The Symbolic Victory: How Marathas Drew First Blood & Made Abdali Their Enemy (1757-1758)

Why the Great Campaign Was Hollow, Bengal's Power, & The Succession Crisis in Nagpur

The Shinde Brothers: Quick Review

Who's Where

The Five Shinde Brothers:

1. Jayapa Shinde - Eldest, deceased (killed during siege)
2. Dattaji Shinde - Based in Delhi, manages northern politics
3. Sabaji Shinde - Based in Punjab (Lahore), younger brother 4-5. Two others - Not mentioned yet

The Confidence:

• Dattaji Shinde thought of very highly in Pune
• Peshwa has lot of confidence in him
• Trusted to finish the job in the north

The Debt Recap

80 Lakh Additional

The Numbers:

• To gain Punjab province
• Set up control over Delhi and other areas
• Loan incurred to finance Raghunath Rao's northern trip
• Not paid back
• In fact, increased by 80 lakh rupees

The Reality:

"Forget about paying off - now they increased it. They got them deeper in debt."

The Real Reason Marathas Had It Easy

It Wasn't Their Military Prowess

When Raghunath Rao Went North (1758):

• Defense mechanism for northwest province had become weaker
• Adina Beg died
• Sabaji Shinde didn't have enough forces for real fight
• Whole flank on northwest (Punjab and beyond) was weak

The Task:

• Sabaji Shinde given the impossible task
• Had to maintain control
• But didn't have to retake or go further
• Just maintain what Raghunath Rao won
• Not an easy task with minimum troops

The Truth About Raghunath Rao's Victory

Why It Was Actually Easy

The Explanation:

"It's like the other way."

What They Mean:

• Remember: Before Raghunath Rao landed in Punjab
• It was in hands of Abdali, Taimur Shah, Jahan Khan
• But they didn't have supplies coming from Abdali
• Abdali was so mired in his own affairs
• Couldn't do anything for Taimur Shah (his own son)

That's Why:

"It was easier for Raghunath Rao and his army to take over Punjab and even go all the way up to Attock."

The Reality: They Didn't Really Win

The Afghan Army Just Gave Up

What Actually Happened:

• It's not that Marathas won by overwhelming force
• Taimur Shah and Afghan army stationed there
• They just lost morale
• Realized nobody's coming to help them from Abdali's side
• Simply fled
• Went beyond Sindhu River toward Attock and north

The Flight:

• They fled because they realized:
• Unless they get reinforcement from Abdali
• No way they could fight Marathas
• Didn't put up a stiff fight

The Truth:

"It was not as though Marathas fought valiantly and they got hold of the areas. It basically was that the Afghan army lost morale and they simply said, 'OK, we are fleeing back.'"

Najeeb Khan Surrenders

The Delhi Front Collapses Too

Who He Was:

• Najeeb Khan (Rohila leader)
• Abdali had given him charge of Delhi
• "The whole weight of Delhi"

What Happened:

• Once Najeeb Khan was defeated
• Not too difficult because he wasn't very strong
• He had some forces but couldn't stand to fight Maratha army
• He knew that

His Decision:

• Surrendered
• Said: "OK, I'm going. You do whatever you want."
• Realized he's not going to win
• Abdali was not around this time
• Even though Abdali wanted him to hold the fort in Delhi
• Realized it's a lost cause
• "I'm not going to fight with you guys. I'm leaving."

The Maratha-Sikh Alliance

Why Taimur Shah Had to Flee

What Happened:

• Marathas got into Punjab
• Took help of the Sikhs
• Sikhs were basically Hindus (at that time, closely related)
• Understood there's camaraderie with Marathas

The Logic:

• No fight to be had with Marathas
• No Jihad or religious conflict
• Marathas weren't coming from outside anyway (same region basically)
• Marathas and Sikhs = combined force
• Taimur Shah and Jahan Khan had to flee

The Pattern Repeats

What Goes Around Comes Around

1757:

• Afghan army couldn't put up stiff fight
• Against Maratha and Sikh power
• They fled

Later (1758 onward):

"The same thing happened to Marathas."

Why:

• Abdali probably sent forces with reinforcement
• Marathas had to flee
• Realized it was just smaller contingent with Sabaji Shinde
• Couldn't put up with Abdali's overwhelming force

The Situation:

• Impossible to keep big force in Punjab for Raghunath Rao
• Only thing Marathas did: change the commanders
• Not big changes, just changed leadership

The New Command Structure

Replacing the Leaders

Who Left:

• Raghunath Rao
• Malhar Rao Holkar

Who Took Over:

• Dattaji Shinde
• Jankoji Shinde (youngest of the Shinde brothers)

The Reality:

• In Delhi: Dattaji and Jankoji in charge
• In Punjab: Sabaji Shinde
• But Sabaji doesn't have enough force

The Inevitable:

"When Abdali sends back his force or he comes back himself, Sabaji is in a woeful condition. He cannot put up with Abdali's force if it comes in full strength."

The Symbolic Victory

The Truth About "Raghoba Bharari"

Raghunath Rao's Story:

• When he went back to Pune
• Made boastful speeches
• "I went all the way up to Attock!"
• "Did such a great thing nobody had ever done!"
• Whole Maratha army extremely proud

But:

"It really wasn't such a big deal."

Why:

• They kind of walked through
• The governance structure he put in place
• The protective cover he gave Sabaji Shinde
• The Maratha army left behind
• Not enough

The Consequence:

"It was going to collapse. It was just a symbolic victory that Marathas can boast about, but it had no real implication whatsoever."

The Proof:

• Couldn't even hold on to victory
• Not even for a few months or maybe not even a year
• "You just went and touched Attock."
• Like touching base in a game - doesn't mean you control it

Why Kicking Out Taimur Shah Was a Mistake

They Challenged Abdali for Nothing

The Logic:

"Unless Marathas wanted to rule Punjab by themselves, which they didn't (they put Adina Beg in power)..."

What They Actually Did:

• Just removed Taimur Shah from power
• Kicked him out
• Didn't accomplish anything real

Why:

• You only accomplish something if you rule it yourself
• And control it yourself
• They didn't do that

What They Actually Did:

"By kicking out Taimur Shah, they basically challenged Abdali."

Drawing First Blood

How Marathas Made Abdali Their Enemy

The Consequence:

• Abdali was now irate
• Became a challenge to him
• "We are removing your son and kicking him out"
• They were challenging Abdali
• Now he's not going to forget this
• He will take revenge

The Problem:

• Marathas were not in position of power
• On one hand: didn't get anything
• On the other hand: kicked out Taimur Shah
• Got onto the bad side of Abdali

The Escalation:

"Now Abdali is pissed with the Marathas. He's going to take revenge because it became like sisters, because now Marathas have drawn the first blood."

Rivals vs Enemies

The Transformation

Before:

• So far Abdali had no real hostility or enmity with Marathas
• No actual conflict
• Just competitors/rivals

How He Viewed Them:

• "These guys are a problem"
• "They will try to fight me if I come to Delhi"
• Stop him from looting
• But no bad blood so far
• Just considered them competitor or rival
• They had not done any damage to him

Now:

"What Marathas did was to have some skirmishes fighting with Mr. Taimur Shah and ultimately they kicked him out physically. That was like drawing the blood. They drew the blood now. Their first contest or battle."

The Shift:

• So far: no such engagement between Abdali's forces and Maratha forces
• Now: with kicking out Taimur Shah, they drew blood
• Now they became enemies

The Insult

Making It Personal

Before:

• They were rivals
• Both wanted to loot Delhi
• Maybe Marathas wanted to stop Abdali's massacres
• But basically: rivals in that both wanted to loot Delhi

Now:

• First time they got into battle
• They kind of became enemies
• His son was kicked out of Punjab Subhedarship
• Had to flee
• Taimur Shah looks bad (he literally fled)
• That is the insult

The Honor:

"Now Abdali is not going to take it lying down. His honor is on the line. He will say, 'This will ruin my reputation and it's my son and all that stuff.'"

Who He Was:

• Considered himself to be a strong man, as a king
• But truly was a good warrior
• Knew how to fight battles

Translation: Now it's personal. Now he has to respond.

Bengal: The Real Prize

The Most Prosperous Province

While All This Was Happening:

• Marathas busy with fighting and politicking in Delhi
• Province of Punjab (extreme northwest)
• But in Bengal (extreme east of India)
• Most prosperous and tax generating revenue province in Mughal Empire
• Winds of change were going on there

Why Bengal Was So Rich:

1. Agriculture - lots of sweet water

   • Why? Ganga River
   • By the time it exits Prayagraj (confluence), it's Ganga only
   • Becomes bigger and bigger going toward ocean
   • Gets really big
   • That's where Bengal is located (very east side)
   • Bay of Bengal (ocean)

2. Other Products:

   • Coconut trees
   • Rubber and other businesses
   • Many products
   • Very fertile

3. Population:

   • Generated lot of revenue (taxed)
   • Large population

The Result:

"Bengal was the most prosperous province at that time."

The Nagpur Bhosles

The Bengal Operators

Who They Were:

• In Nagpur, there was a Bhosle family
• Like a king with small territory
• Had hegemony in Bengal and Orissa (allied province in east)

Related to Shivaji:

• Allied family with Shivaji
• Part of broader Maratha network

What They Did:

• Would collect lot of loot
• Send army to Bengal
• That would fill their treasury
• From Subedar of Bengal, get big tributes

The Dynamic:

• They were the hegemonic power there
• Even though Bengal Subedar was Mughal
• But ever since Mughals became weak
• Bhosles were "eating their lunch"

The Method:

• Send large contingent of army
• Go and ransack places
• Collect tributes
• They were the real important power there
• Subedar's army (Mughal army) = basically nothing

Not the Peshwa's Army

Different Power Centers

Important Distinction:

• This is not the Peshwa army going to Bengal
• This was the Nagpur Bhosles
• Different branch of Maratha power

The Ruler:

• Nagpur had ruler called Raghuji Bhosle

The Succession Crisis

Raghuji Bhosle Dies (1757)

What Happened:

• 1757: Raghuji Bhosle died

The Consequence:

• As typically happens in India at that time
• "Varsa Hakka" - the succession battle started
• Probably had 2-3-4 sons
• Each one will say: "Hey, I'm the new king"

The Problem:

• Internal feud and fight going on
• They're going to be feuding

What This Means:

• Bengal operations disrupted
• Another problem for Marathas to deal with
• More instability in the east

Key Players

Timeline

Geographic Context

The Extremes:

• Punjab/Attock - Extreme northwest (border with Afghanistan)
• Bengal - Extreme east (Bay of Bengal)

The Distance:

• Marathas trying to control both ends of India
• Thousands of miles apart
• Completely different situations

The Reality:

• Can't effectively manage both
• Spread too thin
• Each area has unique problems

Key Themes

1. The Symbolic Victory

• Looked impressive
• Sounded impressive
• Raghunath Rao made boastful speeches
• But no real substance
• Couldn't hold it
• Just "touched Attock"

2. They Didn't Really Win

• Afghan army gave up (lost morale)
• Najeeb Khan surrendered
• Taimur Shah fled
• Not because Marathas were overwhelming
• But because Abdali couldn't send help

3. Drawing First Blood

• Kicked out Taimur Shah
• Made it personal
• Transformed rivals into enemies
• Abdali's honor on the line
• Now he must respond

4. Pattern Repeats

• What happened to Afghans (1757)
• Happened to Marathas later
• Insufficient force → flee when overwhelmed
• History rhymes

5. Bengal: The Real Prize

• Most prosperous province
• Nagpur Bhosles operate there
• But succession crisis (1757)
• Another problem emerging

6. The Impossible Task

• Sabaji Shinde in woeful condition
• Can't put up fight against full Abdali force
• Just changed commanders
• Didn't change fundamental problem

7. Rivals → Enemies

• Before: competitors for Delhi's loot
• After: personal insult, drawn blood
• Now it's about honor and revenge

Critical Insights

Why the Victory Was Hollow

The Formula for Real Victory:

1. Conquer territory ✓ (they did this)
2. Establish governance ✗ (they didn't)
3. Leave sufficient force ✗ (insufficient)
4. Create sustainable administration ✗ (weak)
5. Hold it long-term ✗ (couldn't)

The Reality:

• Just touched the territory
• Like a raid, not a conquest
• Symbolic, not substantial

The Proof:

• Collapsed within months
• When Abdali returned, Marathas fled
• Same thing that happened to Afghans
• Pattern repeated

The Abdali Problem Gets Worse

Before Kicking Out Taimur Shah:

• Abdali = competitor/rival
• Wanted to loot Delhi (so did Marathas)
• Might fight if paths crossed
• But no personal grudge

After Kicking Out Taimur Shah:

• Abdali = sworn enemy
• Personal insult (his son fled)
• Honor at stake
• Reputation on the line
• MUST take revenge

The Calculation:

• What did Marathas gain? Nothing permanent
• What did they lose? Made Abdali their enemy
• Was it worth it? NO

The Strategic Error

What They Should Have Done:

1. Accept Iran's offer to squeeze Abdali
2. Establish real governance in Punjab
3. Leave sufficient forces
4. OR: Don't kick out Taimur Shah at all
5. Avoid making it personal

What They Actually Did:

1. Rejected Iran's help
2. Weak governance
3. Insufficient forces
4. Kicked out Taimur Shah
5. Made it personal

The Result: All pain, no gain.

The Bengal Variable

Why This Matters:

• Most prosperous province in empire
• Nagpur Bhosles operate there
• But Raghuji Bhosle died (1757)
• Succession crisis = infighting
• Can't collect loot during crisis

The Implication:

• Another revenue stream compromised
• More instability
• Marathas losing control of east
• While trying to hold north
• Spread too thin

Foreshadowing

What's Coming

The Abdali Revenge:

• He's busy now with internal Afghan problems
• But he's not going to forget
• His son was humiliated
• His honor demands response
• When he comes back → full force

The Maratha Weakness:

• Sabaji in woeful condition
• Can't stand against full Abdali force
• When Abdali returns → Marathas will flee
• Same pattern that happened to Afghans

The Financial Crisis:

• 80 lakh deeper in debt
• Bengal revenue disrupted (succession crisis)
• Punjab not generating promised tribute
• How to sustain armies in the north?

The Multiple Fronts:

• North: Abdali coming
• South: Nizam still enemy
• East: Bengal succession crisis
• Center: Debt piling up

The Inevitability:

"When Abdali sends back his force or comes back himself, Sabaji is in a woeful condition."

1757-1758: The truth emerges. The great Raghoba Bharari? The Afghans just gave up. Lost morale. Fled. Najeeb Khan surrendered without a real fight. Taimur Shah fled across rivers. Not because Marathas were overwhelming - because Abdali couldn't send help. He was busy. So Marathas walked through. Boasted about it. Built memorials. Made speeches. "We went to Attock!" But it was hollow. Symbolic. They just touched it and left. Couldn't hold it. Insufficient force. Weak governance. And then - the mistake. They kicked out Taimur Shah. Abdali's son. Made him flee. Made him look weak. Drew first blood. Before this? Rivals, competitors, maybe fight over Delhi's loot. After this? Enemies. Personal. Honor. Revenge. Abdali's reputation on the line. His son humiliated. Now he MUST respond. And when he does, Sabaji Shinde is in woeful condition. Can't put up a fight. The pattern will repeat. What happened to Afghans (flee when overwhelmed) will happen to Marathas. The symbolic victory bought them nothing permanent. But it bought them something very real: Abdali's personal enmity. The enemy they didn't need to make. The challenge they didn't need to issue. The first blood they didn't need to draw. Now it's personal. Now it's inevitable. Now he's coming.