"Wherever we get money, we go there and get new land, new areas as well. Every which way to get money is helpful to us as well as to the Sarkar (Nanasaheb Peshwa, Maratha Empire)."

The Explicit Instructions (English Version)

From the Book

The Direct Quote:

"Abdali has left. Shuja is not offering a single rupee for Maratha help. Why then is help being offered? Go to the territories that yield money and that can be annexed. Get money for the state in whichever way you can."

The Jaipur Reminder:

"It is due to Malhar Rao and his diwan Gangadhar Yashwant that here too, in Jaipur, this could not be achieved. So you should not fall prey to pressure and use all your ingenuity to get more money."

The Context:

Remember: Holkar tried to help in Jaipur
Didn't get all the money promised
Reminding of that lesson

The Bottom Line:

Work only when we get paid
Don't fall for promises
Get actual money

The Soldiers of Fortune Strategy

How Marathas Operated

The Business Model:

"You can see the Maratha strategy was to... they were working like soldiers of fortune."

Why This Made Them Unpopular:

Not trying to develop their own power structure
Just working for pay
Working against them
Became unpopular partially because of this

The Tough Situation:

Going nationwide (especially Northern India)
Needed military resources
Soldiers' salaries
War materials
All of it needs money

Rock and a Hard Place:

Easy to be desperate like they were
Couldn't help it
But net effect: not popular where they were conquering

The Detailed Instructions Continue

More from Raghunath Rao's Letter

The Core Message:

"Keep an army and join an endeavor that earns you something. We left Pune to obtain funds for the state and to this day have not got anything. This is a unique situation. I sent you ahead of me to capture territory and get funds, not to go and help somebody. Nor have I sent you for a pilgrimage to a holy place."

The Strategy:

Take over land
Start controlling it ourselves
Put governance structure in place
Sure shot way of getting money

Why:

Once you take governance in your hands
The taxes will be owed to you
Don't depend on somebody else giving it to you

The Clarification:

"I haven't sent anybody for the holy pilgrimage."

Why This Matters:

Often when army went north
They would carry pilgrims with them
To visit holy places (in dangerous Mughal areas)
Pilgrims wanted protection

Making It Clear:

That's not the aim here
Not a religious journey
This is a money-making expedition

The Debt Problem: Why This Matters

Raghunath Rao's Financial Disaster

The Critical Point:

"This is a very important point. From the second time when Raghunath Rao was sent to north to sort out issues, problems, when he came back, he had loans."

The Failure:

Went north to get money
Came back in debt
Borrowed money to fund campaign
Didn't recover costs
Major problem

The Temporary Army Problem

Why Marathas Couldn't Stay

The Reality:

Maratha soldiers were temporary
Had families back in Deccan/Pune
Missing their own family members
Not going to North forever
That wasn't their intention

The Consequence:

"If you are going to come back, then you are not setting up a government and taking over the land and becoming part of the entire ecosystem there."

The Problem:

Not establishing permanent presence
Not building administration
Not integrating into region
Part of the problem

The Looted North Problem

Why Second Campaign Failed

The Situation:

"He went to get money to the North, Raghunath Rao, but the North provinces were already looted. There was no wealth remaining."

Why:

Abdali wouldn't allow them to keep anything
Already stripped the region
Nothing left to extract

The Result:

Raghunath Rao partially had nothing to gain
Went there second time
Came back with empty hands
That was the problem
Foolhardy errand

Crossing the Yamuna to Surajmal Jat

The Geography

The River:

Delhi mostly on western bank of Yamuna
Surajmal Jat must be on eastern bank of Yamuna

What Marathas Had to Do:

Cross Yamuna River from west to east
To get to Surajmal Jat
Trying to get money from him

Conquering the Doab (July 1757)

The Territory Between Two Rivers

What is Doab:

"Do" = two
"Ab" = water/river
Doab = land between two rivers
Between Yamuna and Ganga

The Geography:

Delhi on western bank of Yamuna
To get to Doab: cross Yamuna River
Ganga River is to the east of Yamuna
Yamuna comes and meets with Ganga from western side
Area between them = Doab

What Happened (July 1757):

Anupshahr town - Raghunath Rao set up control
Marathas won over many cities and towns in Doab
Once crossed eastern bank of Yamuna
Entered Doab territory
Took control

The Power Shift in Delhi

Wazir Imad ul-Mulk Takes Charge

What Happened:

Wazir Imad ul-Mulk put his hand in with Marathas
Asked Marathas to get rid of Najib Khan
Because he was loyal ally of Abdali
Now that Abdali gone, wanted Najib gone too

Najib Khan:

Was the Mir Bakshi
Removed and kicked out from Delhi

Ahmad Khan Bangash:

From Farrukhabad
Thought he would become Mir Bakshi
Followed in footsteps (kitta girawla) of Imad ul-Mulk
Remember: Imad ul-Mulk also became Mir Bakshi
Then became Wazir (took both roles)
Bangash doing same - following same path

The Siege of Delhi (July 1757)

Surrounding the Capital

Who Arrived:

Both Sakharam Bapu and Raghunath Rao
Reached banks of Yamuna
In that town
July 1757

The Siege:

Within a month
Laid siege to Delhi
Stopped all incoming, outgoing stuff from Delhi
Nothing could get out
Nothing could come in

Najib's Response:

Started preparations for defending Delhi

The Alliance Shift:

Imad had made treaty/alliance with Marathas
Because of this
Relations with Shuja-ud-Daulah became bad

The Holy Cities Goal

What Raghunath Rao Wanted

The Objective:

Get control of Hindu holy cities

Which Cities:

Kashi (Varanasi)
- Vishwanath Temple in Kashi
Mathura
- Krishna's birthplace
Prayagraj (Allahabad)
- Where three rivers meet
- Two visible: Ganga and Yamuna
- Third: Saraswati (mythical, underground now)
- For practical purposes: two rivers meeting
- Town at banks, then becomes Ganga

Ayodhya:

Is holy
But at the time not much in Ayodhya
Nobody talks about it at this moment
Only had that mosque
Not a focus

The Geography:

Ganga and Yamuna start in Himalayas
Yamuna is west of Ganga
Once in plains: area between = Doab
Incredibly fertile
Doab ends at Prayagraj (where rivers meet)

The Shuja-ud-Daulah Problem

Why It Was Difficult

The Situation:

Marathas wanted control of these towns
Get some kind of autonomy
Now difficult

Why:

Shuja-ud-Daulah wanted friendship with Marathas
But Marathas said: "We're sticking with our alliance with emperor and wazir"
So obviously Shuja said:
- "If you're going to stick with my opponents"
- "So be it"
- "I don't want to help you or do anything good for you"

The Cost:

Lost potential ally
Made enemy of powerful nabab
For sake of emperor alliance

Kutub Shah's Raid: The Najib-Imad Rift

The Religious Teacher's Revenge

Who Kutub Shah Was:

Najib Khan's guru (teacher)
Religious guru/teacher to Najib Khan
Important figure (will come up later)

What Happened:

Because Imad was against Najib Khan
Kutub Shah just raided Imad's residence
Took his revenge

The Atrocities:

Killed everyone there
Mistreated women
Took away valuables
Destroyed everything

The Result:

"Because of that, Imad became like a total enemy of Najib Khan. Bitter enemies."

Why:

Imad's residence raided
Women mistreated
Valuables stolen
Destruction everywhere
Not going to go well with Imad

The Rift:

Major split created
Najib's teacher comes and does this
Creates permanent enmity
Bitter enemies now

Timeline

Date	Event
1757	Raghunath Rao writes from Jaipur to Sakharam Bapu
July 1757	Anupshahr taken, control established
July 1757	Marathas won many towns in Doab
July 1757	Najib Khan removed as Mir Bakshi, kicked out of Delhi
July 1757	Sakharam Bapu and Raghunath Rao reach banks of Yamuna
July 1757	Siege of Delhi begins
Within a month	Complete siege - nothing in or out of Delhi
1757	Imad makes treaty with Marathas
1757	Relations with Shuja-ud-Daulah become bad
1757	Kutub Shah raids Imad's residence

Key Players

Name	Role	Status/Action
Raghunath Rao	Peshwa's brother	Leading campaign, writing from Jaipur, reaches Delhi
Sakharam Bapu	Pune courtier	Receiving instructions, reaches Delhi with RR
Shuja-ud-Daulah	Awadh Nawab	Proposal rejected, becomes hostile
Imad ul-Mulk	Wazir	Makes treaty with Marathas, enemy of Najib
Najib Khan	Mir Bakshi	Kicked out of Delhi, bitter enemy of Imad
Kutub Shah	Najib's guru/teacher	Raids Imad's residence, creates rift
Ahmad Khan Bangash	Farrukhabad ruler	Wants to become Mir Bakshi
Surajmal Jat	Jat king	Marathas crossing Yamuna to get money from him
Malhar Rao Holkar	Maratha commander	Referenced in Jaipur tribute failure

Geography

Key Rivers:

Yamuna (west)
Ganga (east)
Saraswati (mythical, underground)

Key Regions:

Doab - between Yamuna and Ganga, incredibly fertile
Delhi - western bank of Yamuna
Prayagraj - where Yamuna meets Ganga

Holy Cities:

Kashi (Varanasi) - Vishwanath Temple
Mathura - Krishna's birthplace
Prayagraj - three rivers meet
Ayodhya - holy but not focus at this time

Strategic Locations:

Anupshahr - town taken in July 1757
Jaipur - where Raghunath Rao writing from
Farrukhabad - Ahmad Khan Bangash's base

Key Themes

Money Above All - "Work only when we get paid"
Soldiers of Fortune - Not building permanent structures
The Temporary Army - Want to go home, not stay north
The Looted North - Abdali left nothing to extract
Strategic Geography - Rivers as barriers, Doab as prize
Holy Cities Goal - Control religious sites for legitimacy
Alliance Betrayal Refused - Won't fight emperor for Shuja
The Debt Problem - Raghunath Rao came back with loans
The Kutub Shah Raid - Creates Najib-Imad rift
Siege Warfare - Cutting off Delhi completely
Diplomatic Failures - Making enemies (Shuja)
Unpopularity - Seen as mercenaries, not rulers

Critical Insights

The Soldiers of Fortune Problem

The Strategy:

Work for money only
Don't build permanent structures
Don't create governance
Temporary presence

Why It Doesn't Work:

Unpopular where conquering
No loyalty from locals
Can't hold territory
Temporary armies go home
Not integrating into region

The Dilemma:

Need money to campaign
Need to campaign to get money
But spending money on campaigns
Not investing in administration
Vicious cycle

The Debt Disaster

The Critical Failure:

Raghunath Rao went north second time
Purpose: get money
Result: came back with loans
Borrowed to fund campaign
Didn't recover costs

Why This Matters:

Unsustainable model
Each campaign costs more than it earns
Going deeper in debt
Eventually can't fund more campaigns
Death spiral

The Looted North Problem

The Situation:

Abdali already stripped North India
No wealth remaining
Nothing left to extract
Foolhardy errand

The Irony:

Went to get money
But Abdali took it all
Chasing empty treasury
Should have known this

The Lesson:

Can't extract what isn't there
Abdali beat them to it
Wrong timing
Wrong strategy

The Temporary Army Problem

Why They Can't Stay:

Soldiers miss families (back in Deccan/Pune)
Not going to North forever
Not their intention
Want to go home

The Consequence:

Not setting up government
Not taking over land
Not integrating into ecosystem
Part of the problem

The Fundamental Issue:

Can't conquer and hold with temporary army
Need permanent garrison
Need settlers, not raiders
Need administration, not occupation

The Holy Cities Strategy

Why It Matters:

Control Hindu holy sites
Gives religious legitimacy
Shows protecting Hinduism
Not just mercenaries

The Three Cities:

Kashi/Varanasi - Vishwanath Temple (most sacred)
Mathura - Krishna's birthplace (just massacred by Abdali)
Prayagraj - where rivers meet (pilgrimage site)

The Politics:

If control holy cities
Hindus see as protectors
Legitimacy for rule
Not just soldiers of fortune

But:

Shuja-ud-Daulah now hostile
Controls some of this territory
Made harder by diplomatic failure

The Kutub Shah Raid

What Happened:

Najib's guru (teacher)
Raided Imad's residence
Killed everyone
Mistreated women
Stole valuables
Destroyed everything

The Impact:

Created permanent rift
Imad and Najib now bitter enemies
Personal now, not just political
Women mistreated = unforgivable

Why It Matters Later:

Kutub Shah important figure going forward
This rift will have consequences
Najib-Imad feud will shape events
Religious violence mixing with politics

The Doab: Geography is Destiny

Why Doab Matters:

Incredibly fertile land
Between two rivers (Yamuna, Ganga)
Wealth of region
Strategic importance

The Control:

Marathas conquering Doab in July 1757
Taking many towns and cities
Anupshahr as base
Establishing presence

The Geography:

Must cross Yamuna to reach Doab
Rivers as barriers (especially during monsoon)
No bridges in this era
Control crossings = control region

The Siege Strategy

What They Did:

Stopped all incoming/outgoing from Delhi
Nothing in, nothing out
Within a month of arriving
Complete siege

The Goal:

Starve them out
Force surrender
Remove Najib Khan
Install friendly government

Najib's Response:

Preparations for defense
But already kicked out as Mir Bakshi
Weakened position
Need to defend

The Shuja-ud-Daulah Failure

The Diplomatic Blunder:

Shuja wanted friendship
Marathas chose emperor over him
He becomes hostile
"If you're with my opponents, so be it"

The Cost:

Lost powerful ally
Awadh Nawab = major player
Controls strategic territory
Now he won't help
Might actively oppose

The Reason:

Loyalty to 1752 treaty with emperor
But emperor is powerless
Shuja is powerful nabab
Strategic mistake?

The Instructions: Money Money Money

The Explicit Orders:

"Work only when we get paid"
"Go to territories that yield money"
"Get money in whichever way you can"
"Don't help people for free"
"This is not a pilgrimage"

The Reminder:

Holkar didn't get paid in Jaipur
Don't fall for promises
Get actual money
Use all your ingenuity

The Desperation:

"We left Pune to get funds"
"To this day have not got anything"
"This is a unique situation"
Clear failure admitted

The Strategy:

Take over land directly
Control governance
Taxes owed to you
Don't depend on others giving it

Foreshadowing

What This Sets Up:

Siege of Delhi ongoing - will Najib surrender?
Kutub Shah will return - important later
Najib-Imad bitter enemies - permanent rift
Shuja-ud-Daulah hostile - lost ally
Doab under control - Maratha presence established
Holy cities goal - trying to get legitimacy
Debt problem - Raghunath Rao in loans
Temporary army issue - can't hold territory
Soldiers of fortune - unpopular strategy
Money obsession - will drive decisions
Ahmad Khan Bangash - following Imad's path to power

The Questions:

Will siege succeed?
Can they establish permanent governance?
Will they control holy cities?
How will debt problem resolve?
When will temporary army go home?
Will Najib Khan return?
What will Kutub Shah do?
Can they make Shuja an ally again?

1757: From Jaipur, Raghunath Rao writes to Sakharam Bapu: "Shuja won't pay us. Why help him? Go where the money is. Take over land directly - control the taxes yourself. Remember Jaipur? Holkar didn't get paid. Don't fall for that. Work only when we get paid. This is not a pilgrimage." The instructions are explicit: money above all. But there's a problem - the North has been looted by Abdali. Nothing left. Raghunath Rao came back from his first campaign with LOANS. Went to get money, came back in debt. And the army wants to go home - missing families, not staying forever. Can't build permanent structures with temporary soldiers. In July, they cross the Yamuna, conquer Doab, take Anupshahr. Lay siege to Delhi within a month - nothing in, nothing out. Najib Khan kicked out as Mir Bakshi. But then Kutub Shah - Najib's religious teacher - raids Imad's residence. Kills everyone, mistreats women, steals everything. Creates permanent rift. Bitter enemies now. And Shuja-ud-Daulah wanted friendship, but Marathas stuck with the emperor. So he's hostile now. "If you're with my opponents, fine. I won't help you." Lost another ally. Working as soldiers of fortune, unpopular everywhere. Going deeper in debt. Temporary army that wants to go home. And everyone saying: "They just care about money, not governance." The model isn't working. But they can't stop. Need money for the next campaign. Vicious cycle.