Desperate Attempts and Final Battle Preparations (November 1760)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

The Critical Window: When Marathas Had the Advantage

Early November: The Supply Crisis in Abdali's Camp

The Situation (November 5+):

• Food shortage developing in Abdali's camp
• Prices skyrocketing (inflation)
• Supplies running out quickly
• Morale declining in Afghan camp
• Marathas relatively well-supplied and cheap prices

The Maratha Advantage:

• Better supply situation
• Lower prices on necessities
• Higher morale
• Growing confidence
• Perfect moment to attack

Krishnaji Joshi's Assessment (Early November):

• Written in his account
• "In these 2-4 days, Kshayas will come as a gift"
• "Only for a moment it will be lost"
• "If they attack, we will obliterate them"
• Confidence in overwhelming victory

The Strategic Moment

The Window:

• Abdali hadn't eaten well for 10 days
• Supplies running dangerously low
• If Marathas attacked: Afghan army vulnerable
• If they didn't attack: Abdali would starve or be forced to retreat
• Either way: Maratha advantage

The Challenge:

• In 15 more days: Abdali would completely wither away
• Starvation would do what military couldn't
• Just needed patience and pressure
• Window closing as supplies ran out

The Psychological Moment:

• Abdali calling himself "Shaham Shah" (King of Kings)
• But hasn't taken action in 10 days
• Looks scared or unprepared
• Marathas saw this as weakness
• This was the moment to strike

Why They Didn't Attack

The Mystery:

• Had clear advantage
• Had supply superiority
• Had morale advantage
• Had perfect tactical moment
• Yet chose not to attack

The Reasons:

• Still assessing weaknesses
• Still evaluating strengths
• Still not confident in coordination
• Still concerned about artillery integration
• Still worried about discipline breaking

The Internal Maratha Conflict: Holkar vs. Ibrahim Khan

Holkar's Last Stand: The Ganimikawa Proposal

The Suggestion:

• During this standoff period
• Holkar proposed surgical strikes (ganimikawa)
• Use cavalry mobility instead of frontal assault
• Attack at time/place of Maratha choosing
• Return to proven tactics

His Reasoning:

• 40 years of successful experience
• Never seen artillery work in actual battle
• Doesn't believe it will be decisive
• Fears frontal assault = slaughter
• Wants to use what he knows

His Conviction:

• "We are going to be slaughtered"
• Following Bajirao I's proven strategy
• Follower of Shivaji's mobile tactics
• Believes in cavalry dominance
• Opposes static fortified warfare

Ibrahim Khan's Counterattack

His Concern:

• If Holkar's ganimikawa wins the day
• What happens to artillery?
• What happens to his regiment?
• What happens to his job?
• What happens to his 10,000 soldiers?

The Threat to His Position:

• Artillery won't be needed
• His expertise becomes useless
• His payment becomes unnecessary
• His 10,000 troops become redundant
• Loses favor with Bhau permanently

His Self-Interest:

• Brought specially for this battle
• Promised monthly payments
• Has 10,000 people to feed
• Can't afford to be sidelined
• Career and livelihood at stake

The Lack of Unity

The Underlying Problem:

• Different generals with different interests
• Holkar: wants his tactics to prevail
• Ibrahim Khan: wants his artillery to prevail
• Bhau: torn between them
• Army doesn't speak with one voice

The Lack of Cohesion:

• "Ulterior motives" throughout
• Each leader protecting turf
• Not unified command structure
• Not single strategic vision
• Multiple competing agendas

The Resolution

Bhau's Decision:

• Overrules Holkar (as before)
• Supports Ibrahim Khan's approach
• Commits to artillery-based strategy
• Promises coordination
• Warns: "Don't worry, we'll stay together"

Ibrahim Khan Quieted:

• Bhau reassures him
• Won't be abandoned
• Will use him fully
• Kunjapura proved it works
• Trust the plan

The Artillery Problem: Speed vs. Power

The Fundamental Issue

Artillery Advantages:

• 2 km range (cutting edge)
• Devastates formations
• French technology (latest)
• Proven at Kunjapura
• Potentially war-winning

Artillery Disadvantages:

• Needs bulls and elephants to move
• Incredibly slow to reposition
• Can't move with cavalry charges
• Heavy equipment = logistics nightmare
• Cavalry leaves it behind easily

The Trap

The Danger:

• Cavalry charges fast
• Artillery stays behind
• Gap opens between them
• Cavalry gets surrounded without support
• Artillery can't provide covering fire

Ibrahim Khan's Fear:

• Artillery gets abandoned
• Left isolated
• Becomes sitting target
• Gets overrun
• Soldiers get killed

The Solution:

• Must fight together
• Must move together
• Can't chase cavalry with artillery
• Must have unified timing
• Everything coordinated

Abdali's Response

His Caution:

• Never approaches within 2-3 km
• Stays out of artillery range
• Doesn't come directly in front
• Won't engage on Maratha terms
• Waits for actual battle

His Strategy:

• Avoid the artillery advantage
• Don't let them choose terms
• When battle starts: no choice
• Then they can't fire on each other's forces
• Then artillery less decisive

The Final Preparations: Fortifications and Deployment

The Great Trench

The Construction:

• 12 feet deep (massive)
• 60 feet wide (enormous)
• Dug completely around camp
• Soil piled on top
• Cannons positioned on top

The Purpose:

• Prevent night infiltration
• Slow cavalry approaches
• Protect infantry
• Create killing zone
• Control battle space

The Message:

• Not rushing into battle
• Taking time to prepare
• Serious defensive position
• Expecting prolonged engagement
• Ready for anything

The Deployment

The Setup:

• Non-combatants moved to Panipat town
• Women, children, elderly sent to safety
• Warriors positioned around camp
• Warriors appointed to specific locations
• Clear chain of command

The Clarity:

• Everyone knows their position
• Everyone knows their duty
• Everyone knows what's expected
• No improvisation
• Coordinated response system

The Bundele Failure: The Final Assessment

What Didn't Happen

The Failed Requests:

• Bridge of boats never built
• Shuja never recruited to Maratha side
• Supply disruption never executed
• Money never sent
• Reinforcements never arrived

The Timeline:

• 4-5 months of failing
• Since October requests
• Continuous disappointment
• Mounting frustration
• Trust permanently broken

The Impact on Bhau

The Deterioration:

• Lost confidence in Bundele
• Fell out of favor
• Became unreliable ally
• Couldn't be counted on
• Only northern contact gone

The Strategic Consequence:

• Can't execute pincer movement
• Can't cut off Rohila-Abdali connection
• Can't disrupt Suja's support
• Can't block supplies effectively
• Plan becomes theoretical only

The Last Desperate Plea

What Bhau Asked:

• Create trouble in Rohila/Suja territories
• They might withdraw to defend homes
• Abdali would lose allies
• Would weaken coalition
• Might force retreat

The Reality:

• Bundele couldn't deliver
• No forces available
• No capability demonstrated
• No resources provided
• Plan never executed

The Psychological Standoff

What Both Sides Saw

Maratha Perception:

• Abdali is weakening
• Starvation is working
• Supplies running out
• Morale declining
• Time is our ally

Afghan Perception:

• Marathas well-supplied
• Well-positioned
• Artillery formidable
• Discipline improving
• Time is their advantage

The Paradox:

• Both think other has advantage
• Both think time favors them
• Both preparing carefully
• Both avoiding rash action
• Both locked in stalemate

The Reality

The Actual Situation:

• Both armies were suffering
• Both needed to end stalemate
• Both had vulnerabilities
• Both had strengths
• Both needed the other to move first

Key Themes

1. Missed Opportunity - Maratha had supply advantage but didn't exploit it
2. Internal Conflict - Different generals with competing interests
3. Technology vs. Tactics - Artillery vs. cavalry debate unresolved
4. Speed vs. Power - Fundamental contradiction in strategy
5. Coordin ation Problem - Multiple armies with different interests
6. Trust Issues - Holkar distrusts Ibrahim Khan; Bhau distrusts Bundele
7. Psychology - Both sides see weakness in other; both see strength in self

The Desperate Calculation

For Marathas:

• Could wait for Abdali to starve
• Could attack while advantaged
• Could maintain siege mentality
• Could exhaust resources
• But morale would decline anyway

For Afghans:

• Could attempt breakthrough
• Could outlast Maratha supply
• Could wait for Maratha collapse
• Could force Maratha decision
• But starving soldiers wouldn't fight

The Trap:

• Both locked in mutual vulnerability
• Both needing something to break
• Both afraid of wrong move
• Both aware stakes are total
• Both knowing something must give

Where This Leads: By late November, the window of Maratha advantage is passing. Abdali's supplies are getting critical but not yet lethal. Maratha morale is holding but questions about coordination persist. Holkar and Ibrahim Khan represent fundamental divide in strategy. Bundele has proven useless. And both armies are running out of patience and resources. Something has to break soon. The waiting game can't continue indefinitely.

This was the moment. Early November, Abdali starving, Marathas strong, perfect chance to strike. One decisive attack and the war ends. But they didn't attack. They waited. They assessed. They argued among themselves about tactics. And while they waited, Abdali's supplies stabilized enough to survive. The window closed. And no one got a second one.