Selections from the Peshwa Daftar 2.intro.4

2.intro.4

“*Maratha Operations in Northern India*”

*with reference to*

*THE PANIPAT CAMPAIGN, 1747-1761*

The disaster of Panipat occurred on Wednesday 14th January 1761, but rightly observed from a true historical perspective, it appears as the result not of a day or a month, but as the legitimate consequence of the aggressive policy deliberately launched by the first Peshwa and strenuously pursued by his two eminent successors Bajirao I and Balajirao. This ambition of the Peshwas in aiming at what in common parlance is termed “Hindu-Pad-Padshahi”, naturally brought them into conflict with the various potentates, who were holding sway between the river Nerbudda on the south and the Himalayan range in the north. The power of the Great Moghal received its final fatal blow at the hands of Nadirshah in the early months of 1739, after which the Emperor’s existence became so precarious that he was entirely at the mercy of any invader of superior strength. The Peshwa for a time gave promise of being able to keep peace and order between the various warring elements; but the distractions of the Poona Government due to the intrigues of Tarabai and the Nizam after the death of Shahu, and its defective organization in point of unity of purpose and of command, came in the way of his ambitious policy being carried to success in the north, where he had practically to give a free hand to his trusted lieutenants Malharrao Holker and the Scindia brothers, Jayappa and Dattaji. Among other troubles within the Delhi empire were (1) the wars of succession started by the claimants to the thrones of Jaipur and Jodhpur and (2) the attempt of the Nawab Vazir of Oudh to put down the rising and rebellious Rohilla chiefs, who were a constant menace to his possession of Oudh. To complicate the situation still further, Ahmadshah, the Abdali King of Kabul, began frequently to repeat the *rôle* of his late master Nadirshah. In this way, the Rajput Princes, the Rohilla chiefs, the Vazirs of the Emperor’s court and the conquering Marathas represented by various commanders often at variance with one another, all contributed to the development of events that culminated in Panipat, not to mention at the same time the Jat, the Bundela and other petty chieftains, who often threatened to cut the Maratha lines of communication with the south.

Students of history will thus realize, what a huge affair both in length of time and the range and complexity of its parts this Panipat episode was, and what amount and variety of detailed information is necessary before one can study it in all its bearings.

The unpublished papers here presented, numbering about 150, are neither exhaustive nor do they supply all the links of the various problems; but they certainly make a weighty contribution towards elucidating many of the events and transactions and render necessary a revision of our former judgments on many points.

2. *Factions in the Imperial Court*

The first four letters contain news of the emperor’s Court sent to the Peshwa by his agents, the Hingne brothers. The Emperor, like all weak men, seems to have been wavering between two opposite forces, the

MO Ca 51—a