"Tomorrow on we are entering or getting into Suraj Mal's areas. Do not burn any villages or any paddies or agricultural land and don't do any destruction so that you keep Suraj Mal on the good side."

In Marathi:

"Upasarga yekandar karu naye aise ahe."

Upasarga = don't create problems
That is our strategy

The Command Structure:

Every commander has troops he's responsible for
Depending on rank
Make sure your regiment understands
Your soldiers know: no trouble in this area

The Consequences:

"Paripatya kele nzayil" - If you were to start burning farmland or homes of people, then you would be dealt with in a strict fashion.

The Implication:

"His territory is under my protection, basically."

Madhav Singh: From Maratha Ally to Abdali's Friend

How He Got Power

The Irony:

Madhav Singh got the kingdom because of Maratha intervention
They helped him come to power
Now: become a dead set enemy of Marathas
Complete reversal

His Actions:

"And written letters to Abdali and come and destroy Marathas."

His Relationship with Abdali:

Lot of friendship between them
Got along well
Been having lot of correspondence

Why He Turned

The Reason:

Marathas tried to get lot of tributes from him
On this or that excuse
Even after helping him get power
He got irate and angry
Short-term Maratha greed = long-term enemy

The Mathura Atrocities (1757)

What Happened

1757:

Between Mathura and Abdali
Abdali's forces created lot of mayhem
Lot of violence
All kinds of atrocities in Mathura

Why It Mattered:

Mathura is a holy place (Krishna's birthplace)
Major Hindu pilgrimage site

The Rajput Failure

What They Didn't Do:

"The Rajput princes and kings had not lifted their finger and that is important."

Their Responsibility:

Rajputs considered themselves protectors of Hindu faith
Or so they like to think
It was incumbent upon them to do something
Send forces
Resist Abdali

What Actually Happened:

They didn't do a thing
Even though tremendous atrocities
Didn't lift a finger
Failed their supposed role

Keshav Rai's Letter to Peshwa (1757)

The Report

What Keshav Rai Wrote:

"Ambed and Jodhpur kings have written to Abdali that please rescue us from the Marathas."

The Deal Offered:

In Marathi: "Tum cheet sakri karit jau?"
"If you rescue us from Marathas, we will be in your employment"
"We will obey you"

The Translation Note:

Old translation or old style Marathi
Weird phrasing
But meaning clear

The Forts

Context:

Amber Fort (outside Jaipur)
Seen on trips to Rajasthan
These Rajput kingdoms

Their Weakness:

"They can't fight with Abdali, they just are too weak and submissive."

The Intermediary: Najib Khan

Why Through Najib?

The System:

"Because Rajputs never trusted Abdali, so they used to correspond with Abdali through Najeeb Khan."

Najib's Role:

Agent of Abdali in India
Intermediary between Abdali and Indian powers
Rajputs would write to Najib
Or send emissaries to Najib
Najib would communicate with Abdali

Why Not Direct?

The Explanation:

Abdali was Muslim based in Afghanistan
Rajputs probably didn't have relationship with him
Maybe haven't met him
No direct connection

Their Strategy:

"Their enemy's enemy is our friend. That's their strategy."

But:

Thought Najib would communicate on their behalf
More comfortable with Indian intermediary
Even if that intermediary was Afghan

Najib's Intelligence Network (1760)

Watching Madhav Singh

What Najib Did:

Kept eye on Madhav Singh's correspondence
Watching who he was writing to
Specifically: his letters to Nanasaheb Peshwa

What Najib Told Madhav Singh:

When Abdali comes in 1760
He will go to Dakhan
Put permanent end to Maratha campaigns in north
"Smash them"

Najib's Suspicion:

"He kind of thought that maybe some doubles were going on."

Watching for double-dealing
Making sure Madhav Singh wasn't playing both sides

The Dattaji Shinde Victory

One Month Before Dattaji's Death

Madhav Singh's Letter to Abdali:

They (Marathas) will forever not be able to do anything
Against other powers
Just give them such a smash
That they will be totally finished
Won't even think about expansion or influence again

Abdali's Reports to Madhav Singh

What Abdali Told Him:

How he gave good fight
Destroyed both Dattaji Shinde's army and Holkar's army
Dattaji's army really badly mauled
Holkar also got good lesson from Abdali

The Instructions:

"If Holkar comes in your area, don't allow him to get out alive."

The Implication:

Active coordination
Intelligence sharing
Strategic cooperation
Kill orders given

Why Rajputs Wouldn't Join Marathas

The Distance Created

The Reality:

"Because of the Maratha intervention in Rajput politics, the Rajput princess had, they were distanced from Marathas and they were not going to join Maratha alliance. That was not going to happen."

How Determined:

It was determined (decided, inevitable)
Too much distance between camps
Too much bad blood
Based on how things developed in past

Who Created the Distance

The Blame:

"And it was all created by the short-sighted behavior of Shinde and Holkar."

What They Did:

Short-term limited gain
Peshwa constantly harassing them (Shinde and Holkar)
So they said: "Let's try to get more money from these people"
This kind of behavior
Without thinking about what will it do in the future

The Consequences:

That's why they were short-sighted
Didn't consider long-term consequences
Created enemies for short-term profit
Now paying the price

Rajput Neutrality in the Coming Battle

The Decision

What They Decided:

"In addition, they were not going to take part in the upcoming battle."

Everyone Sensed:

Battle was going to happen
Everybody knew it

Rajput Position:

Not taking part
Either on Abdali side
Or on Maratha side
Just going to stay put

Why Neutrality?

The Practical Reason:

Rajput kings/princes: small kingdoms
None of them was a big power
Together they could be (significant)
But they weren't unified

Their Attitude:

Looking at own affairs
"We are not going to take part in any such thing"
"You fight it out"
Didn't have huge armies to send

But:

"They sympathized with the Abdali."

The Loss:

"But their lack of joining the Marathas would be felt."

Would have been helpful
But wasn't going to happen

Their Philosophy:

"Our enemy's enemy is our friend, but that's about it. I'm not going to help my enemy's enemy because he's still untrustworthy in their eyes."

The Sikh Situation in Punjab

The Nascent Power

The Status:

Sikh power had now arrived
Something to be considered
But still nascent (emerging, not fully developed)
Not a full-blown power yet
But coming up

The Relationship:

"But there was no connection between the Sikh and the Marathas yet."

The Real Winner of Panipat

The Observation

What Was Said:

"In some reading I'd done online a few weeks ago, they said really the real winner of the Battle of Panipat was the Sikhs."

The Agreement:

"Yeah, that's true."

Why:

Abdali may have won
But still badly hurt
At least his army was
On the way back
Harassed by Sikhs
Looted by Sikhs

Sikh-Maratha Relations: Transactional Only

Not Alliance - Just Trade

What Actually Happened:

"Actually Sikhs benefited, but they helped Marathas to a certain extent, but that was purely on give and take."

Not Even Strategic:

Just transactional
Not alliance
Not strategic cooperation
Pure business

The Situation: 4-5 Months Holed Up

The Crisis:

Marathas holed up in Panipat area
For about 4-5 months
Abdali was there also
Marathas hurting for supplies
For army and animals
Eatables, water, that kind of stuff

The Scale:

"We are talking about 125,000 people there. Wow. So it was like a village."

The Need:

Needed lots of supplies
Had to scavenge and find sources

The Barter System

How It Worked:

Marathas would approach Sikhs
Sikhs would say: "Okay, pay up"
Marathas would give them ornaments
Or every valuable that they had
Had to give it to Sikhs

The Nature:

"So it was a barter. You know what I mean? So they would trade with them for necessities."

But:

"It was not alliance. It was like, okay, you give us this, we'll give you that."

Just:

Tit for tat
Pure transaction
No loyalty
No strategic cooperation

The Siege of Panipat

Abdali's Strategy

What Abdali Did:

Put a siege on Maratha force in Panipat
Seized/surrounded them
Cut off supply lines

The Asymmetry:

Marathas had trouble getting supplies
Abdali's force was getting supplies
He had lot of allies
No trouble getting all supplies for his army

Maratha Suffering:

"But Marathas were really hurting."

Animals wouldn't have anything to eat
People didn't have enough food supplies
Became very tough

Key Players

Name	Role	Position
Suraj Mal Jat	King	Only northern power willing to talk with Marathas
Sadashiv Rao Bhau	Maratha commander	Entering Suraj Mal's territory with strict orders
Madhav Singh	Jaipur king	Former Maratha ally turned Abdali's friend
Ahmad Shah Abdali	Afghan invader	Coordinating with Rajputs against Marathas
Najib Khan	Rohilla commander	Intermediary between Abdali and Rajputs
Imad-ul-Mulk	Mughal wazir	Allied with Suraj Mal and Holkar
Malhar Rao Holkar	Maratha commander	In alliance with Suraj Mal
Keshav Rai	Maratha officer	Wrote report to Peshwa about Rajput betrayals
Dattaji Shinde	Maratha commander	His army destroyed by Abdali (reference to past)
Nanasaheb Peshwa	Peshwa	Receiving reports in Pune

Timeline

Date	Event
1757	Mathura atrocities by Abdali, Rajputs don't help
1757	Keshav Rai writes to Peshwa about Rajput betrayals
1760	Suraj Mal welcoming Imad-ul-Mulk and Holkar since this time
June 1760	Bhau enters Suraj Mal's territory with strict orders
1760	Madhav Singh writing to Abdali to destroy Marathas
1760	Abdali reports to Madhav Singh about defeating Dattaji
Later 1760	4-5 month siege at Panipat area
January 14, 1761	Battle of Panipat actually happens

Geographic Context

Mathura:

Holy city (Krishna's birthplace)
Scene of 1757 atrocities
Rajputs failed to defend

Jaipur Area:

Amber Fort
Madhav Singh's territory
Used to stir revolts to delay Holkar

Suraj Mal's Territory:

Where Bhau entered June 1760
Protected from destruction
Strategic location

Panipat:

Where 125,000 Marathas were holed up
Under siege by Abdali
For 4-5 months before battle

Punjab:

Where Sikh power emerging
Not yet major player
But helped Marathas (for payment)
And harassed Abdali (after battle)

Major Themes

1. The Only One Willing to Talk

Suraj Mal's Uniqueness:

Out of all northern kingdoms
Only one even willing to negotiate
Not committing, just talking
That alone was extraordinary

What It Shows:

How isolated Marathas were
How hostile northern powers were
Suraj Mal's pragmatism stood out
Even entertaining the idea = unusual

2. Short-Term Greed = Long-Term Enemies

The Pattern:

Marathas help Madhav Singh get power
Then demand excessive tributes
He gets angry
Becomes their enemy
Writes to Abdali to destroy them

The Pattern with Rajputs:

Shinde and Holkar intervene in Rajput politics
Extract money, tributes
For short-term gain
Create permanent enemies
Now Rajputs won't help in crisis

The Lesson:

"Short-sighted behavior... without thinking about what will it do in the future."

3. Protectors Who Don't Protect

The Rajput Contradiction:

Consider themselves protectors of Hindu faith
"Or so they like to think"
Mathura (holy city) attacked in 1757
Tremendous atrocities
Rajputs: didn't lift a finger

The Reality:

Failed their supposed role
When actually needed = absent
The claim vs. the reality
Talk vs. action

4. The Intermediary System

Why Through Najib:

Rajputs don't trust Abdali (foreign)
But need to communicate
Use Najib as intermediary
More comfortable with Indian-based agent

What It Shows:

Even collaborators don't trust
Need intermediary
Transactional, not trusting
"Enemy's enemy" logic

5. The Intelligence Network

Najib's Role:

Watching Madhav Singh's correspondence
Keeping eye on who writes to whom
Suspecting "doubles"
Active intelligence gathering

Abdali's Network:

Getting reports from multiple sources
Coordinating with local powers
Sharing intelligence
Strategic information advantage

6. The Respect Through Protection

Bhau's Orders:

Strict: no burning villages
No destroying farmland
No creating problems
Severe punishment if violated

The Strategy:

"His territory is under my protection, basically."

What It Shows:

Trying to win Suraj Mal over
Showing respect through action
Not just promises
Actual protection of his interests

The Contrast:

With how Shinde/Holkar treated others
Demanding tributes, causing trouble
Bhau learning from their mistakes
But maybe too late

7. Together Strong, Apart Weak

The Rajput Problem:

"None of them was a big power. Together they can be, but..."

The Reality:

Small kingdoms
Individually weak
Together could matter
But not unified
Looking at own affairs

The Pattern:

Could make difference
If worked together
But won't
So collectively irrelevant

8. The Siege Economics

The Asymmetry:

125,000 Marathas = like a village
Need massive supplies
Under siege = can't get them
Abdali has allies = gets supplies easily

The Sikh Transaction:

Marathas desperate
Give away valuables
Just to get food
Not alliance = business
"You give us this, we'll give you that"

The Desperation:

Animals starving
People hungry
Trading ornaments for food
4-5 months of this
Before the actual battle

9. The Real Winner

The Irony:

"The real winner of the Battle of Panipat was the Sikhs."

Why:

Didn't fight in the battle
But profited from both sides
Marathas paid them for supplies
Then looted Abdali on way back
Both sides weakened
Sikhs emerged stronger

The Strategy:

Stay out of the fight
Let them destroy each other
Profit from both
Emerge when they're weak
Smart long-term play

10. The Sympathy vs. Help Gap

Rajput Position:

"They sympathized with the Abdali. But their lack of joining the Marathas would be felt."

The Calculation:

Sympathize with one side
But help neither
Stay neutral
Preserve own forces
"You fight it out"

What It Meant:

Could have helped Marathas
Would have made difference
But chose not to
Their neutrality = effectively helping Abdali
By not helping Marathas

Critical Insights

The Betrayal Cycle

Step 1: Marathas help local power

Madhav Singh gets kingdom through Maratha help

Step 2: Marathas demand payment

Excessive tributes
Various excuses
Constant harassment

Step 3: Local power gets angry

Irate
Resentful
Feels exploited

Step 4: Local power becomes enemy

Writes to Abdali
"Come destroy Marathas"
Active collaboration with enemy

The Pattern:

Created own enemies
Through greed
Could have had allies
Instead have active opponents

The Protection vs. Talk Gap

Rajput Claims:

"Protectors of Hindu faith"
Sacred duty
Traditional role

Rajput Actions:

Mathura attacked (holy city)
Tremendous atrocities
Didn't lift a finger
Failed completely

What It Reveals:

Claims are propaganda
Reality is self-interest
When tested = fail
The myth vs. the reality

The "Islam in Danger" Gets Real Support

Why Rajputs Invited Abdali:

Not because they trust him
Not because they like him
But because: "Please rescue us from Marathas"
"We will be in your employment"

The Implication:

Najib's "Islam in danger" argument
Wasn't just rhetoric
Had real support base
Rajput Muslims actively collaborating
Choosing Afghan Muslim over Maratha Hindu

The Coordination:

Abdali called by Najib Khan
And called by Madho Singh
Multiple sources calling him
Coordinated effort
Not just one agent

The Intermediate Trust Problem

The System:

Rajputs → Najib → Abdali
Won't go direct to Abdali
Don't trust him
But will trust Najib (sort of)

What It Shows:

Even allies don't trust
Need layers of intermediation
Transactional relationships
No real trust anywhere

The Irony:

Collaborating with foreign invader
But won't talk to him directly
Need Indian intermediary
To collaborate with foreigner

The Intelligence Advantage

Najib's Network:

Watching correspondence
Knowing who writes to whom
Suspecting double-dealing
Active monitoring

Abdali's Information:

Multiple sources reporting
Madhav Singh giving updates
Najib gathering intelligence
Coordinated information sharing

Maratha Disadvantage:

Don't know this coordination
Think they're dealing with separate parties
Don't realize level of cooperation
Information asymmetry

The Suraj Mal Exception

Why He Stood Out:

Only one willing to talk
Out of all northern powers
Not committing, just talking
But that alone was huge

What Made Him Different:

Strategic pragmatist
Not ruled by emotion
Looking at interests
Willing to negotiate

The Contrast:

Everyone else: automatic hostility
Suraj Mal: "Let's talk"
Everyone else: already decided
Suraj Mal: keeping options open

The Implication:

If more were like him
Outcome could be different
But he's the exception
Not the rule

The Order vs. Practice Gap

Bhau's Orders:

Very strict
Very specific
Severe consequences
Shows awareness of problem

The Question:

Why give these orders?
Because his army would otherwise...
...burn villages
...destroy farmland
...create problems

The Implication:

This is normal Maratha army behavior
That's why strict orders needed
That's why severe punishment threatened
They have a reputation to overcome

The Siege Reality

The Numbers:

125,000 people
For 4-5 months
Imagine supplying that
"Like a village"

The Desperation:

Trading valuables for food
Ornaments for supplies
With Sikhs who charged
Animals starving
People hungry

Before the Battle:

This is BEFORE the battle
Already weakened
Already desperate
Already depleted
Then had to fight

The Setup:

No wonder they lost
Abdali had supplies
Marathas starving
Siege worked
Battle was aftermath

The Winner Who Didn't Fight

Sikh Strategy:

Stay out of battle
Charge both sides
Let them weaken each other
Loot the survivors
Emerge strongest

The Wisdom:

Didn't have to win battle
Just had to survive it
While others destroyed each other
Smart long-term thinking
Patience paid off

The Contrast:

Marathas: seeking glory in battle
Abdali: seeking victory
Sikhs: seeking survival and profit
Guess who won long-term?

What's Coming

The Situation:

Bhau in Suraj Mal's territory
Trying to win him over with protection
But Rajputs all hostile
Actively collaborating with Abdali
Sikhs neutral (but transactional)
Madhav Singh giving intelligence to Abdali

The Setup:

125,000 Marathas will be under siege
For 4-5 months
Starving
Trading valuables for food
Animals dying
Then have to fight

The Questions:

Will Suraj Mal join Marathas?
Or stay neutral like Rajputs?
Can Bhau overcome all the coordination against him?
Can starving army win battle?
Will Sikh opportunism pay off?

The Stakes:

Already practically surrounded
Intelligence network against them
Supply lines threatened
Local powers hostile or neutral
And they don't even know it yet

June 1760: Bhau enters Suraj Mal's territory with the strictest orders his army has ever received: don't burn a single village, don't touch a single field, don't create any problems. Why? Because Suraj Mal is the ONLY northern power even willing to talk. Everyone else? Already decided. Madhav Singh, who got his kingdom through Maratha help, is now writing love letters to Abdali: "Come destroy them please, I'll be your servant." The Rajputs, who call themselves protectors of Hindu faith, stood by and did nothing when Abdali massacred Mathura in 1757. Now they're writing to Abdali through Najib Khan: "Rescue us from the Marathas, we'll obey you." Najib is watching everyone's correspondence, reporting everything to Abdali. And 125,000 Marathas are about to be under siege for 4-5 months, trading their jewelry to Sikhs just to get food for their starving horses. The Sikhs? They're the smart ones. Stay out of the battle, charge both sides, loot the survivors. They're the real winners of Panipat. They just had to wait.