Kunjapura Victory & The False Reassurance Campaign

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Najib Khan's Rumor Campaign

The Devastating Claim:

• Spreading rumor that Bahu wants to install Vishwas Rao on Mughal throne
• Claims Marathas want to destroy Mughal Empire entirely
• Says Marathas want to make it a Hindu Empire instead
• This taps into deepest fear of entire northern establishment

Why This Works:

• Entire Delhi ecosystem is Muslim-appeasers or Muslims
• All power structures designed around Mughal legitimacy
• People's livelihoods depend on Mughal system existing
• Fear: If Hindu kingdom installed, everything changes
• Raj pUts (Hindu) also benefited from Mughal arrangement
• So both Muslim AND Hindu elite terrified by this prospect

The Political Reality:

• Raj puts themselves are vassals of Mughal system
• They didn't mind Hindu identity IF Mughal structure remained
• But direct Maratha rule + Hindu empire = loss of privileges
• So Rajputs also join Muslims in opposing Marathas
• Najib turned Hindu/Muslim divide irrelevant—everyone threatened

Why This Rumor So Powerful:

• Not baseless—Marathas DID show interest in Delhi politics
• Bahu DID want influence on who rules
• Could plausibly want to put Maratha-aligned person on throne
• So rumor had grain of truth, making it believable
• Fear-mongering with kernel of reality = most dangerous

Bahu's Damage Control Campaign

The Problem:

• Rumor spreading rapidly through Delhi establishment
• Everyone assuming worst about Maratha intentions
• Muslim elite panicking
• Hindu elite (Rajputs) also panicking
• Political coalition forming against Marathas

Bahu's Response:

• Had to waste energy reassuring people
• Brought Muslim elites and Mughal family into confidence
• Essentially said: "Don't worry, we're not kicking you out"
• "Vishwas Rao on throne? No, that's not our plan"
• "You're safe and secure under our protection"
• Had to spend political capital just to maintain neutrality

The Cost:

• Time and energy spent on damage control
• Credibility test: Did anyone believe him?
• Couldn't just deny—had to prove it with actions
• Made him vulnerable in other areas while busy reassuring

The Fort Assault: Military Success

The Strategic Achievement:

• Captured Kunjapura fort
• Eliminated 15,000 Afghan troops (or scattered them)
• Got supplies desperately needed
• Got money to sustain army
• Gave Marathas breathing room

But At What Cost:

• Had to behead Qutub Shah (who offered to negotiate)
• Lost opportunity for peace talks
• Showed ruthlessness that confirmed fears
• Made it harder to convince Muslims he wasn't anti-Islamic
• Military win but political loss

The Emperor Situation

The Current Situation:

• No emperor in Delhi (the real one had been blinded/imprisoned)
• Abdali had put in a puppet
• Marathas replaced with different arrangement
• But nobody wants a Maratha choice

The Crown Prince Solution:

• Since no full emperor available
• Marathas designated a "Crown Prince"
• Crown prince can act with authority
• But can't be emperor (which would be controversial)
• Probably young son of someone, temporary solution
• Reassurance: We're not installing permanent ruler

The Reason for Crown Prince:

• Proves Marathas respect Mughal system
• Shows willingness to let system continue
• Young crown prince = less threatening than adult ruler
• When real emperor ready to return, he can
• Political signal: We're custodians, not conquerors

Suja's Political Maneuvering

His Situation After Fort Capture:

• Suja appointed as Wazir (by Marathas)
• Also guaranteed as Wazir by Abdali (if Abdali wins)
• Hedged his bets perfectly

Why He's Happy:

• If Marathas win: He's Wazir under them
• If Abdali wins: He's Wazir under Abdali
• Either way: Position secured

His Logic:

• Marathas are local power (staying no matter what)
• Abdali is external (will go back to Afghanistan)
• So Marathas more reliable ally long-term
• But doesn't want to provoke Abdali unnecessarily
• Best outcome: Both sides respect his Wazir position

The Six Thousand Troops:

• Marathas sent 6,000 troops to protect him
• Shows commitment to his authority
• Shows they're taking it seriously
• Makes his position credible in eyes of Delhi establishment
• Military backing + political position = real power

The Religious Reassurance Problem

What's Actually Happening:

• Marathas denying they'll destroy Mughal system
• Denying they'll convert to Hinduism empire
• Denying anti-Islamic bias
• But... they just beheaded Qutub Shah

The Contradiction:

• Religious/cultural reassurance is hollow
• Actions (brutal killing of Islamic commander) contradict words
• Bahu's harsh personality undermines diplomatic message
• Can't kill religious authority and then say "we respect Islam"

The Political Difficulty:

• Bahu needed to execute Qutub (personal honor, Dattaji revenge)
• But every execution confirms Muslim fears
• Creates impossible situation:
  • If merciful: Seems weak, loses credibility
  • If harsh: Confirms anti-Islamic bias rumors
  • Either way: Political damage

The Ecosystem Reality

Who Controls Delhi:

• Mughal Emperor (nominal)
• Administrative elites (mostly Muslim)
• Military commanders (mix of Muslim/Hindu)
• Rajputs (Hindu but Mughal-aligned)
• Merchants/traders (affected by stability)

Why They Fear Marathas:

• Marathas are Deccan outsiders
• Represent new power center
• Don't respect established Delhi etiquette
• Harsh and military-minded (not diplomatic)
• Will break existing relationships
• Might restructure entire system

Why They Fear Abdali:

• Outsider from Afghanistan
• Temporary (will leave eventually)
• Doesn't understand Delhi system deeply
• Brutal reputation
• Might loot everything on way out

The Paradox:

• Everyone wants both to fail
• But can't openly help either without risk
• So they fence-sit, cooperate minimally
• This is why Marathas have no solid allies

The Narrative Battle

Najib's Narrative:

• Marathas want to destroy Mughal system
• Marathas are anti-Islamic
• Marathas will create Hindu empire
• Result: Everyone loses their positions
• Action item: Support Abdali to prevent this

Bahu's Counter-Narrative:

• Marathas are protecting Mughal system
• Marathas are respecting Islamic traditions
• Marathas just defending against external threat
• Result: Stability maintained
• Action item: Accept Maratha protection

The Problem:

• Bahu's narrative requires trust
• Trust requires consistent actions
• Bahu's harsh personality + military killings undermine trust
• Najib's narrative exploits this gap
• Najib wins the narrative war even if he loses the military war

Timing of Religious Festival

Navratri (October 10):

• Marks end of monsoon
• Traditionally auspicious for new projects/military campaigns
• Indicates warfare becoming possible again
• Symbolically important for Hindu forces
• Shows: Marathas ready to move to offense

What This Means:

• No more waiting for monsoon
• Military operations accelerating
• Battle coming very soon
• This is the "start" of campaign season
• Both sides know monsoon ended, action begins

The Crown Prince Arrangement

What It Really Is:

• Political theater to reassure Delhi establishment
• Says: "Look, we're respecting Mughal system"
• But it's temporary, everyone knows it
• Crown prince has no real legitimacy
• Just holding position until real emperor returns

Why Even Do It:

• Shows Marathas understand Mughal legitimacy matters
• Shows willingness to respect established order
• Buys credibility with establishment
• Costs them nothing (crown prince has no real power anyway)
• Cheap political gesture with strategic value

The Real Emperor:

• Blinded by Imad ul Mulk (traumatized)
• Refused to return while Abdali on horizon
• Said: "Not coming if my life in danger"
• So Marathas had to find stand-in
• Crown prince = temporary placeholder

Timeline

Key Concepts

"Khodi Word" = Bad ideas/naughty theory

• Najib's rumor campaign
• Anti-Islamic narrative
• Fear-mongering theory

Ecosystem Opposition:

• Not just Abdali vs. Marathas
• But entire establishment vs. Marathas
• System designed around Mughal legitimacy
• Everyone profits from that system
• So everyone opposes fundamental change

The Narrative Problem:

• Bahu lost narrative war while winning military battles
• Couldn't convince Delhi establishment of true intentions
• Couldn't separate military necessities from anti-Islamic bias
• Political legitimacy matters as much as military force

Where We Left Off: Marathas won Kunjapura militarily, getting supplies they needed. But they lost the narrative war—Najib's rumors about installing Hindu empire spread widely. Bahu had to spend energy reassuring Muslim elite. To counter rumors, Marathas installed crown prince and guaranteed Suja as Wazir. But military ruthlessness (killing Qutub) undermined diplomatic message. Delhi establishment remains hostile/neutral. Marathas have supplies but lack political legitimacy. Abdali is coming with monsoon-free weather. Battle imminent with entire establishment hoping neither side wins.

You can win battles with swords but lose wars with narratives. Bahu won Kunjapura militarily but couldn't convince Delhi he wasn't anti-Islamic. Every ruthless military decision confirmed the rumors. By the time they captured supplies, they'd lost the establishment's trust. And in Delhi politics, you need more than soldiers and supplies—you need the system's blessing. They never got it.