"This morning, about four o'clock, Sado Bhau unexpectedly took the field, pitching his tent a little without the town. His sudden departure, it is thought, is occasioned by some advices received of the Mughals. Report says that Salavat Jung and Nizam Ali are likely to accommodate matters, and that the latter has a very powerful army."

The Cannon Regiment Problem

Two Artillery Chiefs: The Tension

Muzaffar Khan:

Gardi artillery chief in Maratha army
Never on good terms with Sadashiv Rao Bhau

Who Are the Gardis:

Secular Maratha army recruited some Muslims
From Telangana (southern province)
These Muslims called Gardis
Specialized in cannon regiment

The Bad Blood:

Bhau had opposed Muzaffar Khan joining Marathas in first place
Personality conflict
Not about religion - Ibrahim Khan Gardi also Muslim

Ibrahim Khan Gardi: The Prize Recruit

Who He Is

Background:

Nephew of Muzaffar Khan
Nizam's erstwhile artillery chief
Also trained by Bussy (the French general)

Why Bhau Wanted Him:

Superior to Muzaffar Khan
Better trained
Better reputation
Personal preference

Why Marathas Needed Cannon Expertise

The Reality:

Marathas did not have expertise within their hold
Had to hire from outside

The Source:

Muzaffar Khan: Trained by Bussy
Ibrahim Khan Gardi: Trained by Bussy
French general had trained several people
From that particular area
Happened to be Muslims

The Evolution:

Never there during Shivaji's time or after
Only recently understood importance
First time recognizing cannon regiment necessity

Why Cannon Regiment Became Essential

The Strategic Shift

The Old Way (Shivaji's Era):

Started with protective/defensive moves
Guerrilla warfare (Ghanimikawa) very important
Conquering lands:
- Depend on treachery
- Depend on Ghanimikawa
- Rarely engage in frontal battles

The New Reality:

Marathas becoming established power like Mughals
Had to fight one-on-one in open field
Transformed from small army to huge army
Had to fight battles old-fashioned way

The Geographic Problem:

In the north = no mountains
Can't do Ghanimikawa
No Sahyadri mountains
No mountain forts
Had to fight in open, fertile plains

The Cannon Advantage

What It Does:

Softens up enemy lines before cavalry charge
Long-range strike capability
Can reach enemy before they see you
Makes huge difference in flat land
Only thing that will win wars in north (they realized)

In Flat Land:

Can't leave battle to chance
Need ace up your sleeve
Without advantage = 50-50 battle
Cannon regiment = that ace

The Famous Cannon Incident: Bussy at Charminar

The Backstory

What Happened:

Reminded them of when Sadashiv Rao Bhau heard about Bussy
Bussy had cannon regiment in Hyderabad
Could keep Nizam at bay in his own capital
Demonstrated raw power of cannon technology

Why They Were Impressed:

Such a good cannon regiment
One man with cannons > entire Nizam army
Technology = absolute power

The Realization:

"We need long-range cannons"
"We need a force trained in it"
"This is the ace we need"
Otherwise can't project Maratha power to north
Otherwise stuck playing old Shivaji tactics

The Problem:

Old way: Retreat to Raigarh, Rajagarh, Simhagarh when threatened
New reality: In northern plains, nowhere to run
"You are in front of each other"

Ibrahim Khan Agrees to Join (January 1760)

The Deal

What He Brought:

With my thousand soldiers
Will join Bhau
1,000 man cannon regiment

The Importance:

These were best trained cannon force available
Bussy was Frenchman
Trained his guys for months
Highly disciplined
Long-range cannons (1-2 kilometers)

The Maratha Cannon Advantage vs. Afghan Cannons

What Afghans Had

Small Cannons:

Regular small cannons
Range: About 500 meters or less

Zamboorak (Camel Guns):

Particular name: Zambak or Zumbak
Small cannons mounted on camel backs
People sitting on camels riding them
Called Zumbak

How It Worked:

Camels move around
Moving cannons
Wherever they see enemy in front
Launch these small cannons
Range: At most 200 feet, 100 feet
Very creative

What Marathas Had (Ibrahim Khan Gardi's Regiment)

The Long-Range Cannons:

Going up to one to two kilometers
Can't escape them
Reach you before you even see Marathas on battlefield

The Technological Gap:

Afghan cannons: 100-500 meters
Maratha cannons: 1,000-2,000 meters
Massive advantage

The Fatal Flaw: Maratha Indiscipline

The Glory Problem

Why Cavalry/Foot Soldiers Opposed Cannons:

Scared of these tactics
Scared of this style of fighting

Why:

"Because they will no longer get the glory and the credits."

The Logic:

Once cannons soften up enemy ranks
Destroy them before cavalry charges
Then Peshwa would say: "You guys are no good"
"My cannon force is doing the job"
"You're just wiping it off"
"Just doing the final thing"

The Lack of Discipline

What They Wanted:

Go up in front
Show how brave they are
Show how great soldiers and fighters they are
With swords and spears
Traditional glory

What This Meant:

"They didn't understand that it's not about credit. It's about winning the battle and being disciplined."

The Problem:

"That discipline had not still gotten into the Maratha ranks."

The Tactical Disaster

What Should Happen

Proper Sequence:

Cannon force fires long-range
Softens enemy ranks
Destroys enemy formations
Then cavalry charges
Easy victory

What Actually Happened in Battle

The Fatal Error:

Fighting force and cavalry got ahead of cannon force
Jumped in front of cannons

The Consequence:

Then what happens?
They get shot by their own cannons
Or artillery has to stop firing
Thus other army can beat them

The Reality:

"That is exactly what happened on the real battlefield."

What Could Have Been:

Cannon force was doing their job
Really burning the enemies
Afghans did not have these long-range cannons
But weren't allowed to finish softening enemy lines

Ibrahim Khan Gardi: The Hero's Story

In the Actual Battle

What He Did:

His cannons going 1-2 kilometers
So effective they almost made Abdali retreat
Creating havoc on Afghan army

The Impact on Abdali's Army:

At one point, they started fleeing battlefield
Towards Afghanistan
Before they realized not totally defeated
Really created havoc

Abdali's Near-Retreat:

Abdali was in rear guard (always in back)
Never in front
Had camels, horses, all that
Also had 30-40 wives in very back

The Preparation to Flee:

Gave orders to mount wives on horses
Thought: "This is lost now"
Said: "I have to save my wives and their honor"
If captured by Peshwa, don't know what will happen
Orders to leave: "We are leaving now"

The Afghan General's Desperation

What He Did:

General in front lines
Saw destruction being caused by cannons
Got down from horse on battlefield
Started eating the mud

Why:

Looked at soldiers fleeing left and right
Total chaos
Started appealing to them:
- "Hey, where are you going?"
- "Afghanistan, Kabul is thousands of kilometers away"
- "You have to stand and fight"
- "That is your only alternative"
- "Please don't do this"
Started weeping

The Desperation:

"It became so desperate for the Afghan army."

Ibrahim Khan's Capture & Death

The Injury

What Happened:

Ibrahim Khan gets injured in battle
Captured by Abdali's forces
Brought in front of Abdali

Abdali's Offer

What Abdali Knew:

The kind of leadership Ibrahim Khan had
Tremendous expertise
Made all the difference

The Offer:

"Join me. Join me as the chief of my cannon force. I will give you the topmost position in my army and all the honors that you want."

The Context:

Ibrahim Khan was severely injured

The Refusal

Ibrahim Khan's Response:

"Never."

His Reasoning:

"Because I have eaten the salt of Peshwa and do as you wish with me, but I will never join you."

The Declaration:

"I am a Hindustani. I am the son of the soil and you are Afghan, you are Afghani and I will never, ever be joining you. Because I am a Hindustani, I am part of the family."

The Loyalty:

Felt kinship with his Deccanites
"I have eaten the salt of Peshwa"
He's been good to me
He is my employer
Cannot betray him

The Execution

Abdali's Reaction:

Got irate
Immediately ordered capture
Slaughtered right there and then

The Assessment:

"He was loyal to the last minute when he didn't have to. But he was."

His Personality:

Did a fantastic job
Loyal beyond necessity
Refused when he could have saved himself
Chose honor over life

The Professional vs. Unprofessional

The Problem with Maratha Army

The Assessment:

"Maratha army was unprofessional."

Why:

Wanted individual glory
Couldn't maintain discipline
Jumped ahead of cannons
Ruined tactical advantage
About credit, not victory

The Contrast:

Ibrahim Khan: Professional, disciplined
Maratha cavalry: Undisciplined, glory-seeking
One = winning strategy
Other = self-defeating

Key Players

Name	Role	Affiliation	Notes
Sadashiv Rao Bhau	Southern commander	Marathas (Pune)	Cousin of Nanasaheb, leading Nizam campaign
Nanasaheb Peshwa	Peshwa	Pune	Not inclined to lead campaigns himself
Ibrahim Khan Gardi	Artillery chief	Joined Marathas	1,000 soldiers, trained by Bussy, hero
Muzaffar Khan	Artillery chief	Marathas	Not on good terms with Bhau
Bussy	French general	Formerly with Nizam	Trained the Gardi commanders
William Price	English envoy	Pune	Observing and reporting
Nizam	Hyderabad ruler	—	Target of Bhau's campaign

Timeline

Date	Event
Aug 1759	William Price arrives in Pune
Sept 1759	Abdali begins invasion (unknown in Pune)
Oct 13, 1759	Sadashiv Rao Bhau moves to war tents
Late 1759	Bhau recruits Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Jan 1760	Ibrahim Khan agrees with 1,000 soldiers
Later (Battle)	Ibrahim Khan's cannons almost defeat Abdali
Later (Battle)	Ibrahim Khan captured, refuses Abdali, killed

Critical Insights

The Information Warfare Problem

The Two-Week Gap:

Takes 2 weeks for message Pune → Delhi
By time Peshwa knows = too late
Can't coordinate strategy
Can't send reinforcements in time

The Consequence:

Northern and southern fronts disconnected
Can't respond to Abdali invasion
Strategic paralysis
"Fog of war" literal and figurative

The Technology Revolution

Why Cannons Changed Everything:

Shivaji era: No cannons, guerrilla warfare worked
Northern era: Flat land, need cannons
1-2 km range vs. 100-500m range = dominance
Can't fight modern war with old weapons

The Adaptation:

Marathas finally understood this
Hired foreign-trained experts
Muslims from Telangana
Secular army = pragmatic
Religion < expertise

The Discipline Gap

The Cultural Problem:

Maratha culture = individual heroism
Glory in personal combat
Sword and spear warriors
Face-to-face honor

The Modern Warfare:

Artillery = impersonal
Long-range killing
No individual glory
Team coordination essential

The Conflict:

Old warriors can't adapt
Want credit for victory
Jump ahead of cannons
Ruin tactical advantage
Professional discipline hadn't entered Maratha ranks

Ibrahim Khan's Hindustani Identity

The Powerful Moment:

Muslim man
Trained by French general
Working for Hindu Peshwa
Refuses to betray employer
Declares himself "Hindustani"

What It Represents:

Secular Indian identity
Loyalty to land > religion
"Son of the soil"
Afghan = foreigner
"I am part of the family"

The Irony:

Most loyal Maratha soldier = Muslim
Most treacherous = Hindu kings (Madho Singh, etc.)
Identity > religion

The Near-Victory That Never Was

What Almost Happened:

Ibrahim Khan's cannons devastating Abdali
Afghans fleeing battlefield
Abdali preparing to retreat
His general eating mud and weeping
Marathas were winning

What Went Wrong:

Own cavalry jumped ahead
Couldn't use cannons anymore
Lost tactical advantage
Indiscipline = defeat

The Tragedy:

Victory was in their hands
Technology advantage was there
Leadership was there (Ibrahim Khan)
But cultural indiscipline lost it

The Glory vs. Victory Problem

The Mathematics:

With cannons softening enemy: 80% victory chance
Cavalry gets no glory but victory certain
Cavalry jumps ahead: 50-50 chance
Cavalry gets glory if they win
But much more likely to lose

The Choice:

Certain victory with no personal glory
OR uncertain victory with personal glory
Marathas chose personal glory
Lost the battle

The Professionalism Gap

Ibrahim Khan:

Trained for months by Bussy
Disciplined regiment
Followed orders
Coordinated tactics
Professional soldier

Maratha Cavalry:

Individual warriors
Personal honor code
Ignored overall strategy
Wanted individual credit
Unprofessional army

The Lesson:

"This is not about credit. It's about winning the battle and being disciplined."

The Wasted Advantage

What Marathas Had:

1-2 km range cannons (best in India)
Trained artillery chief (Ibrahim Khan)
1,000 disciplined soldiers
Technological superiority
Winning strategy

What They Threw Away:

Let cavalry ruin cannon advantage
Lost coordination
Turned dominance into defeat
Snatched defeat from jaws of victory

What's Coming

The Setup:

Bhau preparing Nizam campaign (October 1759)
Ibrahim Khan Gardi recruited with 1,000 soldiers
Best cannon force in India now with Marathas
But Abdali already invading in north (unknown to them)
Two-week information gap

The Tragedy:

This amazing artillery chief
With the best cannons
Almost defeated Abdali
But Maratha indiscipline ruined it
He'll be captured and killed
Loyal to the end
"I am a Hindustani"

The Lesson Not Learned:

Professionalism > personal glory
Discipline > individual heroism
Modern warfare ≠ traditional combat
But Marathas won't learn in time

October 1759 - January 1760: While Bhau recruits the best artillery commander in India, while Ibrahim Khan brings 1,000 trained soldiers and French long-range cannons, while technological superiority is finally in Maratha hands - nobody in Pune knows Abdali is already in Punjab. The fog of war is literal (northern winter) and figurative (two-week message delay). And when battle finally comes, when Ibrahim Khan's cannons are winning, when Abdali himself is preparing to flee with his 40 wives, when Afghan generals are eating mud and weeping in desperation - Maratha cavalry will jump ahead for personal glory, ruin the cannon advantage, and turn certain victory into catastrophic defeat. Ibrahim Khan will be captured, will refuse to betray the Peshwa even to save his life, will declare "I am a Hindustani," and will be slaughtered for his loyalty. The best soldier in the Maratha army was a Muslim. The most treacherous were the Hindu kings. Identity over religion. Loyalty over life. But glory over victory? That's what cost them everything.