Get boats ready for Yamuna crossing
- Bridge of boats to cross river
- Immediate tactical advantage
Negotiate with Shuja of Doab
- Bring him to Maratha side
- Or at least neutralize him
- Remove from Abdali's coalition

Why These Mattered:

Boats: could have crossed Yamuna before Abdali
Shuja: could have cut off supplies earlier
Combined: might have prevented Abdali's consolidation
Timing: before Panipat position established

The Failure:

Bundele couldn't deliver boats in time
Shuja couldn't be recruited/persuaded
Both missions failed months ago
Bhau fell out of favor with Bundele then
All subsequent requests tainted by this failure

The November 4 Letter: Escalating Demands

The Tone Shift

The Anger Building:

November 4: just 5 days after Panipat
Frustrated with lack of support
Money desperately needed
Bundele repeatedly failing
Patience wearing thin

The Letter Content:

"I have written repeatedly about the need for funds here. Yet you are postponing the issue and writing vacuous letters that you are doing so now and within two or three days. Your efficiency is found wanting. Without delay, find a way to send the funds."

The Urgency:

Not request anymore: demand
Not gentle: blunt criticism
"Vacuous letters" = empty promises
"Efficiency found wanting" = you're failing
"Without delay" = immediately

The Situation Briefing

What Bhau's Letter Says:

"I am at Panipat entrenched before Abdali"
"An array of guns before us"
"He is unable to move anywhere"
"Our Pindaris go and bring away his camels, horses"
"Nobody chases them"

The Reality Check:

Bhau projecting confidence but desperate
Actually harassing Abdali successfully (true)
But own position dire (unstated)
Needs money immediately
Running out of resources fast

The New Requests

The Changed Plan:

No longer: "come join the main army"
Now: "Create disturbance in Shuja and Rohila territory"
Cross Ganga into their lands
Cause chaos in rear areas
Cut off their support to Abdali

The Rationale:

Shuja and Rohilas now allied with Abdali
They're supporting him
If harassed, must defend homeland
Can't focus on supporting Abdali
Creates diversion and weakens support

The Funding Request

The Desperation:

"Send the funds to Delhi. I will get it from there. Come to Patparganj as soon as possible with rapid marches."

The Pressure:

"You will never get a time such as this to show how well you can serve."

The Anger:

"In these days, nothing is done as instructed by anybody. Then what use are you to us?"

The Assessment:

Bhau losing patience
Bundele not delivering
Funds critical need
Can't wait any longer
Relationship breaking down

The Supply Line Geography: The Real Problem

The Rohilkhand Connection

The Location:

Rohilkhand across Ganga (east bank)
Not in Doab region
Separate geographic area
Different river system
Requires separate strategy

The Supply Route:

Supplies originate in Rohilkhand
Come west across Ganga
Enter Doab region
Cross Doab heading north
Reach Abdali at Panipat

The Disruption Point:

Best place to cut: Rohilkhand itself
Or crossing Ganga from Rohilkhand
Or traversing Doab
Bundele could intercept at any point
But needs forces and coordination

The Suj a Factor

Who He Is:

Nawab of Doab region
Initially seemed neutral
Later joined Abdali's coalition
Providing supplies through his territory
Making himself useful to Afghans

Why He Mattered:

Controlled territory supplies must pass through
Could have blocked them (chose not to)
Could have been persuaded (wasn't)
Became Abdali's ally instead
Now part of supply chain

The Capture/Allegiance:

Suja may have been coerced
Forced to support Abdali
No choice available
Even if regretting, trapped
Cannot abandon without consequences

The Strategic Disconnect

What Bhau Wanted vs. What Bundele Delivered

Bhau's Needs:

Major military operations
Cutting off multiple supply lines
Coordinating with main army
Timing attacks precisely
Resources and funds immediately

Bundele's Limitations:

Civilian administrator
Aged, not vigorous
Insufficient troops (wanted 20,000, got nothing)
Geographic constraints
Can't move swiftly enough

The Mismatch:

Asking warrior to do civilian job
Asking civilian to do warrior job
Each poorly suited for current role
Bundele: "I can collect taxes"
Bhau: "I need combat operations"

The Four-Month Buildup

The Original Failure (October):

Boats weren't ready
Shuja wasn't recruited
Double mission failed
Bundele fell from favor
Trust broken then

The Current Status (November):

Still requesting impossible tasks
Still expecting delivery
Still criticizing failure
Still demanding immediate action
Relationship poisoned permanently

The Harsh Reality

What Bundele Actually Could Do

Realistic Capability:

Create local disturbances
Harass supply lines somewhat
Gather taxes from territory
Mobilize perhaps 5,000-10,000 troops maximum
Not enough for strategic impact

What Bhau Needed:

20,000+ troops for pincer
Coordinated timing with main army
Swift military movements
Cutting major supply routes
Game-changing strategic impact

The Gap:

Bundele: 1/4 of needed strength
Strategy needs both elements
Missing one: whole plan fails
Can't compensate for shortage
Plan collapses without resources

The Personnel Problem

Bundele's Age:

Can't make swift movements
Can't react quickly to circumstances
Can't lead dangerous raids
Exhausted from extended service
Wrong person for dynamic warfare

What's Needed:

Young, aggressive commander
Swift decision-making
Daring tactics
Quick reconnaissance
Active leadership

The Final Assessment

Bhau's Patience Breakdown

The Statement:

"His balance had now been gone because, you know, he was so far maintaining some kind of balance. But now he was getting angry."

The Cause:

Months of unfulfilled promises
Critical needs unmet
Resources desperately needed
Nothing delivered when needed
Relationship at breaking point

The Blame Distribution

Bundele's Fault:

Can't deliver on requests
Insufficient forces
Can't move swiftly
Aging, not vigorous
Wrong person for job

Bhau's Fault:

Unrealistic expectations
Gave difficult tasks to civilian
Didn't allocate sufficient resources
Didn't plan for failures
Expected impossible execution

Nana Sahib's Fault:

Refused to fund adequately
Wanted to save money
Didn't see strategic importance
Budget constraints > military need
Penny-wise, pound-foolish

The Consequence

What Doesn't Happen

The Plan That Failed:

No major pincer movement
No cutting of Rohilkhand supply line
No crushing Shuja/Rohila territory
No supply line disruption
No squeezing Abdali from two sides

The Opportunity Lost:

If executed properly: devastating
Could have changed battle outcome
Could have forced Abdali's retreat
Could have avoided bloodshed
Lost because of insufficient resources

The Broader Pattern

Maratha Resource Constraints

The Issue:

Always underfunded
Always stretching resources
Always doing more with less
Always making impossible requests
Always hoping for miracles

The Contrast:

Abdali: well-funded by Afghans
Abdali: can pursue multiple strategies
Marathas: constrained by poverty
Marathas: must prioritize constantly
Marathas: always improvising

Where This Leads: Bhau's flawless pincer plan dies not because it's bad strategy, but because Bundele lacks resources and capability to execute. The Marathas have brilliant plans but insufficient funds. Abdali has fewer brilliant plans but more resources. The irony: if Bundele had 20,000 troops and moved swiftly, Abdali might never have made Panipat. But Nana Sahib's budget constraints cost them the game. Sometimes wars aren't won or lost in battle. They're won or lost in the ledgers of treasury officials making budget decisions.

Bhau asked. Bundele promised. Nothing was delivered. Months passed. Bhau's patience evaporated. "Your efficiency is found wanting," he wrote. But the real problem wasn't Bundele's efficiency. It was Nana Sahib's penny-pinching. 20,000 troops would have done it. Would have changed everything. But the money wasn't there. So Bundele did nothing. And the flawless plan remained forever theoretical.