"Who will lead this campaign against Abdali? Because the campaign has to be done. And who is going to lead it? Because that's the million dollar question."

Who's Up to the Challenge?

Considering Raghunath Rao

The Pros & Cons

Against Sending Him:

When he went north twice
Came back with even bigger loans
Financial risk
Didn't want that

In Favor of Him:

Knew the politics of the North
Had gone there twice
Knew all the players in North
How they acted
How they behaved
What was their weak point
What was strong point
What is the geography
They also were aware of Raghunath Rao

The Assessment:

Could have done better job
But financial risk too high

The Choice: Sadashiv Rao Bhau

Why Bhau Was Chosen

The Impression:

Nanasaheb so impressed by Sadashiv Rao Bhau
That he won this battle with Nizam
Just proved himself

The Artillery Factor:

Also impressed by role played by artillery
Sadashiv Rao understood role of artillery
Said: "Without long range artillery"
"That he had at disposal during that battle"
"We could not have won this war"
"That is the only way going forward"
"We are going to fight the battles"

The Commander:

Knew exactly the man he could employ
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
So responsibility fell upon Sadashiv Rao

Bhau's Character: The Problems

Problem 1: Hot Tempered

The First Issue:

"He was extremely hot tempered."

What This Means:

Once he got upset and angry
No way for him to think rationally
Would just be taken over by anger
And upset
That was big, big point

The Consequence:

Didn't see anything
Didn't think calmly and quietly
The way rationally decisions have to be made

Problem 2: Northern Politics

The Second Issue:

"He did not understand the politics of the North."

Why:

Never dealt with Rajputs
Didn't deal with Jats
Never dealt with Mughals or Rohillas
Abdali: Of course never fought him
Never seen him in battlefield

Bhau's Strengths

The Positive Side

What He Had:

Very skilled fighter and commander
Would not play games
Simply come to point
Say: "Hey, deliver results right now"

The Problem:

"He was not a good politician."

The Balance:

Negative: Hot-tempered, no political skills
Positive: Brave commander, direct, skilled fighter

Key Players

Name	Role	Action/Status
Dattaji Shinde	Maratha commander	Died Jan 10 at Burari Ghat
Qutub Shah Rohila	Najib's teacher	Beheaded Dattaji
Nanasaheb Peshwa	Peshwa	Awakened from slumber, calls war council
Sadashiv Rao Bhau	Cousin of Peshwa	Chosen to lead northern campaign
Raghunath Rao	Brother of Peshwa	Considered but rejected (financial risk)
Ahmad Shah Abdali	Afghan invader	In Delhi area, won at Burari Ghat
Najib Khan	Rohilla commander	Allied with Abdali

Timeline

Date	Event
Jan 10, 1760	Dattaji killed at Burari Ghat
Jan 10, 1760	Shinde army of 20,000 flees
Feb 13, 1760	News reaches Pune (one month later)
Feb 13, 1760	Eight days of celebration end
Feb 1760	Emergency meeting at Pathdur
Feb 1760	Decision: Bhau will lead campaign

Critical Insights

The Awakening Metaphor

The Language:

"Deep slumber"
"Suddenly awakens"
"Aroused from his slumber"

What It Means:

Nanasaheb was sleepwalking
Complacent about northern threat
Thought commanders could handle it
Reality finally hits

The Moment:

This is THE turning point
"The story really begins here"
"This causes third battle of Panipat"
Everything before = prologue
Everything after = consequences

The One-Month Information Gap

The Math:

January 10: Dattaji dies
February 13: News arrives
~34 days for message

The Problem:

Can't respond in real-time
Can't prevent disaster
Can only react
Always behind

The Implication:

By time Pune responds
Situation will have changed again
Always playing catch-up
Fog of war literal

The Underestimation Theme

The Pattern:

Dattaji underestimated Abdali
Nanasaheb underestimated situation
"Pesky Afghans not a big deal"
Learning through catastrophic failure

Why They Underestimated:

Never faced him directly
Listened to reports/letters
Thought they understood
But reports ≠ reality
Like being told about fire
vs. being burned

Raghunath Rao: The Road Not Taken

What We Learn:

He knew northern politics
Knew all the players
Knew geography
Had relationships
Political skill

Why Not Chosen:

Financial liability
Came back with loans twice
Can't afford that again

The Irony:

Choose military skill over political skill
But this war will be decided by politics
The better general militarily may not win
Because politics > battle

Bhau's Fatal Flaw #1: Hot Temper

Why This Matters:

Northern politics requires patience
Requires negotiations
Requires swallowing pride
Requires tactical retreat

Bhau's Nature:

Gets angry
Can't think rationally
Taken over by emotion
No calm decision-making

The Consequence:

In crucial moments
When diplomacy needed
He'll lose his temper
Make emotional decisions
Alienate allies

Bhau's Fatal Flaw #2: No Northern Experience

What He Doesn't Know:

Rajput politics
Jat politics
Mughal court intrigue
Rohilla motivations
Abdali's tactics

Why This Matters:

Will have to learn on the job
During existential crisis
With no margin for error
While Abdali knows all this

The Comparison:

Abdali: Expert in northern politics
Spent years cultivating allies
Knows every player
Bhau: Complete novice

The Artillery Understanding Gap

What Bhau Knows:

Artillery = key to victory
Only way forward
Must use it properly
Proved it against Nizam

What He'll Face:

Cavalry that doesn't believe in artillery
Chiefs not convinced
Cultural resistance
Indiscipline

The Problem:

Bhau understands
Army doesn't
Gap in understanding
Will be fatal

The Direct Commander Style

Bhau's Approach:

"Deliver results right now"
No games
Come to point
Direct

Why This Could Work:

Clear command
No ambiguity
Decisive

Why This Will Fail:

Northern politics = indirect
Need to play games
Need patience
Need subtlety
Bhau has none of this

The Comprehensive Response

The Shift:

Before: "Send a commander or two"
Now: "Comprehensive manner"
Recognize it's much bigger
Can't be half-measures

What This Means:

Massive army going north
Full commitment
All-in strategy
If this fails = catastrophic

The "Really Begins" Moment

The Significance:

"So here, the story really begins."

What This Tells Us:

Everything before = setup
All the invasions
All the politics
All the battles
Were just prelude

The Reality:

Panipat is coming
Inevitable now
Dattaji's death = catalyst
Bhau's appointment = trigger
No turning back

What's Coming

The Setup:

Bhau chosen to lead
Hot-tempered
Doesn't know northern politics
Understands artillery
But army doesn't
Direct style in indirect world

The Army:

Will be massive
Comprehensive response
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Best artillery in India
But indisciplined cavalry

The Opposition:

Abdali in Delhi
Knows northern politics perfectly
Strategic genius
Has momentum
Has allies

The Question:

Can Bhau adapt?
Will hot temper doom him?
Can he learn politics fast enough?
Will artillery advantage matter?
If cavalry indisciplined?

February 13, 1760: The celebration ends. The messenger arrives. Dattaji is dead. "Bachenge to aur bhi ladenge" - if I survive, I will fight even more - those were his last words before Qutub Shah beheaded him. Twenty thousand men fled without fighting. Nanasaheb collapses psychologically. He was in deep slumber. This news awakens him. Drastically. He finally understands what he's up against. Not pesky Afghans. An existential threat. This cannot be handled by sending a commander or two. This requires a comprehensive response. He considers Raghunath Rao - knows the politics, but financial liability. He chooses Sadashiv Rao Bhau - proved himself against Nizam, understands artillery, brave commander. But: hot-tempered, doesn't know northern politics, not a good politician. The wrong choice? The right choice? We'll find out. Because here, the story really begins. Everything before was prologue. What comes next will determine the fate of India.