The Formations Revealed: Who Fights Where & First Contact

Marathi History Book Reading Session Summary

Bhau's Final Instructions

The Core Message:

"We should be straight going towards Yamuna. If the Afghan camp stays on their side, meaning doesn't interfere our movement going towards Yamuna, then there is no reason to battle. Only if they obstruct, then we are going to offer resistance."

The Intent:

• NOT to fight an all-out battle
• Goal: reach Yamuna River to the east
• If Afghans don't interfere: just move
• If Afghans block: use artillery to clear path, then continue moving
• Keep marching toward Yamuna—don't get drawn into pitched battle

The Contingency:

• If Afghans come between formations: put cavalry in between and get them out
• All the while keep marching toward Yamuna
• Don't engage just because you want to fight
• Clear obstruction and continue movement

The Maratha Formation (45,000 fighting forces)

The Rectangle Structure:

• Artillery in front (1,000 musketeers under Ibrahim Khan Gardi)
• Main body: cavalry and foot soldiers
• Rear guard: Malhar Rao Holkar
• Non-combatants in center (protected by formation)
• Total: ~125,000 people, ~45,000 fighting forces

Key Commanders in Order:

1. Front: Ibrahim Khan Gardi (1,000 musketeers with artillery guns)
2. Front-Center: Turks and support units
3. Center: Naum and Bishwas Khan on elephants (command position)
4. Right Flank: Yeshwant Rao Pawar, Jankoji Shinde, Mahadaji, Tukoji Shinde
5. Back: Malhar Rao Holkar (rear guard, rearguard position)

Fighting Force Breakdown:

• 11,500 Uzraq (elite trained, well-paid, highly motivated personal army)
• 20,000 from Shinde and Holkar (10,000 each)
• 1,000 musketeers (Ibrahim Khan's artillery crew—CRITICAL)
• ~12,500 other warriors and commanders
• Total: ~45,000 fighting forces

Why Gardi Had Confidence:

• 1,000 trained musketeers managing European-style artillery
• Long-range capability (1.5+ km)
• Infantry support
• Flat terrain (no hiding places for Afghans to use advantage)
• Artillery would be decisive in flatland battle

The Afghan Formation (~60,000 fighting forces)

The Crescent Moon Shape:

"Afghan army formation was like a crescent moon. That is how it appeared as though they have taken the Marathas, like cradling a baby in your arms."

Formation curved to envelope potential Maratha escape routes.

Afghan Right Flank (Most Important—Where Battle Begins):

• Rohila Forces: ~14,000-15,000 soldiers
  • Under Najib Khan (leader of Rohila contingent)
  • Position: right side (where Marathas moving toward)
  • This is where first major fighting occurs

Afghan Center:

• Shah Wali Khan: 16,000 soldiers
  • Chief of Staff to Abdali
  • Center of formation
  • Most vulnerable to Maratha artillery

Other Afghan Positions:

• Barkhurdar Khan: right flank (position 8-9 on map)
• Rehmat Khan: left side of Rohila contingent
• Other contingents: positioned in crescent formation

Abdali's Personal Protection:

• Slave Units (Kolegan): 5,000-7,000 personal slaves

  • Brainwashed from childhood
  • Would die on command without question
  • Completely loyal, no negotiation possible
  • Trained from infancy to obey absolutely

• Personal Reserve Force: 3,000 elite soldiers

  • Spare/backup force
  • Could be used if things went badly
  • Stayed with Abdali

Abdali's Position:

• At very back of formation on small hillock
• NOT in front (Maratha sources called him "Namard"—cowardly, not a real man)
• But actually brilliant strategically:
  • Could see entire battlefield
  • Could direct reinforcements where needed
  • Could respond to collapse of any sector
  • Stayed alive to lead

Why Abdali Distrusted His Indian Allies

The Strategic Arrangement:

• Hindi/Hindustani and Afghan contingents alternated
• NOT grouped together by nationality
• Afghans interspersed with Indian forces

The Reason:

"He was not completely convinced of the Hindustani army's commitment and loyalty. He wanted them not to be one big chunk. If they try to flee or something, then the Afghans would stop them."

The Fear:

• Hindustani forces might mutiny
• Might coordinate with Marathas
• Might flee mid-battle
• Afghans between them would prevent escape
• Afghans would stop any rebellion or retreat

Why This Made Sense:

• Different ethnicities, religions
• Hindustani forces (Suja's, Rohilas, others) = hired allies, not true believers in Jihad
• Afghan core = true believers in Abdali, Jihad, survival
• Mixing them meant: Afghans could monitor, control, prevent coordination

The Direct Opposition

Who Faces Whom:

• Gardi's Artillery (Maratha front) vs. Rohilas (Najib Khan) & Barkhurdar Khan (Afghan right)
• Shinde & Holkar (Maratha right flank) vs. Shah Wali Khan (Afghan center)
• Maratha Rectangle moving southeast toward Yamuna while being attacked

The Financial Pressure on Gardi

The Last Conversation (Before Battle):

• Gardi went to Bhau with complaint: "I've insisted on paying troops on time for 9-10 months"
• Bhau always had money problems since leaving Udgir
• Gardi never wavered: "Pay my soldiers or I'm gone"
• Now: "The treasury is empty. We haven't gotten paid either."

Gardi's Statement:

"You have been very upset with me that I didn't care about your treasury situation and insisted that my troops be paid on time. But now the treasure is over, meaning there is no money left and we haven't gotten any salary either. But it doesn't matter now. Today you will see how my troops are deserving of the salary on the battlefield. I see, because they will devastate the Afghans."

The Meaning:

• Gardi's soldiers so disciplined and trained that they'll fight without pay
• His confidence: they'll deliver victory through artillery
• Then payment won't matter (victory or death either way)
• Showing absolute faith in his troops' quality

Timeline of Battle Start

Key Insights

Gardi's Confidence Justified:

• 1,000 trained musketeers with European artillery
• Long-range advantage (1.5+ km vs. Afghan short range)
• Flat terrain (no cover, artillery dominant)
• Financial sacrifice by troops (no pay but fighting anyway) shows discipline
• His troops understand: artillery is their strength, stay professional

Abdali's Command Structure:

• Crescent formation designed to encircle/envelope
• But also defensive (protect right flank where Marathas attacking)
• Alternating Hindustani/Afghan units = control strategy
• Reserve forces with Abdali = strategic flexibility
• Back position = allows overall battle management

The Maratha Problem:

• Rectangle formation is sound in theory
• But cavalry naturally wants to charge
• Discipline required to hold formation
• Gardi's artillery needs protection from cavalry (support units)
• Coordination between cavalry/infantry/artillery: CRITICAL

The Alliance Weakness:

• Abdali doesn't fully trust Hindustani forces
• This is his biggest strategic vulnerability
• If Rohilas or others break/flee, whole formation collapses
• He's banking on fear (Afghans between them) to maintain discipline

Where We Left Off: Formations ready. Morning of January 14. Maratha rectangle beginning to move southeast toward Yamuna. Afghans immediately refusing passage. Gardi's artillery opening fire. First contact beginning. The 3-month stalemate finally breaking into actual combat. Artillery about to prove its worth or fail against overwhelming numbers.

Gardi walked into battle without being paid. His thousand musketeers walked with him. He told Bhau: "You'll see what they're worth." And as the morning light hit the Panipat plains on January 14, 1761, they did. For three hours, the artillery tore through Afghan lines like nothing they'd ever seen. The problem wasn't the artillery. The problem was that Marathas had to hold formation while watching cavalry win. And cavalry warriors don't hold formation when they see victory.