"From Akbarabad (Agra) to Mathura, everything has to be leveled. भूइ सपाट (Flat to the ground). If there is any structure, it has to be brought down to ground level."

Translation:

Don't allow anything to stand
Complete destruction
Raze everything
Make an example

The Ideological Justification

Abdali's Message to Farrukhabad

To Ahmad Khan Bangash (who was scared):

"I have come to re-establish Islam in Delhi and India. How will Darbhadri (third-rate) Marathas survive ahead of me?"

Darbhadri = Third-rate, inferior

His Declaration:

"I will totally destroy them"
"They won't even remain as some existence in this country"
"My firm decision: Throw them out to the south"
"They should be in Deccan, south of the Narmada"
"They don't belong here - this is Mughal/Muslim area"

The March to Mathura

Jahan Khan's Big Army

The Movement:

Jahan Khan had a large army
Marched toward Mathura

The Massacre Before Arrival:

Before Antaji Mankeshwar could reach Mathura
About 1,000 Marathas were massacred
Quick, brutal attack

The Atrocities Continue

On the Way:

Afghans started coming south
Leveled Faridabad - burned it completely
Bestowed hundreds of heads to Abdali
Incentive system: 8 rupees per head

Why This Encouraged Killing:

Financial reward for each murder
More heads = more money
Made massacre profitable
Systematic incentive for genocide

Jawahar Singh's Heroic Stand

The Defender

Who He Was:

Surajmal Jat's son
Met the Afghan army on their march

Why He Decided to Fight:

Mathura had no weapons - just a religious pilgrimage site
Jahan Khan's army wanted unlimited massacre
Lots of non-combatants - came for religious rites
No defense - only temples, no army, no fortifications
Unarmed civilians would be slaughtered

His Forces:

Only 5,000 soldiers
Against Jahan Khan's much larger army

The Battle for Mathura

The Brave Fight

What Happened:

Jawahar Singh fought bravely
Gave a tough fight
Tried to protect the pilgrims

The Casualties:

3,000 of his 5,000 soldiers were killed
60% casualties
Heroic last stand

The Retreat

The Decision:

Realized it was a lost cause
Couldn't protect the city with remaining forces (only 2,000 left)
Had to save what remained of his army
Retreated to Vallabhgarh fort
Fled for safety

The Result:

Mathura was now totally unprotected
Jahan Khan had free run
The massacre could begin

The Siege of Vallabhgarh

The Fort

Type of Fort:

Not a mountainous fort (like Raigad or Pratapgad)
Not totally Bhui Kot (ground-level fort)
On a hill with steep walls
Offers some protection
But not as difficult to scale as mountain forts

Abdali's Decision

The Strategy:

Decided to lay siege to Vallabhgarh
Would attack the fort
Run over it if necessary
Couldn't let the resistance escape

Timeline

Date	Event
February 6, 1757	Laxman writes from Delhi: treasure sent to Afghanistan
January 16, 1757	Afghans defeat Marathas in skirmish
January 21, 1757	Antaji Mankeshwar defeats Afghans
January 21, 1757	Abdali's face turns red with rage
January 21, 1757	Orders Jahan Khan to destroy Jat lands
Late January 1757	March toward Mathura begins
Late January 1757	1,000 Marathas massacred before reaching Mathura
Late January 1757	Faridabad leveled, hundreds of heads sent to Abdali
Late January 1757	Jawahar Singh meets Afghan army
Late January 1757	Battle: 3,000 of 5,000 Jat soldiers killed
Late January 1757	Jawahar Singh retreats to Vallabhgarh
Late January 1757	Mathura left unprotected
Late January 1757	Abdali lays siege to Vallabhgarh

Key Players

Name	Role	Action
Ahmad Shah Abdali	King of Afghanistan	Enraged by defeat, orders destruction
Jahan Khan	Abdali's commander	Leads march to Mathura, massacres
Najib Khan	Rohilla Wazir	Joins Jahan Khan in destruction
Antaji Mankeshwar	Maratha commander	Defeated Afghans (Jan 21), heading to help
Jawahar Singh	Surajmal Jat's son	Heroic defender, lost 3,000 men, retreated
Surajmal Jat	Jat King	In Mathura, target of Abdali's rage
Ahmad Khan Bangash	Farrukhabad ruler	Scared, received threatening message
Abdali's son	Prince	Sent to Afghanistan with the loot

The Incentive System for Genocide

8 Rupees Per Head

How It Worked:

Kill someone
Behead them
Bring the head back
Get paid 8 rupees

Why This Is Evil:

Turns murder into profit
Creates competition to kill more
Makes genocide systematic
Financially rewards atrocities
Encourages soldiers to maximize killing

The Result:

Hundreds of heads sent to Abdali
Like a business transaction
Proof of payment = severed heads
Commodification of human life

The Religious/Ideological Framing

Abdali's Justification

His Stated Mission:

"Re-establish Islam in Delhi and India"

His View of Marathas:

"Darbhadri" - Third-rate, inferior
Don't belong north of Narmada
Should be kicked out to the Deccan
This is Muslim territory

His Goal:

Complete destruction of Maratha presence in North
Religious war (Jihad)
Cleanse the "pollution" of kafirs
Make them not even exist in the region

Why Mathura Was Targeted

Strategic + Symbolic Destruction

Strategic Reasons:

Base for resistance - Surajmal Jat was there
Maratha presence - Small forces stationed
Show of force - Make an example

Symbolic Reasons:

Most holy site for Hindus - Krishna's birthplace
Non-combatant pilgrims - Easy targets
Religious significance - Destroy their faith centers
Send a message - "This is what we do to kafirs"

The Strategy:

Attack the holiest place. Make the most brutal example. Show what happens to those who resist. Break their spirit by destroying what they hold most sacred.

The Geography

The Region:

Delhi (north) - Already looted and controlled
Faridabad (between Delhi and Mathura) - Burned completely
Mathura (religious center) - Target for massacre
Agra/Akbarabad (south of Mathura) - To be leveled
Vallabhgarh (Jat fort) - Under siege

The Yamuna River:

Flows through the region
Mathura on western bank
Gokul on eastern bank
Strategic waterway

The Maratha Problem

Why They Couldn't Stop It

From Antaji's Letter (January 30):

Operating from Faridabad/Mathura area
Small forces
Not safe to stay close to Delhi
Waiting for Peshwa to come from Pune
Asking for help repeatedly

The Reality:

Small Maratha regiment (~2,000?)
Faced massive Afghan army
Won one skirmish (Jan 21) but can't hold
Need reinforcements from Pune
Pune is 1,000+ km away
By the time help arrives...

Jawahar Singh's Heroism

The Impossible Choice

What He Faced:

5,000 soldiers vs. massive Afghan army
Defending unarmed pilgrims
Religious site with no defenses
Knew he'd likely lose

What He Did:

Fought anyway
Lost 60% of his forces (3,000 killed)
Saved the remaining 2,000
Retreated to fight another day

The Character:

Brave
Strategic (knew when to retreat)
Honorable (tried to protect civilians)
Realistic (saved what he could)

Key Themes

Rage as Military Strategy - Abdali's anger drives systematic destruction
Symbolic Targets - Attack the holiest sites to break spirits
Profit from Murder - 8 rupees per head turns genocide into business
Heroic Last Stand - Jawahar Singh's impossible defense
Religious Justification - Framing looting as "re-establishing Islam"
The Example - "Level everything from Agra to Mathura"
Unarmed Victims - Pilgrims, civilians, non-combatants targeted
Too Little, Too Late - Marathas can't respond fast enough

The Build-Up

What's Coming

Current Status:

Mathura unprotected
Jahan Khan's army has free run
Vallabhgarh under siege
Jawahar Singh trapped
Antaji Mankeshwar trying to reach them
Systematic destruction ordered

The Questions:

What will happen in Mathura?
Can Vallabhgarh hold?
Will Jawahar Singh survive?
How bad will the massacre be?
When will the main Maratha army arrive?
How will Pune respond to this?

The Distance Problem

Why Help Can't Come Fast Enough

The Math:

Pune to Mathura: ~1,400 km
Travel time: Weeks, possibly months with an army
Communication time: Also weeks
Mobilization time: More weeks

By the Time Pune Responds:

Mathura will be destroyed
Thousands will be dead
Abdali may have already left
The damage will be done

The Tragedy:

Marathas have the power to stop this
But they're too far away
Small local forces aren't enough
The massacre will happen before help arrives

Historical Context

Why This Matters

The Escalation:

Started with looting Delhi
Now: Systematic religious destruction
Targeting the holiest Hindu sites
Mass civilian casualties
Making examples through brutality

The Response It Will Trigger:

When news reaches Pune...
This will demand retaliation
Can't ignore destruction of Mathura
Sets up the eventual showdown
Path to Panipat

Late January 1757: Abdali's face turns red with rage at defeat. He orders total destruction from Agra to Mathura. "Level everything. Burn it all." Jahan Khan marches with a massive army. 8 rupees per head. Faridabad burns. 1,000 Marathas massacred. Jawahar Singh makes his stand with 5,000 men. Loses 3,000 defending unarmed pilgrims. Retreats to Vallabhgarh. Mathura lies unprotected. The massacre is about to begin. And the Marathas in Pune don't even know yet...