Chapter 17: The Hunt for Allies & Setting the Stage (March 1760)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Opening: Modern Politics Interlude

The Indian-American Congressional Coalition

The Photo:

• Six Indian-American congresspeople
• Shree at the center of the photo
• Posted by an Indian congressman

The Statement:

"When I first joined, I was the only Indian congressman and now there are six, so I look forward to welcoming more Indian Americans."

The Twitter Backlash:

• Already upset about H-1B visa issues
• "Why are they explicitly saying the goal is more Indian American congressmen?"
• "Why not just good for America policies?"
• People are sensitive right now

The Original Congressman: Ami Bera

Who He Is:

• Ami Bera, MD
• Representing California's 6th District
• Sacramento County
• The original Indian-American congressman
• Before him, there were none

The Tweet Response:

• People don't like the fact there's an Indian-American coalition in Congress
• Comparison made: "But there's a Black coalition, so why can't there be an Indian coalition?"

Weather Context: Delhi Fog

The Conditions:

• Delhi becomes extremely foggy
• Very cold for local people (though not by our standards)
• No central heating in India
• Houses have targeted heating only
• Moment you get away from the heater → feels cold

Why This Mattered Historically

The Marathas:

• Especially from Southern India (like Maharashtra)
• Wore very light clothing
• Not used to the cold
• Northern winter was a huge challenge

The Struggle:

• Clothing inadequate for northern winters
• Not adapted to cold climate
• This would be a factor in their campaigns

The Army Departs: March 14, 1760

Final Preparations

The Armory:

• Fort at Ahmadnagar supplied necessary ammunition
• For muskets, cannons, rockets, etc.

The Timing:

• Soldiers had no respite after Udgir campaign
• Little time to compensate losses in arms or horses (steed)
• Had to leave for the north immediately

The Reserve Strategy

What Was Left Behind:

"The army provided to Bhau was the best that could be provided at short notice after keeping enough reserves in the Dakkan to protect the territories from a fresh invasion by the Nizam."

Why Reserves Mattered:

• Nizam was already raiding scattered Maratha outposts
• Before the ink was dry on the Udgir treaty
• He was immediately going back on the treaty
• Despite being defeated at Udgir

The Solution:

• Visaji Krishna sent to Karnataka
• To ensure no disturbance from that sphere
• Keep southern territories secure

Bhau's First Time in Hindustan

The Learning Curve

The Reality:

"This was the first time Bhau would cross the Narmada and enter Hindustan, and his knowledge of its people, its potentates, and its politics was to be a learning process for him."

What This Meant:

• Never crossed the Narmada River before
• Never been to northern part of India
• Didn't know the people
• Didn't know the rulers (potentates)
• Didn't understand the politics
• Would have to learn on the job

The Departure

Leaving Patadur: March 14, 1760

The Timing:

• Left at the start of a hot summer
• On a turbulent campaign
• To a distant land

The Mission:

"The conflict drew them into a face-to-face confrontation against a deadly foe in a region where the Marathas had very few friends."

The Reality:

• Had created a lot of enemies
• Many people sitting on the fence
• Very few reliable allies
• Heading into hostile territory

Chapter 17: Prakaran 17 - Mitran Chiyashodhat (The Hunt for Allies)

The Strategic Understanding

Why Allies Were Critical:

• Marathas knew they needed allies
• Can't successfully fight this battle alone
• Must secure support before confrontation

Who They Would Target:

1. Suraj Mal (the Jat)
2. The Rajasthanis
3. Suja-ud-Daula (Subedar of Awadh)

Suja-ud-Daula: The Fence-Sitter

Why He Was a Potential Ally

His Religious Position:

• Not a Sunni Muslim
• Therefore not allied with Abdali
• Not allied with Najib Khan (Abdali's patron in India)
• Not completely in sync with them

The Opportunity:

• Sitting on the fence
• Could be convinced to join Marathas
• His interests didn't align with Abdali
• Potential for alliance

The Letter: Bappuji Ballar (June 27, 1760)

Who Was Bappuji Ballar?

Probably:

• Stationed in Delhi on behalf of Marathas
• Sending intelligence reports
• Tracking enemy movements

The Intelligence Report

What He Reported:

• Najib Khan and Jahan Khan have gone to visit Suja-ud-Daula
• Marathas' letters have also been sent to Suja
• Planning to send capable men to meet with him

The Timing Issue:

"Yamuna River has water, maybe because of monsoon or whatever."

• Letter written in June
• During the monsoon season
• River full of water - harder to cross

Afghanistan & Abdali's Recruiting Strategy

How Abdali Built His Army

The Promise:

• Told his countrymen in Afghanistan:
• "If you accompany me in the invasion of India..."
• "You will get women and slaves"

Why This Worked:

• That's how he could recruit soldiers
• They had to be promised something
• Loot and plunder were the incentives

The Afghan Army's Nature

Primary Objective:

"The Afghan army under Abdali, under the command of Abdali, their primary objective was to wage war."

Why:

• Only way they could make funds
• Only way to get resources
• Nothing in their own country
• Battle was their business

The Result:

• Battle-hardened army
• Only skill they had
• Only way they could make money

Internal Tribal Warfare

Even Among Themselves:

• Tribes constantly warring with each other
• Fighting for resources
• Used to battling all the time
• External battles were just an extension

The Advantage:

• Always in combat mode
• Always ready for war
• Experienced fighters

Abdali's Background & Experience

The Nadir Shah Connection (1739)

Abdali's First Visit to India:

• Came in 1739 with Nadir Shah
• Just a foot soldier at the time
• Not a high-ranking officer
• Not anyone special

What He Learned:

• Understood the situation in northern India
• Saw how things worked
• Learned about the geography
• Studied the rulers and their weaknesses

His Track Record

By 1759-1760:

• This was his sixth time invading India
• As of now, he's in Delhi area
• Stayed the winter (or summer)
• Sitting pretty
• Not traveling
• Waiting

The Climate Problem

Afghans vs. Indian Summer

The Afghan Weakness:

"The Afghan army was used to the cold winters, but not to the summer heat."

The Opposite Problem:

• Marathas struggled with northern cold
• Afghans struggled with Indian heat
• Each army had climate disadvantages

Abdali's Advantages

Knowledge & Experience

What He Knew:

• Done so many campaigns in India
• Knew the weaknesses of Indian armies
• Knew the weaknesses of Indian royals
• Had dealt with them multiple times

The Pattern:

"What to expect and how they will speak tall but not deliver in terms of their actions."

• Indian rulers would make big promises
• But wouldn't follow through
• Abdali knew this from experience

Geographic Knowledge

What He Understood:

• Rivers, mountains, valleys
• All the geographical details
• Not a total foreigner

His Network:

• Had people to help him like Najib Khan
• Mughal emperor would sometimes talk to both sides
• Aware of happenings in northern plains
• "Proximity awareness"

The Critical Skill: River Crossings

The Decisive Difference

Abdali's Advantage:

"He knew the art and had the skill of crossing rivers. That was very critical."

The Maratha Disadvantage:

"And the Marathas didn't have it really. They didn't have the skill nor did they understand how to do it."

The Impact:

• This was a major difference
• Made a huge difference in the outcome
• There will be one particular incident that was extremely key
• Coming up later in the story

Remember This Point: This river-crossing skill gap will be crucial

The Rohillas: Natural Allies

Bareli & Rohilkhand

What Is Rohilkhand:

• Region settled by Afghan soldiers of fortune
• Came to India and settled there
• Bareli is a town there (exists even today)

Who Are the Rohillas:

• Afghan origin
• Cultural affinity with Abdali
• Linguistic affinity with Abdali
• Natural allies

The Advantage:

• They were local
• Already in Hindustan
• Would always stand with Abdali
• Gave him local support base

Najib Khan Rohila: The Key Player

His Relationship with Abdali

Status:

• Rohilla himself
• Abdali's friend or trusted ally
• Close relationship

His Personal Qualities

What Made Him Special:

1. Adventurousness:

• Would take calculated risks
• Not afraid to make bold moves

2. Sense of Timing:

"He had the sense of time, how the wind is blowing at any given time."

• Could read the political situation
• Understood when to act
• When to hold back
• When to switch sides

Very Important Qualities: These were the key traits that made Najib Khan successful

Najib Khan's Limitations

The Army Problem

What He Lacked:

• Didn't have a whole lot of army on his side
• Neither did all the Rohillas in India combined
• Limited military power

The Background Problem

His Origin:

• Najib Khan was an upstart
• Very modest background
• Not born of royal lineage
• Worked his way up

The Consequence:

"In the eyes of others, he was discounted."

Why This Mattered:

• If you're born of royal parentage → you get a leg up
• He didn't have that
• Others didn't give him credit
• Didn't want him to be too powerful

Najib Khan's Strengths Despite Disadvantages

His Unique Leadership

What He Had:

1. Very adventurous
2. Very shrewd
3. Knew how the wind was blowing with respect to time

His Political Skill:

• Could make the right moves at the right time
• Could bring people along
• Even when other Rohilla commanders disagreed with him
• Could band them to his side

How He Did It:

"He could present the situation in certain ways"

• Persuasive speaker
• Strategic framing
• Got people to see things his way

The Assessment

"So he was really kind of a unique leader. He had some unique qualities, even though he wasn't born with the advantages that some other people may have been."

The Compensation:

• Made up for lack of royal birth
• Through his other qualities
• Through his political acumen
• Through his timing and shrewdness

Key Figures

Timeline

Geographic Context

The Journey:

• Patadur → Northern plains
• Crossing the Narmada River (Bhau's first time)

Rohilkhand Region:

• Bareli - Rohilla stronghold
• Settled by Afghan soldiers of fortune
• Natural Abdali allies

Strategic Rivers:

• Narmada - Traditional boundary between north and south India
• Yamuna - Full in June (monsoon), hard to cross

Awadh:

• Ruled by Suja-ud-Daula
• Key territory
• Both sides courting him

The Doab:

• Between Ganga and Yamuna
• Very fertile flat land
• Where Abdali camped

Major Themes

1. The Learning Curve

Bhau crossing Narmada for the first time - doesn't know the people, politics, or rulers of the north. Learning on the job.

2. Climate as Weapon

Marathas weak in cold, Afghans weak in heat. Each side has environmental disadvantages.

3. River Crossings = Game Changer

Abdali's mastery of river crossings vs. Marathas' lack of this skill. Will prove decisive.

4. The Alliance Race

Both sides hunting for allies. Winner of alliance race may win the war.

5. Experience vs. Inexperience

Abdali's 6th invasion, knows India well. Bhau's first time in the north, knows nothing.

6. Upstart Leadership

Najib Khan - no royal blood, but shrewd timing and political skill made him a key player.

7. The Afghan Business Model

War is their only way to make money. Promise of loot and slaves = recruitment strategy.

Critical Disadvantages

For the Marathas:

1. No cold weather experience - light clothing, not adapted
2. No river-crossing skills - will prove fatal
3. Bhau's inexperience - never been to north before
4. Few friends - many enemies or fence-sitters
5. Just fought Udgir - exhausted, no rest

For the Afghans:

1. Summer heat - not adapted to Indian summers
2. Foreign force - need local allies badly
3. Supply lines - far from home base

The Coming Storm

What's Set Up:

• Both armies hunting for allies
• Suja-ud-Daula being courted by both sides
• Najib Khan working hard for Abdali
• River crossings will matter
• Climate will matter
• Alliances will matter

The Question:

• Who will secure more allies?
• Who will adapt better to climate?
• Who will control the river crossings?

The Ironic Contrast

Marathas:

• Most magnificent army ever assembled
• But inexperienced in the north
• Don't know the terrain
• Don't know how to cross rivers
• First time for their commander

Abdali:

• Battle-hardened force
• 6th invasion - knows India intimately
• Knows all the tricks
• Knows river crossings
• But also a foreigner needing local help

Where we are: March 1760. The armies are moving. The alliance race has begun. Bhau is learning on the job. Abdali is waiting. The monsoon is coming. And somewhere in all of this, a river crossing will decide everything.

The hunt for allies begins - both sides sending messengers, making promises, trying to secure support. Suja-ud-Daula sits on the fence. Najib Khan works his political magic. And Bhau, crossing the Narmada for the first time in his life, has to navigate a world he doesn't know. The clock is ticking.