"Remember where that all started? Between Jayapa and Holkar. It was carried over from Jankoji's father. Started in Jaipur over the Madho Singh situation."

What Happened:

Both Holkar and Jayapa Shinde were involved
Both trying to benefit from battle of two sons
To inherit the kingdom
Because of that, developed bitterness
That carried on for some time

The Competition:

Both appointed to northern parts of India
Both wanted to show Peshwa
They were doing a great job
Trying to impress the Peshwa
That's where enmity was coming into picture

Initially:

Was a friendly bout initially
But later became more like bitterness

Remember the Son:

"Remember what happened when Holkar's son was killed? He was very mad. Because Jayapa says 'Let's do truce.' And Holkar said 'No way, I'm gonna kill him myself.'"

The Promise:

Took it very negatively
How can you let this guy go?

The Kota Meeting Effect

Subduing the Bitterness

What Happened:

"Between this meeting - Jankoji and Malhar Rao - their bitterness somewhat subdued."

Why:

Jankoji being the young guy
Relatively not informed about politics of the North
Asked about his opinions and things like that
About the politics of Mughal North

Malhar Rao's Status:

Considered as old, elderly personality
People kind of respected him
Like his father's age or even a little older

The Career Advice

"Don't Kill Najeeb Khan"

What Malhar Rao Said:

"Don't try to bother Najeeb ud-Daula, that Rohila guy."

Why:

Partly because Malhar Rao wanted to protect him
They had special relationship

The Washing Clothes Metaphor:

Malhar Rao's Logic:

"If you get rid of Najeeb ud-Daula, then Peshwa will ask you to clean the clothes on the banks of Ganga."

Translation:

Najeeb Khan is big time enemy of Marathas and Peshwas
If you kill him or get rid of him
Your utility to Peshwa will be zilch
He won't need you anymore
He will ask you to do mundane things
Like washing clothes (profession where you wash and dry)

The Analogy:

"If you are working for Ford and if you display all your knowledge to your employer, then would the employer need you anymore? No."

The Logic:

"Don't get rid of this enemy of ours or Peshwa's enemy. Because if you do, Peshwa won't need you anymore. Keep him around so you can show that you are taking action, you are being of help to Peshwa, you are going after Najeeb ud-Daula. We need him."

The Impact on Jankoji

What He Thought

The Reality:

Jankoji was a young guy
We don't know what impact this logic had on Jankoji's mind

But:

He would not have taken action on it anyway
Because at the time, head honcho of Shinde family: Dattaji Shinde
All important decisions will be taken by Dattaji
Unless Dattaji agrees or has particular viewpoint
That is what they will implement

Translation:

"Telling Jankoji doesn't mean too much. He cannot take independent action unless Dattaji agrees with him."

Dattaji's Role

In Charge of the North

His Position:

Basically in charge of northern situation
Because Raghunath Rao came back
From his campaign
Without putting any governance structure in Punjab

The Situation:

Punjab was volatile
Contested territory between Marathas and Afghans
Dattaji was given the responsibility
To manage the affairs
Make sure it's not taken over again by Abdali

Malhar Rao: The Fox

The Ulterior Motive

Why the Advice Was Disingenuous:

"The old man was a fox."

His Ulterior Motive:

He also had ulterior motive
Because he considered Najeeb as his Manusputra
Manusputra = adopted son (Putra = son)
Wanted him to not get killed
Wanted to protect him

The Interdependence

Najeeb Khan & Abdali

Why Najeeb Needs Abdali:

Najeeb Khan extremely afraid of Maratha power
Because they kind of unofficially running the empire
He cannot survive in front of Maratha power
So he needs Abdali

Why Abdali Needs Najeeb:

From Abdali's point of view
Najeeb ud-Daula is extremely important
He unlocks the India for him
He needs him

The Bond:

Both are Afghans
Natural allies
They are interdependent

Raghunath Rao's Letter (1758)

"Get Rid of Najeeb Khan"

What Happened:

1758 when Raghunath Rao took over Delhi
Raghunath Rao always felt sorry
Or felt angry with himself
That he was not able to get rid of Najeeb then and there

Why He Couldn't:

One thing or the other, he couldn't do it
He should have, but he didn't

The Reason:

"Raghunath Rao was about to attack Najeeb Khan, but who stopped his horse? Malhar Rao came in the way and said 'Over my dead body'."

The Cow Incident:

Najeeb started killing cows in front of him
On banks of Ganga or Yamuna
Raghunath Rao wanted to go and attack Najeeb ud-Daula
But Holkar said: "Hold your horses. If you want to go kill him, you have to do it over my dead body."

The Result:

"One thing or the other, he just was stopped from getting rid of Najeeb ud-Daula. Now looking back, he was feeling upset with himself. Why didn't he do it when he had him in his hands? But the moment was gone."

The Letter to Jankoji

Finish the Job

What Raghunath Rao Did:

When he goes to Pune
Writes a letter to Jankoji
Says: "Get rid of this man"
Finish the job

Why Raghunath Rao Couldn't Do It:

Reason Raghunath Rao couldn't do thing about Najeeb
Because Malhar Rao Holkar considered him as his own son
Would not allow Raghunath Rao to take action

The Respect:

To certain extent, Raghunath Rao respected Holkar
Holkar was older than him
Kind of legendary Malhar Rao commander
Also had worked with his father (Bajirao I, who was Peshwa)

The Age:

Even though Raghunath Rao was part of ruling clan
Still didn't want to go against Malhar Rao Holkar's advice
Because he was respected
And Raghunath Rao was much younger to him also
Raghunath Rao was like 25 years old
Much younger

The Experience:

Holkar was always placed in the north
Understood the politics of the north
Raghunath Rao was mostly in Pune or thereabouts

The Loan Balloons

Rajya Kshama

The Situation:

"The loan amount was ballooning on Peshwa's head by this time."

What It Was:

Raghunath Rao had compiled lot of loans
Then it was increasing every month

From Bajirao I:

Lot of the loan was collected from Bajirao I
Remember Bajirao I had done lot of campaigns to the north
He needs money to go there
With army of 10,000, 20,000 people
All that was financed based on loans
Kind of collected over time
All that was still outstanding
Was becoming too much, way too much

What Nana Saheb Called It:

"He used to give it some name (Rajya Kshama) but basically it was becoming untenable."

Dattaji's Task

Lower the Loan

What He Was Given:

"The task that was given to Dattaji was to lower down this loan, which was now becoming untenable."

Why:

Raghunath Rao didn't do a good job
In terms of lowering the loan
Because he increased it actually

Why the North Was Impoverished

Abdali's Impact

The Important Reason:

Because Abdali has sacked Delhi
And neighboring areas
Twice or thrice
As a result, whole thing was impoverished in the north

What Was Lost:

Lots and lots of riches in Delhi alone
But because he has sacked it two, three times
The revenue that Marathas were getting from north
Had dwindled

What Marathas Lost:

Marathas would have been happy to sack it themselves
So they couldn't get it from payments or by looting

Before Abdali: Nadir Shah

The Barbarians

The Timeline:

Whole thing had become totally impoverished
Because of Abdali
And before that, before Abdali even
1739, there was the king of Iran
Nadir Shah

Who They Were:

"They basically were barbarians."

The Comparison:

"Marathas were not as barbarians as these people. They had a little bit of humanity."

The Methods:

Once they understood
Some of the stories during Abdali's invasions
He would torture people
Make sure he would get all the money
Wherever it was hidden
That was the barbarian side

The Marathas:

Weren't so keen on that
Not that barbaric
But most of the riches were gone

The Emperor:

Mughal emperor himself was poor for the people
They took horses, elephants, bullock carts, everything
Just took it away
He had nothing left or not much

Key Players

Name	Relationship	Age/Status
Ranuji Shinde	Father figure	Bajirao I's personal attendant, showed promise
Jayapa Shinde	Eldest son of Ranuji	Deceased, eldest brother
Jyotiba Rao Shinde	2nd brother	Younger
Tukoji Shinde	3rd brother	Younger
Dattaji Shinde	4th brother	Head honcho, in charge of north
Mahadaji Shinde	5th brother	Younger
Jankoji Shinde	Son of Jayapa	19-20 years old, at Kota meeting
Malhar Rao Holkar	Commander	50-52 years old, "the fox"
Najeeb ud-Daula	Rohila commander	Malhar Rao's "adopted son," needs Abdali
Raghunath Rao	Peshwa's brother	~25 years old, regrets not killing Najeeb
Nana Saheb Peshwa	Peshwa	Loan ballooning, calls it "Rajya Kshama"
Abdali	Afghan king	Needs Najeeb, sacked Delhi 2-3 times
Bajirao I	Deceased Peshwa	Father of Raghunath Rao, trained Jayapa

Timeline

Date	Event
1739	Nadir Shah (Iran) loots Delhi
1758	Raghunath Rao in Delhi, wants to kill Najeeb
1758	Malhar Rao stops him "over my dead body"
1758	Raghunath Rao returns to Pune feeling upset
1758	Writes letter to Jankoji: "Get rid of Najeeb"
1759	Jankoji in Kota, takes tribute for succession
1759	Meets Malhar Rao in Kota
1759	Malhar Rao advises: "Don't kill Najeeb"
1759	Loan ballooning, becoming untenable
1759	Dattaji tasked to lower the loan

Key Themes

1. The Career Advice

Don't kill your enemy
Because then you're not needed
Keep them alive = job security
Fox logic

2. The Washing Clothes Metaphor

Kill Najeeb = no utility
Peshwa asks you to wash clothes
Mundane work
Career suicide

3. The Old Timer

Malhar Rao = experienced
Believes in Ganimikawa (Shivaji's principle)
No frontal warfare
Surprise strikes, then retreat

4. The Bitterness Subdues

Holkar-Shinde rivalry from Jaipur
Lessened in Kota meeting
But ulterior motives remain

5. The Interdependence

Najeeb needs Abdali (protection from Marathas)
Abdali needs Najeeb (unlocks India)
Natural allies (both Afghans)

6. Raghunath Rao's Regrets

"Over my dead body" moment
Should have killed Najeeb
Had him in his hands
Moment is gone

7. The Loan Crisis

Ballooning on Peshwa's head
From Bajirao I campaigns
Raghunath Rao increased it
Becoming untenable

8. The Impoverished North

Abdali sacked Delhi 2-3 times
Before that: Nadir Shah (1739)
Barbarians (torture for money)
Marathas not as barbaric
Riches are gone

Critical Insights

The Fox's Game

Surface Level:

"Don't kill Najeeb = job security"
Logical career advice
Protecting Jankoji's interests

Real Level:

Protecting Najeeb (adopted son)
Disingenuous advice
Ulterior motive
The old man was a fox

The Genius:

Frames it as helping Jankoji
Actually helping Najeeb
Jankoji thinks it's good advice
Wins both ways

The Career Logic

The Argument:

Najeeb = big enemy of Peshwa
You're here to fight big enemies
If you eliminate big enemy
No more need for you
Peshwa assigns you mundane work
Career over

The Employment Analogy:

Work for Ford
Display all your knowledge
Employer doesn't need you anymore
Don't show everything

The Strategy:

Keep enemy alive
Show you're working on it
Maintain your utility
Job security

Why It Works on Jankoji

He's Young:

Only 19-20 years old
Not informed about northern politics
Asking for opinions
Respects elders

Malhar Rao's Status:

Old timer (50s)
Worked with Bajirao I
Father's age or older
People respect him

The Advice Sounds Wise:

Logical career strategy
Protecting Jankoji's interests
From experienced commander
Why would you doubt it?

But It Doesn't Matter

The Reality:

Jankoji can't take independent action
Dattaji is head honcho
All important decisions = Dattaji
Telling Jankoji = doesn't mean too much

So Why Tell Him?

Plant the seed
Maybe he influences Dattaji
Or at least he won't push to kill Najeeb
Passive protection of Najeeb

The "Over My Dead Body" Regret

What Happened:

Raghunath Rao about to attack Najeeb
Cow slaughter incident
Malhar Rao physically stopped him
"Over my dead body"

Why He Backed Down:

Respected Malhar Rao
Malhar Rao older (Raghunath Rao only 25)
Malhar Rao worked with his father
Malhar Rao = legendary commander
Understood northern politics better

The Regret:

"Now looking back, feeling upset with himself. Why didn't he do it when he had him in his hands? But the moment was gone."

The Letter:

Returns to Pune
Writes to Jankoji
"Finish the job"
But will Jankoji?

The Loan Math

The Sources:

Loans from Bajirao I campaigns
Loans from Raghunath Rao campaigns
Increasing every month

The Problem:

North = impoverished
Abdali sacked it 2-3 times
Before that: Nadir Shah (1739)
Riches are gone

The Task:

Dattaji: lower the loan
But how?
Where's the money coming from?

The Irony:

Raghunath Rao was supposed to lower it
He increased it instead
Now Dattaji has to fix it
With even fewer resources

The Barbarian Comparison

Nadir Shah & Abdali:

Barbarians
Torture people
Get all the money (wherever hidden)
No humanity

Marathas:

Not as barbaric
Had little bit of humanity
Weren't so keen on torture

But:

Marathas would have been happy to loot
Just not as brutally
The difference: degree, not kind

The Result:

By the time Marathas arrived
Nothing left to loot
Barbarians got there first

Foreshadowing

What's Coming

The Najeeb Problem:

Raghunath Rao wants him dead
Malhar Rao wants him alive
Jankoji got conflicting advice
Dattaji will have to decide
What happens when he chooses?

The Career Logic:

Will it influence anyone?
Or will Peshwa's orders override?
Can Malhar Rao protect Najeeb forever?

The Loan Crisis:

Ballooning out of control
Becoming untenable
Dattaji tasked to lower it
But north is impoverished
Where's the money?

The Fox:

Malhar Rao = old timer
Believes in Ganimikawa (surprise attacks, retreat)
Not frontal warfare
Will this philosophy clash with others?

The Interdependence:

Najeeb needs Abdali
Abdali needs Najeeb
If Marathas kill Najeeb
Abdali loses his key to India
Will he let that happen?

The Regret:

Raghunath Rao missed his chance
"Over my dead body" stopped him
Moment is gone
Will Jankoji (or Dattaji) succeed where he failed?
Or will history repeat?

1758-1759: The fox gives his advice. Malhar Rao Holkar meets young Jankoji Shinde (19-20 years old) at Kota. The bitterness between their families lessens. And then the old man speaks: "Don't kill Najeeb ud-Daula. If you do, Peshwa won't need you anymore. Your utility will be zilch. He'll ask you to wash clothes on the banks of Ganga. Keep your enemy alive - it's job security." Fox logic. Career advice. But the real reason? Malhar Rao considers Najeeb his adopted son. Wants to protect him. The advice is disingenuous. The ulterior motive clear. Meanwhile, Raghunath Rao in Pune writing letters full of regret: "Kill Najeeb. Finish the job." Because he had his chance. 1758 in Delhi. Najeeb slaughtering cows. Raghunath Rao about to attack. But Malhar Rao stopped his horse. "Over my dead body." And Raghunath Rao backed down. Respected him. Old timer. Worked with his father. Only 25 himself. Now looking back: upset with himself. Had Najeeb in his hands. The moment is gone. And the loan? Ballooning. From Bajirao I's campaigns. From Raghunath Rao's campaigns. Increasing every month. Becoming untenable. Nana Saheb calls it "Rajya Kshama." Dattaji tasked to lower it. But how? The north is impoverished. Abdali sacked Delhi 2-3 times. Nadir Shah before him in 1739. Barbarians. Torture. All the money gone. Nothing left to loot. And Najeeb? Needs Abdali (protection from Marathas). Abdali needs Najeeb (unlocks India). Interdependent. Natural allies. Both Afghans. The fox protects his adopted son with clever advice. The young commander doesn't know it's disingenuous. But it doesn't matter. Jankoji can't act independently. Dattaji decides. And Dattaji has his orders.