players & Their Fates

The Scale of Looting

One Haveli = 2 Crores

The Math:

• Just ONE widow's house = 2 crore rupees
• There were hundreds of rich households in Delhi
• If each yielded even 10% of that = massive haul
• Plus the official imperial treasury
• Plus ongoing extortion

The Estimate:

• Total loot probably in the tens of crores
• Possibly over 100 crore rupees total
• Equivalent to the entire annual revenue of large provinces
• One of the biggest heists in history

The Cultural Destruction

What Was Lost

Not Just Wealth:

1. Human Dignity - Torture, humiliation, suicide
2. Cultural Norms - Janan Khana raided (unthinkable)
3. Social Order - High-status people tortured like criminals
4. Family Heirlooms - Generations of wealth lost
5. Human Lives - Suicides, torture deaths
6. Women's Safety - 100 kidnapped to Afghanistan
7. Psychological Security - Entire city traumatized

The Torture Methodology

Why Torture Was Necessary

The Reality:

• Rich people don't give up wealth willingly
• Hidden treasure requires information
• Only torture reliably extracts truth
• Fear of torture makes others comply
• Public torture creates mass compliance

The Types:

1. Threat - Like nails under nails (described to widow)
2. Physical - Beatings, mutilations
3. Psychological - Public humiliation
4. Economic - Confiscation of everything
5. Social - Family members threatened

Key Themes

1. The Price of Information - Itni Zaam betrays widow to save himself
2. Even High Status Isn't Protection - Respected widow threatened with torture
3. Generational Wealth Lost in Days - 70 years of hoarding gone in 3 days
4. Torture as Business Tool - Systematic use to extract wealth
5. Cultural Violations - Janan Khana raided, women taken
6. The Informant's Reward - Mughalani gets rich for betraying Delhi
7. Suicide as Escape - People choosing death over torture
8. City-Wide Operation - Every rich house targeted
9. Knowledge from Experience - Abdali learned this in 1739
10. Send It Home First - Secure the loot immediately (to Afghanistan)

The Maratha Response (or Lack Thereof)

What the Letters Show

From Antaji's Letter:

• Marathas are far from Delhi (Faridabad, Mathura)
• Only killed "4-500 soldiers" - small skirmishes
• Waiting for Peshwa to come - no initiative
• Not safe to get closer
• Essentially observing, not fighting

The Problem:

• Small Maratha forces
• Not enough to challenge Abdali
• Need reinforcements from Pune
• But Pune is 1000+ km away
• By the time help arrives, Delhi will be bled dry

The Systematic Nature

Abdali's Organization

The Process:

1. Intelligence - Get informants (Mughalani, scared officials)
2. Threats - Like to Kamruddin's widow
3. Excavation - Dig based on information
4. Extraction - Take everything found
5. Expand - Move to next house
6. Secure - Send treasure to Afghanistan immediately
7. Repeat - Until city is exhausted

Why It Worked:

• Had time (Marathas far away)
• Had information (insiders)
• Had force (no one could stop him)
• Had experience (done this before in 1739)
• Had no mercy (would torture anyone)

The Irony of Hoarding

The Futility of Hidden Wealth

What They Thought:

• Bury wealth = keep it safe
• Hidden = protected
• Future generations will benefit
• Political insurance

What Actually Happened:

• Everything found in days
• Torture extracts location
• Generations of saving lost
• Left with only dirt
• The hiding was futile

The Lesson:

Wealth is only as secure as your society is stable. When conquest comes, buried gold is just a treasure map for invaders.

Comparison to 1739

Nadir Shah vs. Abdali

Similarities:

• Both came from north (Persia vs. Afghanistan)
• Both looted Delhi
• Both extracted massive wealth
• Both left Mughal emperor in place
• Both used torture

Differences:

• Nadir Shah was more brutal (massacred thousands)
• Abdali was more systematic (less killing, more extraction)
• Abdali had better intelligence (Mughalani's help)
• Abdali sent treasure home immediately
• Abdali aimed to come back (Nadir Shah didn't)

What Comes Next

Current Status:

• Delhi systematically looted
• Treasure sent to Afghanistan
• Mughals under control
• Najib Khan installed as Wazir
• Marathas and Jats still resisting
• Abdali now turns to deal with them

The Questions:

1. How will he handle Marathas?
2. Will there be a major battle?
3. When will he leave Delhi?
4. How much total did he loot?
5. Will the Peshwa send reinforcements?
6. What happens to the kidnapped women?

The Preview (from the reading):

• The Battle of Panipat happens in January 1761 (4 years away)
• But movements begin in 1760
• The two armies will face each other for 4-5 months before fighting
• Both within 2 kilometers of each other
• Both afraid to attack (know it will be mutual destruction)
• Multiple peace proposals will fail
• Final sticking point: Punjab (Abdali wants it, Marathas won't give it)
• Jihadi clergy around Abdali push for war
• January 14, 1761 - The battle finally happens

January-February 1757: A respected widow is threatened with nails under her nails. She reveals her family's 70-year treasure hoard. Three days of digging yields 2 crores. The Janan Khana is raided, 100 women taken. Every rich house in Delhi is dug up. Torture becomes daily routine. People commit suicide rather than face it. Mughalani gets rich for betraying her city. The treasure is sent to Afghanistan. Abdali turns to face the Marathas and Jats. Delhi lies bleeding. The looting of the century continues.