Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c18: Preface to the Second Volume
Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c18
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Preface to the Second Volume
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This volume covers eighteen eventful years in the history of India of which the dominating theme is the great Afghan-Maratha contest for the lordship of Delhi, followed by the abrupt rise and still more abrupt fall of the Jat kingdom of Bharatpur within the space of a decade only. This period witnessed the deposition and blinding of one Emperor, the murder of another, the twelve years' banishment from capital and power of a third, and the ten months' reign of yet another crowned puppet in Delhi. Horror is piled upon horror almost throughout the epoch; but at its end the worst is over and we begin to emerge into light. The Sikhs have now established their rule over much of the Panjab and given to the people of that province internal security and the promotion of agriculture in a degree unknown for sixty years past. At the opposite corner of India,—in Bengal, Bihar and Oudh up to Allahabad, British peace has been established, and trade, industry and tillage are on the threshold of an unprecedented revival after the unbroken anarchy of one full generation and appalling natural calamities. Soon the indigenous culture which had been quenched in blood in the capital cities of the empire was to revive and Indo-Persian historical literature to take a new birth under alien patronage at Allahabad and Benares, Patna and Calcutta. When Shah Alam II first rode into the capital of his fathers on the 6th of January 1772,—the point at which this volume ends,—we are within three months of the beginning of the governorship of Warren Hastings, the creator of British India.
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The many dark corners in the history of this period have been lighted up by the profusion of Marathi records and several contemporary Persian works here used for the first time. Material in the European languages, English and French, the work of actual actors in the Indian scene, here grows increasingly important, and just after the close of this volume takes the first place among our sources of information, while the recently printed Marathi records come up close behind. The problems of the Delhi empire now (1772) change their character and the historian stands at the dawn, a misty dawn, I admit,—of a new age of which the noontide splendour was to be seen in the 19th century.
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Darjiling, September, 1934
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Jadunath Sarkar
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BIBLIOGRAPHY ... ... ... xii-xv
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CHAPTER XIII. REIGN OF ALAMGIR II —A GENERAL SURVEY ... ... 1-49
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Character of Alamgir II, 1—wazir Imād-ul-mulk, 5—Imād's policy and movements till 1758, 9—in 1758 and 1759, 12—Raghunath Dada near Delhi (1754), 14—in the Doab, 18—Marathas levy tribute (1754), 20—exactions from Delhi people, 23—lawlessness in capital, 26—sufferings of people (1754), 31—bankruptcy of State, 33—humiliation and sufferings of royal family, 36—rebels and usurpers, their location, 37—Intizām conciliated by Imād, 41—Mian Qutb Shah rebel, 42—Turki soldiers mob wazir at Panipat (1755), 45—events of 1755-56, 47.
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CH. XIV. THE PANJAB, 1753-59 ... ... 50-81
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Mughlani Begam regent, her character, 50—rebellions of her chiefs, 52—Khj. Mirza usurps Lahor Government, 54—Khj. Abdullah subahdar of Lahor, 56—Imad seizes Mughlani, Sayyid Jamil-ud-din made governor, 59—Abdali conquers Panjab (1756, 62—how Abdali treated Mughlani Begam, 64—Timur Shah, the Durrani subahdar of Panjab, 66—his administration breaks down, 68—Raghunath Dada conquers Sarhind, 71—and Lahor (1758), 73—Adina Beg, Maratha subahdar, dies, 77,—Sindhias hold Panjab, 78—Abdali finally conquers Panjab (1759), 79.
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CH. XV. THE AFGHAN INVASION OF 1757 ... 82-109
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Ahmad Abdali invades, 82—hesitation and negligence of Delhi wazir, 83—panic in Delhi, fruitless peace efforts, 86—Durranis enter Gangetic Doab, 89—Imād submits to Abdali, 92—Durranis occupy Delhi, fate of Alamgir II, 94—Ahmad Abdali in Delhi, 97—oppression and extortion, 98 & 105—agony of Delhi under Afghan terror, 101—massacres, 106—Ali Quli Kh., poet, his daughter Gannā Begam, 108.
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CH. XVI. ABDALI'S CAMPAIGN SOUTH OF DELHI, 1757 ... 110-136
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Antiji Mānakeshwar's skirmishes with invader, 111—is crushed at Faridabad, 113—Suraj Mal's dealings with Abdali, 114—Abdali captures Ballabhgarh, 116—Jat stand at Chaumuha, 117—Afghans massacre and sack Mathura, 118—attack on Gokul, 121—plunder of Agra, 122—atrocities of Afghan troops, 124—cholera in Abdali's army, 125—Ahmad Shah retreats, 126—marries Hazrat Begam, 127—his booty and prisoners, 129—two Delhi princes' campaign in Doab, 132—fails, 134.
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CH. XVII. RAGHUNATH RAO'S NORTHERN EXPEDITION, 1757-1758 ... 137-170
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Marathas recover Gangetic Doab, 137—disturbed condition of the country, 139—party formed against Najib, 141—Marathas reach Rewari and Agra, 142—Najib's defence of Delhi, 144—Raghunath attacks Delhi, 146—Najib evacuates Delhi, 151—sufferings of Delhi people in 1757, 153—movements of Raghunath and Malhar Holkar (1757-58), 155—results of Raghunath's expedition, 158—criticized, 159—Ali Gauhar's campaign in Rohtak, 161—Imād plots against him, 164—attacks him in Delhi, 165—Ali Gauhar's wanderings, 166—Imād and Emperor's campaign in west of Delhi (1758), 168.
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CH. XVIII. RAJPUTANA, 1751-1760 ... 171-198
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Rajput-Maratha relations during 1751-53, 171—Jayapa Sindhia invades Marwar, 175—how he thwarts Peshwa's policy, 177—Maratha successes in Marwar, 178—murder of Jayapa, 180—Dattaji Sindhia restores Maratha supremacy, 182—defeats a Jaipur army near Didwana, 185—Jaipur and Marwar Rajahs submit, peace terms, 188—Raghunath's invasion of Rajputana in 1757, his failure, 189—Dattaji and Jankoji Sindhia in Rajputana (1758), 194—Malhar Holkar's campaign (1759), captures Barwada, 196.
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CH. XIX. DATTAJI SINDHIA'S CAMPAIGNS IN THE NORTH, 1759-1760 ... 199-234
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Dattaji's policy towards wazir Imād, 199—Marathas loot Delhi suburbs, 200—rupture with Najib, 204—Najib's entrenchment at Shukartal described, 205—Dattaji's siege of Shukartal, 207—Govind Bundele's raid on Najibabad fails, 208—Abdali reconquers Panjab and expels Sabaji Sindhia, 211—Alamgir II murdered, 213—Dattaji raises siege of Shukartal, 215—battle of Thaneshwar, 218—Dattaji's retreat to Delhi and defence plan, 220—battle of Barāri-ghāt, death of Dattaji, 222—flight of Sindhia contingent, Malhar joins Jankoji, 224—Abdali against Suraj Mal, 226—Malhar Holkar routed by Jahan Khan, 228. Peshwa's North Indian policy in 1759, orders to Dattaji, 231—Malhar not responsible for Dattaji's death, 233.
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CH. XX. SADASHIV BHAU'S DELHI EXPEDITION, 1760 ... 235-297
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*Apogee* of Maratha greatness in 1760, 235—Peshwa sends army to Hindustan under Sadashiv Bhau, 237—Bhau's forces and equipment, 239—his march from Sindhkhed to the Chambal, 241—Maratha position in Gangetic Doab, 245—Bhau consults Malhar, 248—forms plan of campaign, 249—condition of Delhi, 249—Bhau captures Delhi, 252—Suraj Mal abandons Bhau, 255—Bhau's character and policy criticized, 258—his financial distress, 261—his income and expenditure correctly estimated, 263—Bhau's doings in Delhi, 265—captures Kunjpura, 267—reaches Panipat, 271—Abdali encamps in the Doab, his policy, 272—Shuja induced to join Abdali, 274—Abdali's distress, Najib's help, 279—Abdali crosses Jamuna at Baghpat, 282.
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Relative strength of the two armies at Panipat, 285—organization of Maratha and Durrani armies contrasted, 290 and 372—their discipline, 295 and 371.
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CH. XXI. THE BATTLE OF PANIPAT, 1761 ... 298-372
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First intentions of the rival armies, 298—early skirmishes and minor battles (1760), 301—battle of 7 Dec., fall of Mehendele, 304—Maratha supplies cut off, 307—condition of Panipat city, 309—Govind Ballal Bundele's Doab raid, he is slain, 310—Barve's raid into Oudh fails, 313—Maratha treasure convoy from Delhi cut off, 314—Bhau's despair, 315—his peace proposal rejected, 316—Maratha army's outbreak, 318—
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Bhau marches to battle, 319—Abdali’s battle arrangements, 321—Durrani military superiority explained, 322—Bhau’s plan of battle, 324—soldiers of Holkar and Sindhia demoralized, 326—battle begins, 327—Gardi charge on par-Ruhelas, 328—it fails, 332—Bhau charges Durrani centre, 333—Abdali reinforces his centre, 336—Bhau’s desperate fighting, Durrani encircling tactics, 337—death of Vishwas Rao, 341—Bhau’s last charge and death, 342—Maratha right wing, flight of Holkar and Sindhia, 343 and 372—pursuit, 345—massacre after battle, 347—spoils taken, 348—Maratha casualties, 349—Bhau’s conduct criticized, 351—sufferings of fugitives, 353—consequences of Maratha defeat at Panipat, 354—Rājwādé refuted—death of Peshwa Balaji, 359.
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Peshwa’s responsibility for defeat at Panipat, 361—Holkar’s conduct in battle examined, 365—historical sources on Panipat, 367—military notes, 371.
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*Plans of the battle*, 331 and 339.
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CH. XXII. NAJIB-UD-DAULAH, DICTATOR OF DELHI, 1761-1770 @H 373-416
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Abdali in Delhi after Panipat, 373—he leaves India, 376—how Najib got possession of Delhi, 377—peace congress at Mathura, foiled by Marathas and Suraj Mal, 379—survey of Najib’s career, 382—visits Shah Alam, 388—defeats Jawahir, zenith of his career, 390—sack of Buānā, 391—of Bhiwani, 393—lifelong contest with Sikh raiders, 394—his manner of warfare illustrated, 398—his movements, 1765-67, 401—Najib’s breakdown, resigns charge of Delhi, 403—transfers his government and army to Zabita Khan, 404—Najib placates the returned Marathas (1770), 406—conflict of policy among Maratha sardars, 408—Mahadji Sindhia’s vindictiveness towards Najib, 409 and 411—Marathas re-enter Doab, Najib joins them, 410—Najib’s double-dealing, rupture with Marathas, 412—Najib’s haughty tone, 413 and 414n—death, 415—character, 415.
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CH. XXIII. THE JATS, DOWN TO 1768 ... 417-480
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Local distribution of Jat race, 417—Jat character, comparison with Sikhs and Marathas, 419—Bharatpur Jats, problems of their rulers, 422—early history of Bharatpur royal family, 425—Badan Singh’s initial difficulties, no State, no tribal union, no recognized authority, 426—his policy and stages of successful growth, 428—gains of plunder, 430—Badan Singh’s harem and children, 432—Suraj Mal’s birth and early career, 433—his wars, 434—patronized by Delhi wazir, 435—sack of Ghasira, 436—defence of Kumbher, peace with Marathas, 437—treaty with Emperor (1755), 438—rebellion of Jawahir Singh, 439—Suraj Mal’s conduct from 1757 to 1760, 441—captures Agra fort, 443—makes fresh conquests, 445—relations with Najib Khan, 445—Mewati brigands harboured by Baluch chiefs, 447—Suraj Mal captures Farrukhnagar (1763), 449—rupture with Najib, 449—battle on the Hindan, death of Suraj Mal, 451—his character and achievements, 453—his revenue and army, 455—Jawahir Singh's accession, 457—prepares for a war of revenge on Najib, 458—Jawahir marches on Delhi (1764), 460—battle of 15 Nov., 461—battle of 16 Nov. on east bank, 461—bombards Delhi, 463—Sikh allies arrive, Jawahir insulted, 464—Jawahir forced to make peace with Najib, 467—he crushes all rich Jat nobles, 469—captures Vaer fort, 470—Nāhar Singh joins Malhar, 471—Jawahir defeats Malhar's detachment, 472—he assists Rana of Gohad against Raghunath Dada, 473—crushes his disloyal Gosain generals, 474—conquers Kalpi district (1767), 475—marches to Pushkar, 477—fights Kachhwa army at Māonda, 478—his last days and death, 480.
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CH. XXIV. THE PANJAB AND RAJPUTANA, 1761-1771 ... 481-524
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Sikhs disturb Abdali's officers (1760), 481—Abdali and Ala S. of Patiala, 483 & 487—Charat S. defeats Abid Kh., 483—Sikhs besiege Niranjanis at Jandiala, 484—massacre of Sikhs (Ghallu-ghara), 486—Abdali demolishes Amritsar, 487—conquers Kashmir from diwan Sukhjivan, 488—Sikhs attack Zain Kh., 490—Zain Kh.'s misgovernment, 491—Sarhind sacked, 492—Sikhs first raid Gangetic Doab (1764), 493—capture Lahor, 494—proclaim independence, 495—Ahmad Abdali's last invasion (1767), 496—Jahan Kh. defeats Sikhs in Doab, 499—Repercussion of Panipat on Rajputs, 502—anti-Maratha risings, 504—Malhar captures Gagroni, 505—defeats Kachhwas at Mangrol, 507—Madho S.'s terror, 508—Marathas absent (1762-64), 510—Jawahir's Sikhs raid Jaipur, 512—Mewar, internal quarrels, 515—Maratha tribute, detailed figures, 516—Ari S. vs Ratan S., Mahadji Sindhia besieges Udaipur (1769), 518—quarrels with Tukoji Holkar, 519—tribute settled, 520—Marwar, Bijay S.'s weak character, 521—dealings with Marathas, 522—reflections on Rajput decadence, 523.
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CH. XXV. SHAH ALAM'S WANDERINGS, 1758-1771 ... 525-555
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Shah Alam's character, 516—causes of his failure, 527—Imād's character, 529—Shuja-ud-daulah's character, 531—Shah Alam's movements after leaving Delhi in 1758, 533—first invasion of Bihar (1759), 534—second invasion of Bihar (1760), crowns himself, 537—raid on Bengal fails, 541—third invasion (1761), 542—joined by Shuja, invades Bundelkhand (1762), 544—marches to Sikandrabad (1763), meets Najib and other Afghans, 544—fourth invasion of Bihar (1764) and alliance with the English, 545—grants Diwani of Bengal (1765); terms, 547—why he was eager to go to Delhi, 548—alliance with Marathas, (1771), terms, 552—his march to Delhi, 554.