The Winter War: Cold, Hunger, and the Final Desperation (December 1760)

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

The Winter Setting: Early December at Panipat

The Seasonal Shift

The Time:

  • Late November/early December
  • Winter fully arriving
  • Northern India biting cold
  • Not Maratha homeland weather
  • Extreme for southern soldiers

The Temperature:

  • Intense cold
  • Northern plains brutality
  • Marathas unprepared
  • Afghans comfortable
  • Massive weather disadvantage

The Clothing Crisis: Summer Clothes in Winter

The Maratha Problem

The Reality:

  • Dressed for summer weather
  • Came from warm south
  • Clothing inadequate for season
  • Never been this far north before
  • Not their natural home

The Consequence:

  • Can't keep warm
  • No winter coats
  • Freezing at night
  • Can't function properly
  • Physical deterioration

The Afghan Advantage

Their Preparation:

  • From Afghanistan (mountain winters)
  • Used to severe cold
  • Wearing leather coats (Angarkha)
  • Angarkha = winter coat
  • Designed for brutal cold

The Contrast:

  • Afghans comfortable
  • Marathas suffering
  • Physical advantage
  • Morale advantage
  • Survival advantage

The Firewood Problem: The Winter Fuels

The Basic Need

What's Required:

  • Bonfire heat essential
  • Evening hours freezing
  • Early morning worse
  • Can't sleep in tent without warmth
  • Central heating nonexistent

The Fuel:

  • Serpent = dried wood
  • Used for bonfire fuel
  • Burns for hours
  • Provides body heat
  • Essential for survival

The Procurement Problem

The Solution:

  • Cut down nearby forest trees
  • Chip into small pieces
  • Use as firewood
  • Massive operation
  • Feeding 150,000+ people

The Risk:

  • 500-600 soldiers foraging
  • Exposed to Afghan attack
  • Vulnerable position
  • Had to send military protection
  • Combat-ready soldiers required

The Dilemma:

  • Need firewood or freeze
  • But foraging risky
  • Must send protection
  • Takes fighting men from camp
  • Can't afford to lose them

The Encirclement Game: Supply Disruption War

What Both Sides Are Doing

The Strategy:

  • Cut each other's supplies
  • Whoever depletes first: loses
  • Whoever survives: wins
  • Attrition warfare
  • Logistical warfare

The Reality:

  • "Game was to cut enemy supplies"
  • "Whoever did best = demoralize enemy"
  • "Can't eat, drink, no clothes"
  • "Don't want to go to war"
  • "Just sit there and starve"

The Maratha Attempt

Bhau's Letters:

  • December 6: Demanding Gopal Ganesh attack
  • "Cross Yamuna and do as directed"
  • "Attack Suja Uddola's areas"
  • Create instability in his kingdom
  • Force him to defend home

The Tactical Purpose:

  • Abdali's allied forces nervous
  • In camp wanting to leave
  • If homeland attacked: must defend
  • Would abandon Abdali
  • Break up coalition

The Afghan Coalition Fracturing

The Pressure on Allies

Their Status:

  • Najib Khan (Rohila commander)
  • Suja Uddaula (Doab ruler)
  • Bangash (Ahmad Khan)
  • Others from northern territories
  • Far from home

Their Problem:

  • Can't stay indefinitely
  • Miss their kingdoms
  • Worried about homelands
  • Tired of waiting
  • Want to go home

Their Advocacy:

  • Pushing for truce
  • Want to negotiate peace
  • Want to "protect honor"
  • "Let us get out"
  • End this waiting game

Abdali's Response

The Tone:

  • Calm and quiet
  • Decisive
  • Authoritarian
  • "Guys, shut up"
  • End of discussion

The Message:

  • "You're uninformed"
  • "Not knowledgeable about war games"
  • "When it comes to strategies and plans"
  • "Leave it to me"
  • "I know how to go to war"

The Command:

  • "In other areas: do what you like"
  • "But battlefield strategy: my domain"
  • "Just leave it to me"
  • "I'll wait for right time"
  • "You'll be victorious"

The Waiting Game: Abdali's Patience

His Philosophy

The Core Belief:

  • Action in battle can't be rushed
  • Right time must come
  • No point in hurrying
  • Supplies coming in
  • Can wait months if needed

The Logic:

  • Demoralize Marathas as much as possible
  • Force them to attack from desperation
  • Without supplies: only option is attack
  • Then already demoralized
  • Perfect conditions for victory

The Maratha Desperation: December 6 Letter

Bhau's Command to Gopal Ganesh

The Assessment:

  • "Abdali has no strength to attack us"
  • "Our firing hurt him"
  • "Killed men and horses in camp"
  • "Out of fear he moved 2 kilometers"
  • "Took his guns away"

The Verdict:

  • "This is his courage reducing daily"
  • "We will soon defeat him"
  • "Unless you deliver (not just talk)"

The Implicit Crisis:

  • Expense of maintaining armies huge
  • "Expense will be waste" if no action
  • Threatens Gopal Ganesh with irrelevance
  • "Prove your worth"
  • "Do what I'm asking"

The Strategic Demand

The Order:

  • Cross Yamuna
  • Attack Suja's areas
  • "Take landlords on your side"
  • "Even if you sustain loss"
  • "Implement right up to Delhi"

The Target:

  • Suja's mother back home
  • General Beni Bahadur (military commander)
  • Still defending homeland
  • Can force Suja's return
  • Break Abdali's coalition

The Goal:

  • Suja worried about home attack
  • Suja becomes distracted
  • Suja wants to leave Panipat
  • Goes to defend kingdom
  • Coalition fractures

The Parallel Strategies: Mirror Image

What's Happening

Both Sides Doing Same Thing:

  • Marathas attacking Suja's homeland
  • Afghans trying to disrupt Maratha supplies
  • Both trying supply disruption
  • Both trying coalition disruption
  • Mutual attrition strategy

The Irony:

  • Same strategy
  • Different effectiveness
  • Afghans better positioned
  • Marathas more desperate
  • Outcome predictable

The Chess Match

The Moves:

  • Afghans: "Cut their supplies"
  • Marathas: "Attack their allies"
  • Afghans: "Not just supplies but stability"
  • Marathas: "Not just supplies but coalition"

The Difference:

  • Afghans succeeding better
  • Marathas getting desperate
  • Time running out for Marathas
  • Time on Afghan side
  • Endgame approaching

The Physical Deterioration

What's Happening to Marathas

The Hunger:

  • Supplies running low
  • Can't eat/drink enough
  • Nutrition failing
  • Energy declining
  • Bodies weakening

The Cold:

  • Winter coat shortage
  • Freezing at night
  • Can't warm up
  • Physical suffering
  • Health declining

The Morale:

  • Seeing allies abandon
  • Watching commanders die
  • Running out of supplies
  • Winter taking toll
  • Hope fading

The Afghan Comfort

The Advantages:

  • Proper clothing for weather
  • Better supplies
  • Better positioning
  • Less pressure
  • More time

The Coalition Strain

Afghan Allied Forces

Their Complaint:

  • Want to go home
  • Tired of waiting
  • Need to defend kingdoms
  • Getting tired of "waiting game"
  • Advocating for peace

Abdali's Response:

  • Tells them to shut up
  • Takes personal control
  • Won't allow defection
  • Keeps them in line
  • Uses authority

The Control:

  • "Leave it to me"
  • "I know how to go to war"
  • "Just wait"
  • "I'll make you victorious"
  • Charismatic authority

The Endgame Positioning

What's Clear by December

The Reality:

  • Marathas deteriorating
  • Afghans stable
  • Waiting game favoring Afghans
  • Time running against Marathas
  • Must break stalemate soon

The Maratha Hope:

  • Attacking Suja's lands
  • Disrupting Afghan coalition
  • Forcing early battle
  • Can't sustain waiting
  • Must force decision

The Afghan Plan:

  • Wait as long as needed
  • Supplies assured
  • Morale holding
  • Coalition intact
  • Force Marathas to attack

Key Themes

  1. The Winter Weapon - Cold affecting Marathas more than Afghans
  2. The Firewood Shortage - Every need requires military risk
  3. The Supply Attrition - Both sides playing same game, one winning
  4. The Coalition Pressure - Afghan allies nervous, wanting to leave
  5. The Abdali Authority - Keeping coalition together through leadership
  6. The Maratha Desperation - Must force action soon
  7. The Time Factor - Every day Marathas get weaker
  8. The Parallel Strategies - Both cutting supplies/allies

Where This Leads: By December, the Marathas are freezing in clothes designed for summer, starving as supplies dwindle, and losing commanders to skirmishes. They're attacking Suja's homeland hoping to break the Afghan coalition. Abdali sits calmly with better supplies, better clothing, better morale, and better position. His allied forces want to leave, but he holds them through authority and calm confidence. The Marathas are in the desperation phase. The Afghans are in the control phase. The battle is coming because Marathas must force it. And when it comes, they'll be weaker than ever.

December in northern India was a weapon all by itself. The Marathas shivering in summer clothes while the Afghans wore leather coats. Searching the nearby forests for firewood to survive the night. Sending armed foraging parties to get supplies because Afghan raiders were everywhere. Getting weaker each day. Hungry. Cold. Desperate. And Abdali just waited. Calm. Patient. His supplies coming across the Yamuna. His coalition held together by force of personality. Telling his nervous allies: "Leave it to me. I know how to go to war. Just wait." And they waited. Because they had to. Because he was right. Because winter was doing his job. Because every day the Marathas got weaker and he got stronger. Because time was all he needed. And he had plenty of it.