"During the campaign that Sadashivrao Bahu was leading, the monthly expense for the whole, it was a town that he was moving, so it was incurring 500,000 to 600,000 rupees a month."

The Math:

Bhau had 188,000 available
One third of total amount
For just one month of expenses

Nanasaheb's Message:

"This is the best I could do. And then you're on your own."

The Reality:

"So they are in dire straits already and they haven't even gotten to the north in money terms."

What It Meant

The Situation:

Basically have to look for own provisions
Take care of monetary situation themselves
On their own
From here on out

Ibrahim Khan Gardi's Condition

The Non-Negotiable Requirement

Who He Was:

Had 10,000 musketeers with him
They were his musketeers

His Terms:

"You have to pay their salaries every month in a very, very, like you have to pay them on that given date. That is my only requirement. I will do whatever you want."

The Difference:

Other soldiers: maybe could go few months without getting paid
But these 10,000: had to be paid
No exceptions
On time
Every month

What Had to Be Fed and Paid

The Full Count

The Challenge:

Huge army: at least 70,000-75,000
Lot of Ashrit (refugees/those seeking protection)

Ashrit Explained:

Ashrit = to be under somebody's protection
Noun: somebody who seeks your protection to be safe
People who said: "Please take care of us"
"We just want to go to holy places"
Under his protection

The Animals:

Thousands upon thousands
Camels
Elephants
Donkeys
Horses
You name it
All had to be fed

The Costs:

People have to be fed
Have to be paid (salaries)
Of course: water
Need lots of water

Govind Pant Bundele: The Reliable Man

Who He Was

His Real Name:

Actually Kher
But had been placed in Bundelkhand for long time
Came to be known as Bundele

His Position:

Somebody on whom Sadashiv could rely upon
A revenue officer

His Characteristics

Age:

Beyond 60 years of age
Senior man
Not in his prime time age

Not a Fighter:

Not a renowned fighter
First and foremost responsibility: collect revenue
Was not fighter or warrior

What He Could Do:

Could do battle
But wasn't renowned for it
Just take care of getting revenue
From people who owe/won't pay
There he could use force
But with good army: not that good in fighting business

His Job:

"Primarily, he would look after revenue collection. That was his job."

The Other Revenue Man: Antaji Manteshwar

His Background

His Base:

Used to be in Delhi all the time
Based in Delhi

Why He Joined:

For some revenue, accounting
To talk to Peshwa
Give him accounting details
He happened to be in Pune
So he joined Sadashiv Rao
In the northern campaign

The Geography: Chambar Zone

About Chambar

What It Is:

Chambar is a river
Chambar is also a zone
Kind of a foresty zone
Through which Chambar river goes
Kind of hidden in forest/trees a bit

Beyond Chambar:

The area of Marwa
Once he crosses Chambar
Will be in Marwa

The Expected Reinforcements

Who Would Join

The Plan:

Supposed to meet up with Jankoji Shinde
And Holkar

The Numbers:

Jankoji typically would have 15,000-20,000 troops
Holkar would have similar number
He will be joined by 20,000-25,000 troops

Bhau's Northern Ignorance

What He Didn't Know

The Reality:

"Bhau personally does not know about geographical details, rivers, people, areas in the north. Not at all. Because he never gone to north."

His Experience:

All his life: stayed in Dakhan (Deccan)
Fighting experience: with Nizam and southern powers
Hadn't really gone to north ever before

What He Lacked:

Didn't know politics of geographical nature
The intricacies
The details
Didn't know about it

Bhau's Personality

The Can-Do Attitude

His Character:

"But Bhau was not the man who would retreat based on uncertainties or difficulties. So he was a can-do personality."

What This Meant:

Wouldn't be easily discouraged
Would take no for an answer
Would say: "Okay, I will take it on"
Very enthusiastic

Key Players

Name	Role	Characteristics
Sadashiv Rao Bhau	Maratha commander	Losing money daily, can-do personality, doesn't know north
Nanasaheb Peshwa	Peshwa	Treasury problems, gave 188k rupees, "you're on your own"
Govind Pant Bundele	Revenue officer	60+ years old, reliable, not great fighter, main money man
Ibrahim Khan Gardi	Musketeer commander	10,000 musketeers, must be paid on time, non-negotiable
Antaji Manteshwar	Revenue/accounting officer	Usually in Delhi, happened to be in Pune, joined campaign
Jankoji Shinde	Maratha commander	In north, 15-20k troops, will join Bhau
Malhar Rao Holkar	Maratha commander	In north, 15-20k troops, will join Bhau
Nizam	Hyderabad ruler	Owed money, misbehaving, not paying

Timeline

Date	Event
Before march	Nana Sahib gives Bhau 188,000 rupees
March 1760	Campaign begins
Ongoing	Losing money every day
Ongoing	Monthly expenses: 500,000-600,000 rupees
Ongoing	Treasury "very delicate," looking "shaky"
Expected	Will meet Jankoji and Holkar after crossing Chambar
Ongoing	Nizam not paying what he owes

Financial Details

Available:

188,000 rupees (checks to cash)
From Ujjain and Daur

Monthly Cost:

500,000-600,000 rupees per month

The Math:

Available = 1/3 of one month's expenses
After that: "on your own"

Revenue Sources:

Tribute from smaller kingdoms (forced)
Resupply along the way
Govind Pant Bundele collecting revenue
Antaji Manteshwar helping with accounts

Outstanding:

Money owed from Nizam (not coming)
Other debts people owe Peshwa

Major Themes

1. The Moving Town

The Scale:

120,000-130,000 people
70,000-80,000 army
Thousands of animals
Like a village moving
Massive logistics

The Cost:

Feed everyone daily
Pay salaries
Water for all
Animals need food
Losing money every day

The Comparison:

Not just army
Entire ecosystem
Ashrit (refugees)
Holy pilgrims
Support staff
Families
Complete society moving

2. The Supply Chain Dependency

The System:

Can't carry everything
Must resupply along way
Dependent on local areas

The Method:

Tribute (forced)
"Pay up or else"
Smaller kingdoms
Whoever they meet

The Vulnerability:

If areas hostile: starve
If can't extract tribute: starve
Completely dependent
No self-sufficiency

3. The Treasury Crisis

The Bleeding:

Money not coming in
Money going out
Every single day
Can't sustain

The Expectation vs Reality:

Expected: Nizam money
Reality: Nizam misbehaving
Not paying
Because Marathas left

The Condition:

Treasury "very delicate"
Looking "shaky"
Not sustainable
Dire straits
Haven't even reached north yet

4. The One Month's Budget

What Bhau Got:

188,000 rupees
Checks to cash
From Ujjain and Daur

What It Covered:

One third of one month
Out of 500,000-600,000 monthly

The Message:

"This is the best I could do. You're on your own."

The Implication:

After ~10 days: broke
Must find own money
From beginning
Already in crisis

5. The Non-Negotiable Contract

Ibrahim Khan Gardi's Terms:

10,000 musketeers
Must be paid on time
On given date
Every month
No exceptions

The Difference:

Other soldiers: flexible
Can wait few months
These: absolutely not
Professional troops
Professional terms

The Pressure:

No matter what
Must find money
For these 10,000
Every month
On schedule
Or lose them

6. The 60-Year-Old Revenue Man

Govind Pant Bundele:

Over 60 years old
Not prime fighting age
Not renowned fighter
But: reliable
Revenue expert

His Value:

Knows how to collect
Can use force if needed
But against armies: not great
Revenue, not warfare
That's his skill

The Dependence:

Bhau relies on him
Main money man
Must solve money problem
Along with boat bridge
Critical role

7. The 70,000 Mouths to Feed

The Count:

70,000-75,000 army
Plus Ashrit (refugees)
Plus holy pilgrims
Plus animals (thousands)
All need food, water, salaries

The Daily Cost:

Every single day
Must feed everyone
Must pay everyone
Must water animals
Must feed animals
Massive daily burn

The Math:

If 500,000-600,000 per month
That's ~17,000-20,000 per day
Every day
No breaks
No holidays

8. The Ashrit Burden

Who They Are:

Seek protection
Want to go holy places
Not fighters
Just pilgrims
Refugees

The Cost:

Must protect them
Must feed them
Must water them
Don't contribute militarily
Pure burden

Why Take Them:

Cultural obligation
Honor requirement
Can't refuse protection
Part of dharma
But costs money

9. The Northern Ignorance

What Bhau Doesn't Know:

Geography of north
Rivers
People
Areas
Politics
Intricacies
Details

Why:

Never been there
All life in Deccan
Fought Nizam
Southern powers only
First time north

The Problem:

Fighting on unfamiliar terrain
Against enemies who know it
Geographic disadvantage
Political disadvantage
Learning as he goes

10. The Can-Do Personality

Bhau's Character:

Won't retreat
Based on uncertainties
Based on difficulties
Can-do personality

What This Means:

Not easily discouraged
Will take challenges on
Very enthusiastic
Confident

The Double Edge:

Good: pushes through obstacles
Bad: ignores real problems
Optimism > realism
Confidence > caution
Might not see dangers

Critical Insights

The Mathematics of Disaster

The Numbers:

Have: 188,000 rupees (1/3 of one month)
Need: 500,000-600,000 per month
Monthly shortfall: ~400,000 rupees
After 10 days: completely broke

The Reality:

Already in financial crisis
Before even reaching north
Before even fighting
Haven't spent on battle yet
Just logistics
Already failing

The Trajectory:

Can't sustain
Must extract tribute
From every area
Make enemies
Burn bridges
For survival

The Tribute System as Strategic Weakness

How It Works:

Force smaller kingdoms
Pay up or else
Extract resources
Resupply this way

The Problems:

Makes enemies - everyone you extract from hates you
Dependent - if they refuse, you starve
Slow - takes time to extract
Uncertain - don't know what you'll get
Reputation - word spreads, allies disappear

The Contrast:

Abdali: supplied through allies
Willingly giving
Marathas: forcing tribute
Creating resentment

The 10,000 Non-Negotiables

Ibrahim Khan Gardi's Leverage:

Must be paid
On time
Every month
No flexibility

What It Means:

~17,000-20,000 rupees/month just for them
Out of 188,000 total
~10% of budget
For ~13% of army (10k of 75k)
Disproportionate
But non-negotiable

The Implication:

Professional troops cost more
But are more effective
Worth it in battle
But strain finances
Can't afford to lose them
Can't afford to keep them

The Reliable 60-Year-Old

Why Govind Pant Matters:

Not young
Not great fighter
But: reliable
Revenue expert
Bhau can depend on him

The Role:

Solve money problem
Build boat bridge
Two critical tasks
Both must succeed
Or campaign fails

The Limitation:

60+ years old
Not in prime
Limited energy
Not battlefield commander
Just administrator
That's all Bhau has

The Ashrit Anchor

The Burden:

Thousands of non-combatants
Need food
Need water
Need protection
Give nothing back

Why:

Cultural obligation
Can't refuse protection
Honor demands it
Dharma requires it

The Cost:

Slow movement
More supplies needed
More vulnerable
More logistics
For no military gain

The Dilemma:

Can't abandon them (dishonorable)
Can't afford them (financially)
Stuck with burden
Weakens campaign

The Moving Town Vulnerability

The Reality:

120,000-130,000 people
Thousands of animals
Massive logistics
Slow movement
Vulnerable supply chain

The Problem:

Can't move fast
Can't maneuver easily
Can't live off land
Must extract tribute
Predictable route
Easy to ambush

The Contrast:

Abdali: mobile, flexible, supplied
Marathas: slow, inflexible, desperate
Strategic disadvantage
Before battle even starts

The Northern Ignorance Multiplier

What Bhau Doesn't Know:

Geography
Rivers
Politics
People
Details

How It Multiplies Problems:

Can't judge distances
Can't predict obstacles (rivers)
Can't leverage local support
Can't understand motivations
Making blind decisions

With Money Problems:

Don't know who to extract from
Don't know who has wealth
Don't know political costs
Every mistake expensive
Learning curve costs money

The Can-Do Trap

The Personality:

Won't retreat
Based on difficulties
Can-do attitude
Very enthusiastic

The Danger:

Ignores real obstacles
Optimism > realism
Pushes forward despite
Financial crisis
Geographic ignorance
Supply problems

The Result:

Confidence gets to north
But problems accumulate
Doesn't address fundamentals
Just pushes through
Until can't anymore

The One-Third Budget

The Starting Point:

Month 1: have 1/3 of budget
Month 2: $0
Month 3: $0
Etc.

The Plan:

Extract tribute
Collect revenue (Govind Pant)
Cash checks (188k)
Hope for more

The Reality:

Nizam not paying
Treasury shaky
No reserves
Living hand to mouth
From day one

The Comparison:

Campaign needs 6+ months
Have funding for 10 days
Math doesn't work
Disaster guaranteed

The Reliability vs Capability Gap

What Bhau Needs:

Young, energetic commanders
Great fighters
Northern experience
Financial genius
Military brilliance

What Bhau Has:

60-year-old revenue officer (reliable)
19-year-old namesake commander (inexperienced)
Himself (southern experience only)
Holkar (won't fight frontally)
Shinde (will join but limited)

The Gap:

Reliability ≠ capability
Govind Pant reliable but old
Vishwas Rao young but inexperienced
No one has full package
Making do with what available

What's Coming

The Situation:

Treasury "very delicate" and "shaky"
Money for 10 days only
Losing money every day
70,000-75,000 to feed and pay
Thousands of animals to feed
10,000 musketeers must be paid on time
Nizam not paying what he owes
Must rely on Govind Pant (60+ years old)
Bhau doesn't know the north at all
Can-do personality pushing forward anyway

The Questions:

Where will money come from?
Can Govind Pant collect enough revenue?
Will Ibrahim Khan Gardi's musketeers get paid?
What happens when money runs out?
Will tribute extraction make more enemies?
Can they sustain 6+ month campaign?

The Trajectory:

Financial crisis from day one
Will only get worse
Must extract more tribute
Make more enemies
Weaken alliances
All while fighting
Math doesn't work
Heading toward disaster

1760: It's a town moving north. 120,000-130,000 people. 70,000-80,000 soldiers. Thousands of animals. It costs 500,000-600,000 rupees per month just to keep everyone fed, watered, and paid. Bhau has 188,000 rupees - one third of one month's expenses. "This is the best I could do. You're on your own." The treasury is "very delicate," looking "shaky." Money's not coming in. Money's going out. Every single day. Nizam owes money but he's misbehaving, not paying because they left. They're in dire straits and they haven't even gotten to the north yet. Ibrahim Khan Gardi's 10,000 musketeers must be paid on time, on the given date, every month, no exceptions. The main man to solve this? Govind Pant Bundele. He's over 60 years old. Not a renowned fighter. But reliable. A revenue officer. That's who Bhau is relying on. To collect money, build a boat bridge, save the campaign. And Bhau himself? Doesn't know the north. Never been there. All his life in the Deccan. Doesn't know the geography, the rivers, the people, the politics. First time north. But he's got a can-do personality. Won't retreat based on difficulties. Will push forward. 10 days of funding for a 6+ month campaign. The math doesn't work. But he's going anyway.