"But now we also see he has the secret kind of reason that we are no use to the Peshwa without Najeeb. So he keeps him as controlled opposition kind of."

The Two-Layer Strategy:

Layer 1 (Public Justification):

"Keep Najeeb alive for your career"
Framed as mentorship advice to younger commanders
Job security argument

Layer 2 (Hidden Personal Motive):

Protecting his adopted son
Personal father-son bond with Najeeb
Emotional attachment driving strategic advice

The Manipulation:

Disguising personal protection as professional advice
Making others complicit in keeping Najeeb alive
Creating strategic justification for emotional decision

The Peshwa's Mounting Debt

The Inherited Problem

Sources of Debt:

Inherited from Bajirao I (his father)
- Much of the debt pre-existed Nana Saheb
- Starting from a hole financially
Northern Expeditions
- Consistently giving diminishing returns
- Costs outpacing revenues
Abdali's Raids
- Left northern territories "barren of wealth"
- The richest areas had been looted already
- Nothing left to extract

The Comparison:

"The Peshwa's debt was mounting. Much of this was inherited from his father, Bajirao. Dattaji's expedition was to help reduce this mountain of debt that Nana Saheb Peshwa called 'consumption'."

Consumption = Tuberculosis:

A disease that eats away at the body
Slowly destroys from within
Eventually fatal if untreated
Perfect metaphor for the debt crisis

Bihar and Bengal: The Last Hope

Why These Provinces Matter

The Calculation:

"The Peshwa knew that Bihar and Bengal were the best hope of retiring his debt."

Why They're Different:

Abdali had NOT raided these provinces
Still wealthy and prosperous
Functioning economies
Good tax bases
Agricultural output intact

Contrast with North:

Delhi and surrounding areas: looted by Abdali
Punjab: constantly unstable, costly to maintain
Rajasthan: Rajputs not paying promised tributes
Only the east remained untapped

The Sequential Strategy Before Bengal

Dattaji's To-Do List

Before invading Bengal, Dattaji needed to:

Ensure security of Punjab
- Can't leave exposed northern flank
- Abdali threat remains
Secure Najeeb Khan (neutralize or eliminate)
- Can't leave this enemy in rear
- But Malhar Rao complicating this
Take Doab
- Region between Ganga and Yamuna
- Strategic central position
- Rich agricultural land
Go east through friendly Shuja-ud-Daula's Awadh
- Need safe passage
- Can't fight on all fronts
- Awadh cooperation essential
Take Patna (capital of Bihar)
- Gateway to Bengal
- Major city and strategic base

The Complexity:

Each step depends on previous steps
Can't skip ahead
Linear progression required
Any failure breaks the chain

Late 1758: The Supremacy Moment

Maratha Peak Power

The Situation:

"In late 1758, the Marathas were supreme in the north, and it only needed an invasion of Bengal to secure the entire subcontinent."

What This Meant:

Marathas had maximum territorial control
Delhi under their influence
Punjab nominally secured
Only Bengal remained independent
Complete subcontinent control within reach

The Bengal Question

Even with Raghuji Bhosle:

Raghuji Bhosle was collecting tributes from Bengal
BUT there was no direct control over Bengal
Raghuji was just taking money, not ruling
Not the same as administrative control

Peshwa's Position:

"Peshwa was saying, I don't give a damn about that previous accord that Shahu had negotiated with Raghuji Bhosle."

The 1743 Agreement:

Shahu had mediated division of territories
Bengal was Raghuji Bhosle's exclusive sphere
Lasted peacefully for about 20 years

Breaking the Agreement:

Nana Saheb now ready to violate this
Desperate financial situation overriding old treaties
"I will be looting here as I please"
No other option but to look to Bengal

The Impossible Task

Why This Was So Difficult

For Even the "Soldierly Dattaji":

"However, this was a tall task, which is the invasion of Bengal for even the soldierly Dattaji."

The Challenges:

Distance from home base
Multiple enemies in between
River crossings with full army
Supply line maintenance
Financial pressure for immediate results
Breaking treaty with fellow Marathas
Dealing with British presence in Bengal

Jankoji's Early Success

The Jaipur Tribute (Closing Days of 1758)

The Mission:

Jankoji obtained assurances of promised tribute from Jaipur
Madho Singh (Raja of Jaipur) agreed to pay
This was important preliminary success

Moving Towards Delhi:

Jankoji and Dattaji proceeded towards Delhi together
End of 1758 / early 1759
Preparing for major operations

Malhar Rao's Illness and Return to Pune

The Senior Commander Steps Back

The Illness:

Malhar Rao recovering from "serious illness"
Had to return to Pune for recovery
Out of action in the north temporarily

The Explanation:

Once in Pune, Malhar Rao tried to explain himself to Peshwa
"His acts of omission in the north"
Basically explaining why he missed opportunities
Why he didn't do certain things (like eliminate Najeeb)
Peshwa was "not very pleased with him"

Back to Rajasthan

The Tribute Collection Mission

Peshwa's Orders to Malhar Rao:

Go back to Rajasthan
Obtain pending payment from:
1. Maharana of Udaipur
2. Madho Singh of Jaipur

The Problem:

These Rajput kingdoms had made agreements to pay yearly tributes
They consistently failed to meet these payments
Always making promises, never delivering
Had to be "constantly watched over"

Malhar Rao's Year-Long Siege (Entire Year of 1759)

The Jaipur Stalemate

What Happened:

Malhar Rao remained in Rajasthan for entire year of 1759
Trying to extract payment from Madho Singh
Madho Singh organized strong defense
Jaipur protected by strong compound walls all around the city

The Failure:

"Malhar Rao could not make much headway as long as Jaipur was protected by its strong walls."

The Frustration:

Whole year spent laying siege
Couldn't breach the walls
Couldn't force payment
Eventually loses patience
No results to show

Madho Singh's Betrayal Revealed

The Secret Correspondence

The Shocking Discovery:

"What Holkar did not know was that Madho Singh was corresponding with Abdali at this time and following his instructions to obstruct the Marathas at every opportunity."

The Double Game:

On the Surface:

Madho Singh agreeing to pay tribute
Negotiating with Marathas
Appearing cooperative

Behind the Scenes:

In contact with Abdali
Following Abdali's orders
Mission: Obstruct Marathas at every opportunity
Part of coordinated anti-Maratha alliance

Why This Worked:

"See all the powers in the north were tired of Marathas, you know, trying to pester them for money."

The Northern Powers' Perspective:

Marathas constantly demanding tribute
No way to counter them militarily (individually)
Even collectively, couldn't defeat Marathas
Only power capable of challenging them: Abdali
So coordinate with Abdali against common enemy

Dattaji and Jankoji at Delhi Gates

The Timeline Split

Geographical Positions:

Malhar Rao: In Pune, recovering from illness
Dattaji and Jankoji: At the gates of Delhi

The Vazir's Promise:

Mughal Vazir promised funds to Dattaji
Trying to buy time/cooperation
Negotiating payment amounts

Burari Ghat Encampment (Early 1759)

Strategic Position

The Location:

"The Shinde army encamped at Burari Ghat on the Yamuna, a few miles north of Delhi."

Why Here:

North of Delhi
On the Yamuna River
Strategic position for multiple operations
Close to Rohilkhand (Najeeb's territory)

Crossing the Yamuna

Invading Najeeb Khan's Territory

The Water Conditions:

"The water of the Yamuna was low."

The Crossing:

Dattaji's troops crossed over
Invaded the territory of Najeeb Khan
Moving into Rohilkhand (Rohila territory)

About Rohilkhand:

This is the Rohila's home territory
Rohilas: Originally Afghan soldiers
Came to India as "soldiers of fortune"
Became immigrants, settled in this region

Why They Stayed:

"They just stayed there because they were immigrants and they said, well, this looks like a great land. It has rivers, it has fertile land."

Contrast with Afghanistan:

Afghanistan: dry, harsh, limited water
Rohilkhand: fertile, rivers, good agriculture
No reason to return to Afghanistan

The Loyalty Problem:

"But they never forgot their real loyalty was with Afghans."

The Double Identity:

Settled in India
But emotionally/politically still Afghan
"Acting as spies of Abdali"
"Still loyal to their mastery" (Afghanistan)
Anything to do with Afghanistan = their real loyalty

The Delhi Area Wait (January 1759)

Negotiating Indemnity

The Entire Month:

"The entire month of January 1759 was spent in the environs of Delhi."

The Reason:

Negotiating with the Vazir
Coming to agreement on amount of indemnity
How much would be paid to Marathas

Only After Agreement:

Dattaji finally moved northwards to Punjab
Couldn't leave until finances secured
Money was always the priority

The Punjab Mission

Why Dattaji Had to Go West

The Leadership Vacuum:

"And what was the business in Punjab? Because Mr. Adina Beg, the Subedar, had died."

The Requirements:

Appoint new Subedar
"Beef up Punjab" - strengthen defenses
Put administrative structures in place

The Constant Danger:

"Punjab was constantly in danger of being attacked by Afghan army."

Why Afghans Wanted Punjab:

Geographic:

Bordering Afghanistan
Direct access

Economic:

Rich in agricultural outputs
Fertile land
Lots of rivers
Good water supply

The Contrast:

"None of that existed in Afghanistan."

Afghan Claim:

Afghans said: "Punjab is ours"
Viewed it as natural extension
Historically had controlled it
Wanted it back for resources

Peshwa's Decision on Imad-ul-Mulk

Changing the Vazir

The Decision:

"The Peshwa had at this time decided to remove Imad-ul-Mulk from the Vazir's position."

The Treatment Difference:

Malhar Rao's Approach:

More "hands off"
Tolerant
Passive
Little "pacific" (peace-loving, non-confrontational)

Dattaji's Approach:

"If he says something, he will do it"
Expects others to follow through same way
No tolerance for excuses
Proved by his actions and words

The New Dynamic:

"The Mughal court was now dealing with a brusque, impatient soldier who would brook no nonsense."

Dattaji's Order:

Ordered Imad-ul-Mulk to accompany him
"In the defense of the emperor's interests"
Not a request - a command
Imad had to comply

The Punjab Governing Problem

Why It Was So Difficult

Geographic/Cultural Challenges:

"Far away from their home base and surrounded by a predominantly hostile Muslim population with a roving Sikh presence, Punjab was a difficult province to govern for the Marathas."

The Triple Problem:

Distance: Far from Maharashtra
Muslim Population: Hostile to Hindu rulers
Sikh Aspirations: Wanted self-rule

The Sikh Dynamic:

"Even though the bond between Hindu and Sikh was good and solid..."

The Issue:

Marathas were "outright foreigners" in Sikh eyes
"This was supposed to be our land"
Sikhs wanted to rule themselves
Main enemy was Muslims, but also didn't want Maratha rule

The Contractual Obligation

Why Marathas Had to Stay

The Mughal Agreement:

"The collapse of Mughal authority and the Maratha bond to defend the emperor had placed this responsibility on them."

What This Meant:

Marathas signed contract to protect Mughal Empire
This included defending Punjab
Couldn't just abandon it
Contractual duty to maintain

The Resource Problem:

"However, the Marathas did not possess the resources or the local support to hold the Punjab in strength."

The Catch-22:

Had to defend Punjab (contractual duty)
Didn't have resources to do it properly
Couldn't get local support
Set up for failure

Dattaji's Realization

Understanding the Difficulty

The Quick Assessment:

"Dattaji did not take long to discern the difficulty of having strong defensive arrangements in Punjab."

What He Realized:

Nearly impossible to maintain strong defense
Local population against them
Resources insufficient
Supply lines too long
Enemy constantly watching

The Western Push to Sutlej (April 1759)

Maximum Extent

By April 1759:

Dattaji pushed forward to River Sutlej
Major river flowing through Punjab
Eventually empties into Indus River (Sindhu)

Geographic Movement:

Moving westward into deeper Punjab
Further from home base
Closer to Afghan territory

Meeting Sabaji Shinde

The Peshawar Commander

Who Was Sabaji:

Came from Peshawar (far northwest, near Kabul)
Family member of Dattaji
Had been stationed watching Afghan invasion route

The Meeting:

Met Dattaji at River Sutlej banks
Briefed him on ground situation
Shared intelligence about the region

The Problem with Sabaji's Position:

"Basically Maratha army was highly stretched, overly stretched. Because the job was very difficult and challenging, but the army that they had been given was extremely small."

The Setup for Failure:

Sabaji given critical mission
But "insufficient forces"
Expected to defend most vulnerable route
Not enough resources
Nearly impossible task

The Historical Context

First Time This Far North

Unprecedented:

"This is happening for the first time in Maratha history because Marathas had never ever come so much to the north."

The Pattern with Bajirao I:

Even when Bajirao I came north
Maratha soldiers always wanted to go home
Would campaign for 6-8 months
Then: "We want to go home now"

The New Challenge:

Now required to stay put for long periods
They were "not ready" for this
Cultural/psychological barrier
Homesickness and distance

The Enemy Advantage:

"Because their enemy was not taking vacation at all."

Why:

Punjab was Afghan/Rohila home territory
They lived there
No vacation needed
Always present, always watching
Marathas at disadvantage

Strategic Appointments Across Punjab

The Defensive Network

After Taking Stock:

"After taking stock of the situation with a view to head eastwards, Dattaji appointed several officers to the main towns of the Punjab."

The Appointments:

Location	Commander	Strategic Importance
Peshawar	Sabaji Shinde	Western frontier, closest to Afghanistan/Kabul border
Attock	Tukoji Holkar	Northern defense, strategic town
Multan	Bappuji Trimbak	Southern Punjab city
Lahore	Naro Shankar	Punjab capital, central command

Note on Tukoji Holkar:

From Holkar clan
But part of the broader Maratha army
Clans working together in this campaign

Implementing the Peshwa's Strategy

The Sequential Plan

The Orders in Earnest:

"Dattaji then began to execute the Peshwa's orders in earnest."

The Plan:

✅ Stabilize Punjab - Done with appointments
✅ Understand political landscape - Done through meetings
✅ Make key appointments - Done across major towns
🔄 Prevent outside aggression - Ongoing mission
⏳ Next objectives:
- Head towards Delhi area
- Deal with Najeeb Khan
- Eventually move east toward Bengal

Key Figures in This Session

Name	Role	Current Status
Dattaji Shinde ("Dattaba")	Maratha Commander, Clan Head	At Delhi/Punjab, executing mission
Jankoji Shinde	Young Commander	With Dattaji, receiving conflicting advice
Malhar Rao Holkar ("Malharba")	Senior Commander, Holkar Clan Head	In Pune (ill), then Rajasthan (besieging Jaipur)
Raghunath Rao	Peshwa's brother	Sending orders to eliminate Najeeb
Nana Saheb Peshwa	Peshwa in Pune	Desperate for money, ordering aggressive action
Najeeb Khan Rohila	Enemy leader	Malhar Rao's adopted son, target for elimination
Madho Singh	Raja of Jaipur	Double-dealing with Abdali behind scenes
Abdali	Afghan ruler	Coordinating anti-Maratha resistance
Imad-ul-Mulk	Mughal Vazir	Ordered to accompany Dattaji
Sabaji Shinde	Commander at Peshawar	Understaffed, difficult position
Adina Beg	Former Punjab Subedar	Deceased, created vacuum

Geographic Context

Key Locations:

Delhi - Mughal capital, Maratha staging ground
Burari Ghat - Yamuna crossing north of Delhi
Yamuna River - Natural barrier, low in January
Rohilkhand - Najeeb Khan's territory, east of Yamuna
Punjab - Northwestern province needing defense
Sutlej River - Western extent of Dattaji's push
Peshawar - Far northwest, near Afghanistan
Attock - Northern strategic town
Multan - Southern Punjab city
Lahore - Punjab capital
Jaipur - Rajasthan kingdom, under siege by Malhar Rao
Pune - Maratha capital, Peshwa's base

Timeline

Late 1758 - Marathas supreme in north, only Bengal remaining
Late 1758 - Jankoji gets assurances from Madho Singh
Late 1758 - Malhar Rao ill, returns to Pune
Late 1758 - Peshwa sends Malhar Rao back to Rajasthan
January 1759 - Dattaji camps at Burari Ghat, negotiates with Vazir
January 1759 - Troops cross Yamuna into Rohilkhand
Entire 1759 - Malhar Rao besieging Jaipur (unsuccessfully)
April 1759 - Dattaji reaches River Sutlej, meets Sabaji
After April 1759 - Makes appointments across Punjab

Major Themes

1. Cynical Career Preservation

Malhar Rao's advice to keep problems alive for job security - dark realpolitik.

2. The Debt as Disease

Consumption (tuberculosis) metaphor perfectly captures the slow death of Peshwa finances.

3. Secret Alliances

Madho Singh coordinating with Abdali while pretending to cooperate - widespread betrayal.

4. Impossible Expectations

Commanders given critical missions with insufficient resources - set up to fail.

5. Cultural Distance

Marathas trying to govern hostile populations far from home - cultural imperialism failing.

6. The Personal vs. Strategic

Malhar Rao's father-son bond with Najeeb overriding strategic necessities.

7. Peak and Precipice

Maximum territorial extent coinciding with maximum financial crisis - empire at breaking point.

The Overarching Irony

Late 1758 = Simultaneous Peak and Crisis:

The Peak:

Supreme in the north
Only Bengal remaining for total subcontinent control
Maximum territorial extent ever achieved
Delhi under control
Multiple provinces secured

The Crisis:

Crushing debt described as consumption (fatal disease)
Northern territories barren from Abdali's raids
Resources stretched impossibly thin
Commanders undersupplied
Secret alliances working against them
Cultural resistance everywhere
Financial collapse imminent

The Question: Can they complete the conquest of Bengal before the debt consumes them? Or will the empire collapse under its own weight just as it reaches its greatest extent?

The Marathas stand at the highest point they've ever reached - and it's a precipice. One wrong step and everything collapses. Dattaji Shinde must somehow hold Punjab with insufficient forces, collect tribute from double-dealing Rajput kingdoms, eliminate Najeeb Khan despite Malhar Rao's interference, and then march 2,000 km east to conquer Bengal - all while the debt slowly kills the empire like tuberculosis. No pressure.