Dawn of January 14: The Battle Begins to Unfold

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

The Final Hours Before (January 13, Late Night)

The Consultations:

• Until late night January 13: continuous planning in Maratha camp
• Discussing exact how to execute retreat/skirmishes
• Morning of January 14: would launch movement attempt
• Tactics and strategy being finalized (no stopping now)

The Core Intent (Final Reminder):

"They didn't want to have an all-out war because that was going to be tough."

Strategy: Form rectangle, keep non-combatants in center, slowly move south-eastward, keep distance via artillery, avoid direct confrontation.

The Message Sent:

• Strategy announced "from top to the bottom" of Maratha camp
• All soldiers briefed on discipline requirements
• Everyone understood: no breaking ranks
• Everyone understood: goal is escape, not victory

The Last Meal:

"Whatever grains and supplies remained, medicine chose me on that evening."

Interpreted as "last supper"—soldiers ate final rations that evening, knowing outcome uncertain.

The Morning of January 14

The Preparation (Pre-Dawn, ~6 AM):

• Sun not yet risen (probably 6 AM)
• Maintenance staff, women, old pilgrims woke up
• Made breakfast
• Gathered belongings (had settled for 2-3 months)
• Got camp ready for movement

Personal Grooming for Battle:

• Soldiers wore FETA (traditional headgear)
• Applied turmeric on faces (medicinal value, not paint)
  • Turmeric is antibacterial
  • Stops blood flow when applied to cuts
  • Protects against wounds
  • Practical medicine, not superstition

The Message This Sent:

"This was the true picture of an army that was willing to fight and go down fighting and die."

Soldiers understood implications: this would be epic battle, no escape route, either victory or death.

Army Composition & Equipment

The Numbers:

• Maratha side: ~125,000 total (including 30-40,000 non-combatants)
• Fighting force: ~75,000 at most
• Afghan side: ~100,000
• Total engaged: ~200,000+ people
• Scale: largest battle of 18th century (or even earlier)

Officer Preparation:

• Commanders put on body armor (Chilkhata)
• Armed with: swords, daggers (Jambiya), spears (Bhala)
• Personal guns (though ineffective)
• Battle dress over regular clothes (multiple layers for cold)

Horses Prepared:

• Massaged and readied (Maratha cavalry primary weapon)
• Horses were critical—Maratha strength was cavalry
• Without good horses: cavalry useless

Afghan Equipment:

• Elephants: decorated, carried command seats
  • Commanders observed from elephant seats
  • Could see battlefield from height
  • But highly visible/exposed (old-fashioned)
• Camels with Jamburak (swivel cannon)
  • Two-person crew
  • Mobile artillery, short range (~30-40 meters)
  • Could create chaos in localized areas
  • Like moving tanks
• Regular horses and foot soldiers
• Different emphasis: not primarily cavalry-dependent

Bhau's Last Hope: Message to Kashiraj

Even This Morning:

"It is said that Bhau still had not lost hope of striking a truce."

Even as forces organized, Bhau hoped Suja Uddhawla could negotiate peace.

The Message:

"The vessel is totally full of water and there is no more space for water. That means our patience has run out. We cannot wait any longer."

Translation: "The pot is full—we're at the breaking point. Whatever efforts you can make for truce, do it NOW or else we fight."

The Urgency:

• 3 AM: Kashiraj woke Suja up with Bhau's letter
• Signified to Afghans: something major about to happen
• Both sides now knew battle was imminent
• This was the final moment for peace

The Afghan Response (3 AM)

Suja's Reaction:

• Went immediately to Abdali's tent
• Woke Abdali
• Said: "Time has come to prepare Afghan camp"
• Emphasized: "Marathas saying 'pot is full'—battle is coming now or never"

Abdali's Immediate Actions:

• Got on horse (despite early hour)
• Rode about a mile
• Gave order: "Get ready for battle"

The Realization:

• Found some soldiers returning with loot
• They told him: "Marathas are leaving the battlefield"
• Meaning: Marathas moving out of camp toward attack position

The Key Insight:

• Maratha army moved 1-1.5 miles ahead of previous position
• Was now ~2-2.5 miles closer instead of original ~4 miles distance
• This aggressive positioning = serious intent to attack/move
• No longer defensive camp posture—active movement beginning

Kashiraj's Description of Abdali

The Image: Kashiraj (who was in Afghan camp) described Abdali at moment of decision:

"Shaha was sitting on horse and was smoking hookah."

The Detail:

• Hookah contained mild narcotic/opium mixture (Aafu)
• Not tobacco (modern hookah-style)
• Gave slight high but didn't knock out user
• Common among Afghan/royal people
• Habit that couldn't be given up

The Symbolism:

• Here is Abdali: on horseback, calm enough to smoke, about to commit to battle
• Not panicked, not frantic
• Methodical, controlled response to threat

Abdali's Battle Orders

The Process:

• Called Shah Pasand Khan and Chief of Staff
• Began assigning positions to different contingents:
  • Shah Pasand Khan: to left flank of Najib Khan
  • Chief of Staff: center
  • Other commanders: assigned relative positions
  • Different contingents (Rohilas, Suja's forces, others) coordinated
  • Each given specific place in formation

Why This Matters:

• Afghan army wasn't monolithic
• Multiple groups: Abdali's core, Najib Khan's Rohilas, Suja Uddhawla's contingent
• Each brought own commanders/organization
• Required coordination to act as unified force
• Abdali essentially choreographing formation to prevent friendly-fire chaos

The Morale Building:

• After positioning ordered: musical instruments played
• Created "martial spirit" in army
• Battle cry/encouragement to troops
• Psychological preparation for combat

The Uncertainty on Both Sides

Abdali's Assumption:

"Based on Abdali's talking it came across as though he felt that Marathas won't come up for fighting. Instead they will just be coming closer or doing some strategic maneuver. Or maybe flee or just decide to call it quits."

He wasn't fully prepared for battle—expected maneuvers, not fight.

The Reality:

• Neither side fully prepared for apocalyptic battle
• Neither side had clear military superiority
• Both sides understood stakes were catastrophic
• Both sides tried to avoid it for months
• Now forced into confrontation by circumstances

Why Both Sides Reluctant:

• Maratha losses: no supplies, horses dying, exhaustion
• Afghan losses: long deployment, soldiers wanting home, expensive supply lines
• Both armies: could be decimated in total war
• Both armies: had no guarantee of victory

The Game They'd Been Playing:

• Positioning, skirmishing, trying to get "someone to slip up"
• Hoping to make battle lopsided by exposing weaknesses
• Testing without committing
• Now forced to commit

The Parting Gift Ritual

Before Movement:

"Just to symbolize their companionship, they were each and everyone given this. That was offered to everybody so that, you know, because now you don't know who's going to live and who's going to die."

Seems to be a ritual gift (details unclear) given to all soldiers.

The Meaning:

• Acknowledgment that some won't survive
• Parting gift before separation
• Symbolic of: "We face uncertain fate together"

Why This Matters:

• Soldiers being sent into formation movement
• Risk of getting separated: some ahead, some behind, some left, some right
• May not see each other again even if they survive
• Gift was connection/memory token

Timeline (Final Hours)

Key Insights

Bhau's Persistent Hope: Even at 3 AM, even as forces mobilized, even as movement began, Bhau hoped Suja could negotiate peace. This wasn't weakness—it was honest assessment that battle would be catastrophic for both sides.

Abdali's Calm Response: Not panicked, not reckless. Methodical positioning of contingents, musical encouragement. He was experienced general who understood coordination mattered. Shows Afghan army was also disciplined/professional.

The Ritual Elements: Turmeric application, headgear, parting gifts, breakfast before march—these weren't superstition. They were soldiers mentally/physically preparing for death. Recognition that this was different from skirmishes.

Neither Side Expecting All-Out War: Abdali thought Marathas would maneuver. Marathas hoped Afghans would let them pass. Both wrong. Both unprepared for total annihilation battle. Both thought 3-month siege had established terms.

The Scale: 200,000+ people engaged, largest 18th-century battle, Maratha soldiers applying medicine on faces, Afghan general sitting on horseback smoking hookah—all of it converging toward moment when plans meet reality.

Where We Left Off: It's January 14 dawn. Rectangle forming. Maratha non-combatants preparing for movement. Afghan contingents positioned. Battle hasn't started yet but both sides are mobilizing. The moment when careful plans meet the chaos of actual warfare is about to begin. Next reading will likely describe first contact, what actually happens when the rectangle tries to move southeast.

At 3 AM on January 14, 1761, two generals on opposite sides of history woke up to make the same decision: this can't be delayed anymore. Bhau sent his final message (hoping against hope for peace). Abdali got on his horse (calm, methodical, professional). Two hours later, at dawn, soldiers on both sides prepared for battle. Some applying turmeric (medicine), some smoking hookah (calm), some massaging horses (dependence on them), some packing camp. In a few hours, both sides' careful plans would meet the reality of 200,000 people trying to kill each other. Neither was ready. Neither wanted it. But both had run out of choices.