"Dattaji was killed and a bullet hit Jankoji in his arm. Ten or twelve soldiers died. The armies did not meet each other. The dense grass on the Yamuna made things difficult."

The Reality:

Full armies never came in contact
Dense grass on Yamuna = problem

The Retreat:

"We came 70 coasts which is 140 miles. The Pathans chased us for 20 coasts or 40 miles."

The Maratha Recovery

At Qutputli

What They Did:

Stopped here for few days
Taking stock of situation
Sending Dattaji's pregnant wife
Across river Chambar to Sabalgarh
Along with baggage
Under Govindpant Bundele

The Responsibility Falls to Holkar

The New Reality

The Situation:

"It was now up to the veteran Holkar to take on Abdali."

Holkar's Letter to Peshwa (End of January 1760)

Explaining His Difficulties

About End of January 1760:

Malhar Rao writes long letter to Peshwa
Explaining difficulties in reaching Dattaji

The Timeline From Holkar's Perspective

First Message:

"I received Jankoji's letter that he was going to invade the Gilcha [Afghans] and I should come quickly to his aid."

His Response:

Left Jaipur
Sent away his heavy guns

The Problem:

Ruffians rose in revolts
(This was actually thanks to Abdali instructing Madho Singh)

Second Message:

"From Jankoji's second letter it appeared the threat of Abdali had abated and he was fighting Najib Khan."

So:

It seemed like Jankoji fighting Najib
Which they were

What Holkar Did:

"I had to return to suppress the ruffians, presumably in Jaipur, and had to teach them a lesson at Balwara."

Had to deal with revolts
Didn't know it was Abdali's political maneuvering
Madho Singh keeping him busy

December 28, 1759:

"I received a letter from Jankoji Shinde urging me to hurry, saying he has crossed the Yamuna near Kunjpura and is facing the Gilcha."

January 3, 1760:

"I left on 3rd of January 1760, disposed of my heavy guns and moved out."

What He Found:

"The Gilcha came to Thanesar and there was a battle near Budhiya. At night the Gilcha crossed the Yamuna and went into the Doab. Shuja is on his border. Najib Khan at Shukratal. Madho Singh has cooled down due to my efforts. Abdali has been called here by Najib Khan and Madho Singh."

So he's explaining all this to Peshwa
The political situation
Who called Abdali
Where everyone is positioned

Abdali Enters Delhi

The Appointment

Meanwhile:

Abdali moved to Delhi

What He Did:

Appointed his vizier Shah Wali Khan's cousin
Yakub Ali Khan
As governor of Delhi

The Significance:

His own vizier
Vizier's cousin
They were able to just reach the capital

Why Didn't They Defend Delhi?

The Question

The Confusion:

Whole point to defend Delhi
Why camped out on river?
When Abdali just walked into Delhi?

The Explanation

The Problem:

Not sure how to proceed
Abdali's reputation had grown over time
Extremely difficult opponent
Holkar was there
But Holkar in action

Holkar's Reluctance:

Did not want to take on Abdali
With insufficient troops
With insufficient army

The Strategic Reason:

Holkar was old-fashioned commander
Would also maybe suffer same fate (as Dattaji)
Saw what it did to Dattaji
Had to think before sacrificing army

His Fighting Style:

Plus never believed in frontal attacks
Believed in surgical strikes
That kind of stuff
Not comfortable with one-on-one frontal attacks
Win or lose situation
Didn't believe in that

The Age Factor

The Reality:

Holkar was older gentleman
Little bit older
Abdali by this time like 30 years old
Holkar in his 50s
Wasn't ready to take on Abdali one-on-one

Key Players

Name	Role	Status/Action
Dattaji Shinde	Maratha commander	Killed at Burari Ghat Jan 10, beheaded
Qutub Shah Rohila	Najib's teacher	Beheaded Dattaji, gave head to Najib
Najib Khan	Rohilla commander	Received Dattaji's head, sent to Abdali
Jankoji	Maratha officer	Injured (bullet in arm), fled with army
Purushottam Hingani	Maratha officer	Injured at Burari, wrote report
Malhar Rao Holkar	Veteran commander	Arrived Jan 14, now responsible for facing Abdali
Ahmad Shah Abdali	Afghan invader	Moved to Delhi, appointed governor
Yakub Ali Khan	Abdali's man	Appointed governor of Delhi
Govindpant Bundele	Maratha officer	Escorted Dattaji's pregnant wife to safety
Madho Singh	Jaipur king	Stirred up revolts to delay Holkar

Timeline

Date	Event
Jan 10, 1760	Dattaji killed at Burari Ghat
Jan 10, 1760	Qutub Shah beheads Dattaji
Jan 10, 1760	20,000 Shinde army flees
Jan 14, 1760	Holkar reaches Qutputli, learns of death
Jan 15, 1760	Purushottam Hingani writes report
Late Jan 1760	Holkar writes long letter to Peshwa
Late Jan 1760	Abdali moves to Delhi
Late Jan 1760	Yakub Ali Khan appointed governor of Delhi

Critical Insights

The Iconic Last Words

Why It Matters:

"Bachenge to aur bhi ladenge" (If I survive, I will fight even more)

The Cultural Impact:

Known across India today
Instantly recognizable
Symbol of defiance
Spirit unbroken even in death

What It Represents:

Maratha fighting spirit
Never surrender mentality
Courage in face of certain death
Defiant to the last

The Irony:

He was right about his death
"If I survive" = knew he wouldn't
But wrong about underestimating Abdali
That underestimation = why he's dying
The courage was there
The judgment was not

Qutub Shah: The Ideological Warrior

Who He Really Was:

Not just any commander
Najib's teacher
Jihadi teacher specifically
Propaganda specialist

Why This Matters:

This wasn't just military
It was ideological warfare
Religious dimension
Not just conquest = conversion/destruction

The Beheading:

Presenting head to Najib → Abdali
Trophy of war
Symbol of victory
Demoralization tactic
Sends message: This is what happens

The 20,000 Who Didn't Fight

The Stunning Detail:

"The entire Shinde army of 20,000 demoralized men did not participate in the fight at Burari Ghat."

What This Means:

Only Dattaji's 5,000 actually fought
20,000 others just watched
After leader fell = fled
No discipline
No backup plan
No command structure without Dattaji

The Implication:

If those 20,000 had fought
Could have overwhelmed enemy
But morale broke instantly
Loss of leader = total collapse
Psychological defeat

The Dense Grass Detail

Hingani's Report:

"The dense grass on the Yamuna made things difficult."

Why This Matters:

Visibility problem
Can't see enemy formations
Can't coordinate movements
Perfect for ambush
Dattaji charged in blind

The Tactical Error:

Attacking in terrain that favors defenders
Can't use cavalry effectively
Can't see where going
Plays to Afghan strengths (ambush, missile fire)

The Chase: 40 Miles

The Pursuit:

Marathas ran 140 miles total
Afghans chased for 40 miles
That's significant pursuit

What It Shows:

Afghans wanted to maximize damage
Not just winning = destroying
Kill as many as possible
Capture baggage and treasure
Total route, not just victory

The Cost:

Lost horses, treasure, dignity
Half-naked when arrived
Psychological devastation
Not just military defeat

Holkar's Excuses

The Letter:

Very detailed explanation
Why he was late
All the obstacles

The Reality:

Some legitimate (ruffians = Madho Singh's work)
Some questionable (second letter saying threat abated)
Disposed of heavy guns = big mistake
Could have used those

The Pattern:

Always an excuse
Never quite commits
Surgical strikes, not frontal battles
Self-preservation > victory

The Age Issue:

He's in his 50s
Abdali is 30
Not prime fighting age
Tired commander
Old tactics, old body

The Political Dimension

Holkar Identifies:

Madho Singh called Abdali
Najib Khan called Abdali
This was coordinated
Political conspiracy against Marathas

The Insight:

Understands the politics
But can't do anything about it
Outnumbered
Outmaneuvered
Outplayed

Abdali Walks Into Delhi

The Stunning Reality:

Just walks in
Appoints his own governor
No resistance

Why:

Imad fled to Suraj Mal
No one to defend
Holkar won't fight
City undefended

What It Means:

Capital has fallen
Symbolic center lost
Abdali can claim victory
Psychological blow to all India

The Underestimation Pattern

Dattaji's Error:

Thought Abdali was "namard" (coward)
Because led from rear
Underestimated him
Died for it

Holkar's Wisdom:

Doesn't underestimate Abdali
Knows his reputation
Seen him in action
Heard first-hand accounts
Won't fight without overwhelming force

The Contrast:

Youth vs. experience
Courage vs. caution
Glory vs. survival
Dattaji = dead hero
Holkar = live coward (or smart tactician?)

The Pregnant Wife Detail

Why Include This:

Shows Dattaji's foresight
Sent dependents ahead
Knew battle could go wrong
Protected family

The Tragedy:

Caught up to them anyway in retreat
Could have been captured
Now widow with unborn child
Escorted to safety after his death

What's Coming

The Situation:

Dattaji dead
20,000 man army routed
Holkar now responsible
But won't fight frontally
Abdali in Delhi
Appointed his own governor
Total control of capital

The Question:

How will Holkar respond?
Can't fight head-on
Too outnumbered
Surgical strikes only
Will it be enough?

The Bigger Question:

News reaching Pune (~Feb 13)
Nanasaheb will be shocked
Will have to send major force
Can't be half-measures anymore
Comprehensive response needed

January 1760: "Bachenge to aur bhi ladenge." If I survive, I will fight even more. Those are the last words of a dying man who was right about his death and wrong about everything else. Dattaji charged with his spear against artillery and muskets, certain that Abdali was a coward who led from the rear. He was brave. He was wrong. Qutub Shah, Najib's jihadi teacher, beheaded him and sent his head as a trophy to Abdali. Twenty thousand Maratha soldiers stood by and watched. Then they ran for 140 miles, chased for 40 miles, arriving half-naked and broken. Holkar shows up a few days later. He's 50 years old. He knows Abdali's reputation. He won't fight frontally. He'll do surgical strikes. He'll preserve his army. Is he a coward or the only smart one left? Meanwhile, Abdali just walks into Delhi and appoints his own governor. No resistance. The capital has fallen. And a messenger is riding south to Pune with news that will end eight days of celebration and wake up a Peshwa who's been asleep at the wheel. Everything changes on February 13.