Peshwa's Strategic Instructions & The Fatal River-Crossing Problem (Early-Mid 1759)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Nana Saheb's Clear Strategic Vision

The Peshwa's Instructions

From Pune, Nana Saheb gave precise directions:

• Defined allies, adversaries, and demands lucidly
• Laid out broad principles of policy
• Gave Dattaji clear strategic framework

The Title:

• Peshwa considered Dattaji: "Ishwaratha Shipai" = "God's Soldier"
• Righteous and powerful
• Trustworthy executor of divine/righteous mission

The Assumptions

These plans were plausible in early 1759 because:

1. No opposition from Indian princes to Marathas
2. Abdali was embroiled in civil war in Afghanistan

The Problem:

"If those assumptions were not to be true, then there is a problem."

The Fatal Flaw:

• Everything depended on Abdali staying busy in Afghanistan
• If he resolved his internal problems and came to India...
• The entire strategy would collapse

The Najeeb Khan Warning (March-May 1759)

Peshwa's Repeated Warnings

Letter of 21 March 1759:

"You have written that Najeeb would pay 30 lakhs to be made the Mir Bakshi of the Mughals. However, he is very treacherous. If he settles in Delhi, it is like Abdali being in Delhi."

The Snake Metaphor:

"Advancing him is like feeding a cobra with milk. Crush him."

Letter of 2 May 1759:

• Nana Saheb calls Najeeb Khan a "crook"
• Labels him "half Abdali"
• Basically Abdali's proxy in India

Over Six Months of Warnings

The Pattern:

• Peshwa warned Dattaji repeatedly
• Every letter: "Crush Najeeb Khan"
• Recognized his treacherous nature
• Knew he could never be trusted

Dattaji's Proposal (Rejected)

What Dattaji Wanted:

• Offer Najeeb the Mir Bakshi post in Delhi
• Try to co-opt him into Maratha system
• Use his skills for Maratha benefit

Peshwa's Response:

• Absolutely NOT
• Cannot be trusted under any circumstances
• Will betray at first opportunity
• Must be eliminated, not promoted

The Insight:

"Peshwa was prescient. Dattaji probably didn't understand because he was relatively new to the politics of the North."

The Deal with Shuja-ud-Daula

The Proposed Exchange

What Peshwa Wanted from Shuja:

1. The Three Holy Cities:

   • Allahabad (Prayagraj)
   • Kashi (Varanasi)
   • Mathura

2. 50 Lakh Rupees

What Marathas Would Give:

• Back Shuja-ud-Daula as Imperial Wazir
• Give him power and legitimacy
• Support against his enemies

Why the Holy Cities Mattered

Religious Significance:

• These are the holiest of holy sites for Hindus
• Even for Marathas from Maharashtra, these three sites are paramount
• Had been under Islamic rule for centuries
• Sore point for Hindu identity

Shivaji's Legacy:

"Marathas have the character of a Hindu kingdom given by Shivaji."

Pride Factor:

• Taking back these holy sites = symbolic victory
• Reclaiming Hindu sacred geography
• Fulfilling Hindu nationalist aspirations

The Economic Reality

Why Shuja Didn't Want to Give Them Up:

The Religious Economy:

• Hindu pilgrimage sites = massive economic hubs
• Constant flow of visitors spending money
• Small businesses thriving around temples
• Huge donation revenues
• "The economy of these religious places was humongous"

The Tax Revenue:

• Subedar collected taxes from all this economic activity
• Enormous steady income stream
• "Finally it comes down to money"

Shuja's Dilemma:

• Wanted to be Wazir (needed Maratha support)
• But didn't want to give up his richest territories
• Procrastinated on this point

Punjab: The Five Rivers

Geographic Lesson

The Five Rivers of Punjab:

1. Sutlej
2. Beas
3. Ravi
4. Chenab
5. Jhelum

All Five Meet:

• Flow into the Sindhu (Indus) River
• Sindhu = so huge it's called "Nod" (masculine), not "Nadi" (feminine)
• Creates incredibly fertile region
• "So much water that you can't imagine"

Just Like Doab:

• Doab = land between Ganga and Yamuna
• Very fertile region between two rivers
• Punjab = same concept but five rivers

The Chiefs Ignored Peshwa's Warnings

Malhar Rao's Interference (Again)

Why Najeeb Survived:

"The Peshwa recognized Najeeb Khan's potential for mischief, but his chiefs had let him be."

Which Chief?

• Malhar Rao Holkar
• Deliberately ignored Najeeb's mischiefs
• Ignored his ambitions and treachery
• Protected him as adopted son

The Cynical Career Logic:

• "He is the reason we have a job"
• Keep the problem alive = keep your position

But Also Genuine:

• Mutual father-son feeling
• Honest about relationship (not hypocritical)
• Real emotional bond

Raghunath Rao's Experience

He Knew the Danger

Raghunath Rao Warned Dattaji:

• Wrote to protect the north from Abdali's invasion
• He had seen the devastation Abdali could wreak
• Met Abdali's divisions during first northern tour
• Tasted the fury of Abdali's army

His Regret:

"Raghunath Rao did understand the risk."

Why This Mattered:

• Raghunath Rao had EXPERIENCE with Abdali
• Knew firsthand how dangerous he was
• Tried to warn Dattaji
• But Dattaji had different priorities

Dattaji's Fatal Decision

Discarding the Peshwa's Warning

The Choice:

"In the circumstances, Dattaji discarded the Peshwa's warning to crush Najeeb Khan, deciding to use him instead."

Why:

• Focused on securing Punjab first
• Wanted to reach Patna before monsoons
• Plan: Secure Punjab → Cross Ganga → Reach Bihar/Bengal
• Needed to move FAST

The Overstretch:

• Marathas spreading themselves too thin
• Assumed Abdali would stay busy in Afghanistan
• But if Abdali finished his internal challenges?
• He'd come back to India and focus on Punjab first

The Distance Problem:

• If Dattaji is in Bihar/Bengal (far east)
• And Abdali attacks Punjab (far west)
• Dattaji is at least 3-4-5 days away, maybe a week
• No prominent commander left in Punjab itself
• Despite appointments, needed someone of Dattaji's caliber

The River-Crossing Problem

Why Dattaji Needed Najeeb

The Technical Challenge:

• To go east, must cross mighty rivers
• Marathas had NO technique to cross rivers with armies
• This was critical engineering capability they lacked

Najeeb's Expertise:

• Developed pontoon bridge technique
• Ties boats together one to another
• Creates bridge-like structure across river
• Army, horses, cannons can cross

The Snake's Promise:

• Najeeb kept promising: "Yes, I will do it. I will help you."
• But he was lying the whole time
• Knew if he taught Marathas this technique:
  • Marathas become highly mobile
  • Najeeb becomes unnecessary
  • Marathas would eliminate him

Dattaji's Gullibility:

"The Dattaji was relatively gullible. He didn't understand that this guy can never be trusted."

The Trap:

• Najeeb promised help repeatedly
• Always had excuse: "I'm busy here, busy there"
• "No problem, I'm at your service"
• Dattaji believed him
• Couldn't read people properly

Following Malhar Rao's Bad Advice

Dattaji's Plan:

• Follow Malhar Rao's advice to cultivate friendship with Najeeb
• Use his help to cross the Ganga
• Pass towards Awadh
• From Awadh → Bihar → Bengal

The Geographic Necessity:

• Unless Ganga is crossed, cannot go to Awadh
• From Awadh must go to Bihar
• Then cross into Bengal (extreme east)
• Sequential progression required

The Choice:

• Instead of killing Najeeb (as Peshwa ordered)
• Decided to develop "workable relationship"
• Try to exploit his expertise
• Avoid "extreme step" of elimination

The Movement to Shukratal

May 1759: Returning from Sutlej

The Route:

• Returned from banks of Sutlej River (Punjab)
• Finished stabilizing Punjab (or tried to)
• Crossed Yamuna near Panipat
• Camped at Shamli

Geographic Context:

• Sutlej = major river in Punjab
• Starts from Himalayas
• Flows through India
• Empties into Sindhu

Panipat:

• Historic town (site of major battles)
• Today in Haryana state
• Yamuna crossing point

The Bridge at Shukratal

The Plan:

• Cross Ganga at Shukratal
• Use bridge of boats built by Najeeb
• Proceed on eastern conquest
• Najeeb promised "all the help"

What's Shukratal:

• Place on eastern banks of Ganga
• If Najeeb builds pontoon bridge here
• Dattaji can cross from west to east bank
• Army, horses, everything crosses on bridge

The Fatal Weakness Exposed

Marathas Never Mastered River Crossings

The Core Problem:

"Crossing rivers in North India in the monsoons was a task the Marathas never quite mastered and this neglect was to cost them dearly."

Why This Will Matter:

• "You're going to see that more and more as we go into the next year"
• Rivers must be crossed to wage war effectively
• "Unless you go where the enemy is, you can't fight a war"
• All these problems coming "very quickly"

The Engineering Gap

The Maratha Background:

• Originally farmers from Deccan
• Fought in dry season (winter months)
• Would farm during monsoon
• Return to military in dry season
• Never developed skills to wage war in monsoon
• Never developed river-crossing technology

Not in Their Toolbox:

• "That wasn't in their toolbox"
• Didn't evolve technologically
• Never had to cross major rivers in Deccan

Northern India Different:

• "Lots of rivers that they had to cross"
• Especially during monsoon = stuck
• "Very bad thing for your military campaign"
• Waste time, lose momentum

Abdali's Seasonal Pattern

Why Abdali Timed His Invasions

The Afghan Problem:

"Abdali didn't want to be in India during the summer months."

Why:

• Afghans don't like Indian heat
• Too hot and humid
• Afghanistan is much cooler (further north)
• Can't tolerate Indian summer

The Invasion Schedule:

• Start: October (after hot season)
• Stay in India through winter
• Do looting, massacres, campaigns
• Leave: April (before summer begins)

April-June:

• Extremely hot = Indian summer
• Abdali's forces can't handle it

June onwards:

• Monsoon begins
• Heavy rains, soggy earth
• Armies can't move easily
• Travel becomes very difficult
• Can get stuck

River Problem in Monsoon:

• Even with pontoon technique, difficult to cross
• Rivers that are normally half-mile wide
• Become three miles wide in monsoon
• Makes crossing nearly impossible

Abdali's Advantage:

• Despite problems, still more skilled than Marathas
• "Little better than Marathas"
• But Marathas completely dependent on locals

The Local Advantage

Gujars: The River Experts

Who Were Gujars:

• Local people who lived around rivers
• Had expertise to cross rivers
• Knew the fords (shallow crossing points)
• Even in monsoon, knew where depth wasn't too much

Their Service:

• Paid by armies passing through
• Provided critical intelligence
• Showed where to cross safely
• Made army movement possible

The Knowledge Gap:

"We are going to see how that made a huge difference. Tremendous difference."

The British Learn This Lesson

40 Years Later

General Wellington's Strategy (circa 1800):

"Even 40 years later, the English General Wellington laid down to his troops that a war against the Marathas should commence in June to take advantage of flooded rivers that the Marathas could not cross."

What This Shows:

• Maratha weakness persisted for HALF A CENTURY
• Never developed river-crossing capability
• British exploited this systematically
• Started campaigns during monsoon deliberately
• Knew Marathas would be immobilized by rivers

Dattaji's Letter to Peshwa (6 August 1759)

The Strategy Explained

What Dattaji Wrote:

"I hope to complete the job in Bengal soon. Najeeb Khan's agent has promised he will accompany me with his army. If he comes, it is good. If he does not, I will punish him and go to the east."

The Problem:

• "This will take time and delay the larger venture of going to Bengal"
• Can't afford delay

The Decision:

"I am therefore taking his help to cross the Ganga and go to Shuja's province."

The Priority:

"The debts the Swami [Peshwa] has incurred will be paid by the revenues of Bengal."

"Day and night I am seized of the matter of paying off these debts. I will labor to obtain the funds to repay these debts."

What This Reveals

Dattaji Knows:

• Peshwa's top priority = money
• Must get to Bengal to collect revenue
• Debt situation is critical

The Fatal Trade-off:

• Left Punjab on its own (undermanned)
• Priority is paying off loans = must reach Bengal
• But before Bengal, must cross Ganga
• Depending entirely on Najeeb Khan for bridge
• Ignored Peshwa's orders to eliminate Najeeb

Key Figures

Geographic Context

Key Locations:

• Pune - Maratha capital, Peshwa's base
• Punjab - Five rivers, needs securing, far northwest
• Sutlej River - One of Punjab's rivers, where Dattaji operated
• Panipat - Historic town, Yamuna crossing point
• Shamli - East of Yamuna, Dattaji's camp
• Shukratal - On Ganga, where bridge needed
• Ganga River - Major barrier to eastern expansion
• Awadh - Shuja's kingdom, contains holy cities
• Allahabad (Prayagraj) - Holy city, confluence of Ganga-Yamuna
• Kashi (Varanasi) - Holiest Hindu city
• Mathura - Krishna's birthplace, holy city
• Patna - Capital of Bihar, Dattaji's target
• Bengal - Far east, wealthy, debt solution

Timeline

• 21 March 1759 - Peshwa warns about Najeeb: "like Abdali being in Delhi"
• 2 May 1759 - Peshwa calls Najeeb "crook" and "half Abdali"
• March-May 1759 - Six months of repeated warnings to crush Najeeb
• May 1759 - Dattaji returns from Sutlej, crosses Yamuna at Panipat
• 6 August 1759 - Dattaji writes to Peshwa explaining strategy
• Late 1759 - Critical period approaching

Major Themes

1. The Fatal Assumption

Everything depends on Abdali staying in Afghanistan. If not...

2. Ignoring the Prophet

Peshwa warned repeatedly about Najeeb. Dattaji ignored him. Classic tragic flaw.

3. The Technical Gap

Lack of river-crossing ability = strategic weakness that persists for 50 years.

4. Religious vs. Economic

Holy cities matter religiously, but Shuja keeps them for economic reasons. Money wins.

5. The Snake's Game

Najeeb promises help, stalls, lies. Dattaji too gullible to see through it.

6. Overextension

Trying to hold Punjab AND reach Bengal = spreading too thin.

7. Local Knowledge Matters

Gujars' knowledge of fords = critical advantage. Outsiders at disadvantage.

The Ominous Setup

Late 1759:

• Dattaji camped at Shamli, waiting for bridge
• Dependent on Najeeb (who is lying)
• Punjab left undermanned
• Abdali potentially finishing Afghan civil war
• Peshwa's warnings ignored
• Rivers about to become barriers
• Monsoon season approaching

The Question:

"We are heading to the point where Peshwa is going to be very, very severely shocked."

The Awakening:

• Peshwa has been in a "slumber"
• About to be "awakened through his slumber"
• Will have to "take drastic steps"

Dattaji stands at the banks of the Ganga, depending on a snake to build him a bridge, having ignored his master's warnings for six months. Punjab sits undermanned behind him. Bengal beckons with its wealth ahead. And in Afghanistan, Abdali is finishing his civil war, preparing to notice that the Marathas have made a fatal mistake. The cobra is being fed milk, and it's about to strike.