09-08-2006, 07:22 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-08-2006, 07:26 PM by Bharatvarsh.)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Bharat, regarding the resistence when Ahmed Shah Abdali invaded...on the Maratha army's side, were there Rajputs, Jats etc? (I know Sikhs had faught long drawn gurilla warfare against Abdali, which had greatly frustrated his army, and after Abdali, resulted in the rise of mighty Sikh empire in north west) Also what was the position of Europeans in these wars... <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
On the Maratha side there were some Jats but no Rajputs, most of North India was thoroughly alienated by the Maratha plundering and didn't help them at all (that is why I say that Baji Rao I was the last great statesman among Marathas, as long as he was at the helm he controlled such excesses). Here is some info:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->(i) Invasion of Abdali : (1757 A.D.) :
With the Maratha armies in the South, Abdali descended on Delhi on 22nd of January 1757 A.D. (1), at the call of Najib Khan Rohilla, who joined him before he reached Delhi. Najib Khan was too ambitious (2) and aimed a pathan Empire at Delhi. Madhaosing and Vijaysing had joined him in this enterprise, in order to relive themselves from the clutches of the detested Marathas.
Nobody (3) could withstand Abdali. Even Wazir Gaziuddin was forced to see him personally (16th of January 1757 A.D.). With the Jat sympathy on his side, Antaji Mankeshwar (4), a Maratha Sardar; with insufficient force dared to give him stand single-handedly, but he too was over-powered.
Meanwhile, Raghunathrao, who had been deputed to the North by the Peshwa, had reached Indor on 14th of February 1757 A.D. Abdali was then looting Delhi (5). Peshwa, himself, had gone to the south, on Shrirang Pattan (6), and he could not provide Raghunathrao, with adequate force. He had only 15 thousand men with him, and contingent (7) of Samsher Bahadur, Naro Shankar, and Antaji had not yet joined him. Hence it was natural for Raghunathrao to wait till sufficient army was assembled. Antaji (8) pressed Raghunathrao from Mathura again and again to move towards Delhi, to bring pressure on Abdali, leaving the (in-significant) job of capturing petty fortresses in Jaypur territory. Even though (9) his letters revealed a confident tone of his determination to annihilate Abdali, Raghunathrao showed no sign of moving on and facing Abadali, with his insufficient force. Consequently with Raghunathrao near at hand in Jaypur territory, Abdali committed atrocities in Delhi and its vicinity, uninterrupted by any one. It was felt that the Pathans (10) had grown too powerful even for the Marathas. This affected adversely the prestige of the Maratha rule in the North in general and Doab (11) in particular. But the Jats (12) in Agra Subha, leaving the enmity with the Marathas, sympathized with them and made a common cause against Abdali. They held firm for (13) a considerable time but at last were over-powered and were obliged to take shelter in their forts.
(ii) The Rajput Attitude :
A curious fact to note is that the real cause of the Jat and Rajput opposition to the Marathas was the same, namely the question of territorial acquiring by the Marathas in the Subhas of Agra and Ajmer respectively. The Jat Chief was afraid of the stand that would be taken by the Marathas and the Wazir after departure of Abdali. Even then he co-operated with the Marathas mainly on the ground of religion. The Jats always distinguished religion from politics and never sided with the Rohilla Pathas against the Marathas but strangely enough whenever the Rohillas stood against the Marathas after 1752 A.D., they had the Rajputs on their side.
For no reason, not even for facing the Maratha aggression of Rajputana, can be Rajput stand to ally with Abdali be justified. On calling Abdali to their aid, the Indian Pathans (14) aimed at dominating Delhi. Being bigoted Sunnis, they had no reason to feel for the loss of Hindu lives and culture at the ravages of Abdali. But what could the Rajputs gain by destroying the Marathas at the hands of Abdali? It would only lead to the replacement of one foreign master by another foreigner, medieval in outlook and barbarous in actions, alien to their religion and culture (15). The Rajput policy towards the Marathas during the time of Abdaliâs invasions (1757 to 1761 A.D.) of India, depicts a clear lack of any foresight.
No convincible justification is ever possible for any imperialism, neither of Alexander the great nor of Akabar. There is nothing wrong, hence, if Maratha imperialism is criticized mercilessly by the historian like Sir Jadhunath in his âFall of the Mughal Empireâ at length. But it will be unbecoming of a worthy historian to deny facts and observe sarcastically (16) thus, âTrue, the Marathas, after sucking the Delhi-Agra region and the Doab on the other bank dry for three years, had fled away. Not a single Maratha bled in defense of the holiest of Vaishnave Shrines; their Pan-Indian suzerainty (Hindupad Padshahi) did not involve the duty to protect.â
There are innumerable proofs available in Marathi sources that give the religious (17) centered activities of the Peshwa and his Sardars. In a way, the object of Maratha Raj was the release of the Hindu (18) religious centre in general and Kashi, Prayag, Mathura and Gaya in particular from the clutches of the Yawanas. It was the unfulfilled desire of the Peshwa from Bajirao to Madhaorao. Upheaval (19) of the Hindu religion was the main aim behind the incessant activities of the Marathas. Ali believed that it was the only power to check Abdali and save Hindusthan.
The harrowing accounts of Abdaliâs attrocities (20) at Mathura, Varundawan and the rest of places within about a hundred miles radius from Delhi, in the lines of Changiz Khan and Taimulang, are even today most painful to read. But the terrible wail of grief and cries of the sufferers, were unable to move the Rajput sympathy to action against Abdali like this Jats. Far from it, not a finger was raised nor a word was spoken.
The racial bitterness against the Deccani Marathas, over looking the common bond of religion that had served once the strongest link between the two, had so completely cptured the hearts of Madhaosing and Vijaysing that forgetting the Rajput stand of defending their religion and culture for which their fore-fathers had shed ample blood, they were busy in inviting Abdali and were blind to his barbarous acts. And all this was done within less than ten to fifteen years from the deaths of Abhaysing and Sawai Jaysing who could have never acted on these lines, not even for driving away the Maratha aggressors. Sacrificing the innocent people of Delhi, Agra, Mathuran and Vrundavan for saving Rajasthan from the clutches of the Maratha was a queer solution indeed!
http://maratharajputrelations.com/5sp.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Maharaja Surajmal agreed to join Bhau but then when he adviced Bhau that he should put all his camp followers (women, children and other civilians that came along) in a secure fort and use guerilla tactics against Abdali he was insulted along with Holkar, so Surajmal left the alliance, he would later shelter many of the Maratha refugees and spend his own money taking care of them after the war.
The Maratha loss can easily be put down to the fact that they had forgotten that the great Shivaji never allowed women and other civilians in his camp, also Marathas had no allies and lastly their foolish military tactics.
Another interesting fact is that Abdali had some Naga Sanyasins fighting for him, I wonder how these so called Sanyasins dared to call themselves that while fighting for a man who massacred hundreds of thousands of Hindus and desecrated hundreds of mandirs.
About the role of the European powers I am not aware, well only the English could have done anything because the other European powers were mainly confined to the South, but I am not aware what their stand was but they must have hoped that the Marathas lost because Panipat was the beginning of the end of Marathas and would eventually help the English replace the weakened Maratha power.
On the Maratha side there were some Jats but no Rajputs, most of North India was thoroughly alienated by the Maratha plundering and didn't help them at all (that is why I say that Baji Rao I was the last great statesman among Marathas, as long as he was at the helm he controlled such excesses). Here is some info:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->(i) Invasion of Abdali : (1757 A.D.) :
With the Maratha armies in the South, Abdali descended on Delhi on 22nd of January 1757 A.D. (1), at the call of Najib Khan Rohilla, who joined him before he reached Delhi. Najib Khan was too ambitious (2) and aimed a pathan Empire at Delhi. Madhaosing and Vijaysing had joined him in this enterprise, in order to relive themselves from the clutches of the detested Marathas.
Nobody (3) could withstand Abdali. Even Wazir Gaziuddin was forced to see him personally (16th of January 1757 A.D.). With the Jat sympathy on his side, Antaji Mankeshwar (4), a Maratha Sardar; with insufficient force dared to give him stand single-handedly, but he too was over-powered.
Meanwhile, Raghunathrao, who had been deputed to the North by the Peshwa, had reached Indor on 14th of February 1757 A.D. Abdali was then looting Delhi (5). Peshwa, himself, had gone to the south, on Shrirang Pattan (6), and he could not provide Raghunathrao, with adequate force. He had only 15 thousand men with him, and contingent (7) of Samsher Bahadur, Naro Shankar, and Antaji had not yet joined him. Hence it was natural for Raghunathrao to wait till sufficient army was assembled. Antaji (8) pressed Raghunathrao from Mathura again and again to move towards Delhi, to bring pressure on Abdali, leaving the (in-significant) job of capturing petty fortresses in Jaypur territory. Even though (9) his letters revealed a confident tone of his determination to annihilate Abdali, Raghunathrao showed no sign of moving on and facing Abadali, with his insufficient force. Consequently with Raghunathrao near at hand in Jaypur territory, Abdali committed atrocities in Delhi and its vicinity, uninterrupted by any one. It was felt that the Pathans (10) had grown too powerful even for the Marathas. This affected adversely the prestige of the Maratha rule in the North in general and Doab (11) in particular. But the Jats (12) in Agra Subha, leaving the enmity with the Marathas, sympathized with them and made a common cause against Abdali. They held firm for (13) a considerable time but at last were over-powered and were obliged to take shelter in their forts.
(ii) The Rajput Attitude :
A curious fact to note is that the real cause of the Jat and Rajput opposition to the Marathas was the same, namely the question of territorial acquiring by the Marathas in the Subhas of Agra and Ajmer respectively. The Jat Chief was afraid of the stand that would be taken by the Marathas and the Wazir after departure of Abdali. Even then he co-operated with the Marathas mainly on the ground of religion. The Jats always distinguished religion from politics and never sided with the Rohilla Pathas against the Marathas but strangely enough whenever the Rohillas stood against the Marathas after 1752 A.D., they had the Rajputs on their side.
For no reason, not even for facing the Maratha aggression of Rajputana, can be Rajput stand to ally with Abdali be justified. On calling Abdali to their aid, the Indian Pathans (14) aimed at dominating Delhi. Being bigoted Sunnis, they had no reason to feel for the loss of Hindu lives and culture at the ravages of Abdali. But what could the Rajputs gain by destroying the Marathas at the hands of Abdali? It would only lead to the replacement of one foreign master by another foreigner, medieval in outlook and barbarous in actions, alien to their religion and culture (15). The Rajput policy towards the Marathas during the time of Abdaliâs invasions (1757 to 1761 A.D.) of India, depicts a clear lack of any foresight.
No convincible justification is ever possible for any imperialism, neither of Alexander the great nor of Akabar. There is nothing wrong, hence, if Maratha imperialism is criticized mercilessly by the historian like Sir Jadhunath in his âFall of the Mughal Empireâ at length. But it will be unbecoming of a worthy historian to deny facts and observe sarcastically (16) thus, âTrue, the Marathas, after sucking the Delhi-Agra region and the Doab on the other bank dry for three years, had fled away. Not a single Maratha bled in defense of the holiest of Vaishnave Shrines; their Pan-Indian suzerainty (Hindupad Padshahi) did not involve the duty to protect.â
There are innumerable proofs available in Marathi sources that give the religious (17) centered activities of the Peshwa and his Sardars. In a way, the object of Maratha Raj was the release of the Hindu (18) religious centre in general and Kashi, Prayag, Mathura and Gaya in particular from the clutches of the Yawanas. It was the unfulfilled desire of the Peshwa from Bajirao to Madhaorao. Upheaval (19) of the Hindu religion was the main aim behind the incessant activities of the Marathas. Ali believed that it was the only power to check Abdali and save Hindusthan.
The harrowing accounts of Abdaliâs attrocities (20) at Mathura, Varundawan and the rest of places within about a hundred miles radius from Delhi, in the lines of Changiz Khan and Taimulang, are even today most painful to read. But the terrible wail of grief and cries of the sufferers, were unable to move the Rajput sympathy to action against Abdali like this Jats. Far from it, not a finger was raised nor a word was spoken.
The racial bitterness against the Deccani Marathas, over looking the common bond of religion that had served once the strongest link between the two, had so completely cptured the hearts of Madhaosing and Vijaysing that forgetting the Rajput stand of defending their religion and culture for which their fore-fathers had shed ample blood, they were busy in inviting Abdali and were blind to his barbarous acts. And all this was done within less than ten to fifteen years from the deaths of Abhaysing and Sawai Jaysing who could have never acted on these lines, not even for driving away the Maratha aggressors. Sacrificing the innocent people of Delhi, Agra, Mathuran and Vrundavan for saving Rajasthan from the clutches of the Maratha was a queer solution indeed!
http://maratharajputrelations.com/5sp.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Maharaja Surajmal agreed to join Bhau but then when he adviced Bhau that he should put all his camp followers (women, children and other civilians that came along) in a secure fort and use guerilla tactics against Abdali he was insulted along with Holkar, so Surajmal left the alliance, he would later shelter many of the Maratha refugees and spend his own money taking care of them after the war.
The Maratha loss can easily be put down to the fact that they had forgotten that the great Shivaji never allowed women and other civilians in his camp, also Marathas had no allies and lastly their foolish military tactics.
Another interesting fact is that Abdali had some Naga Sanyasins fighting for him, I wonder how these so called Sanyasins dared to call themselves that while fighting for a man who massacred hundreds of thousands of Hindus and desecrated hundreds of mandirs.
About the role of the European powers I am not aware, well only the English could have done anything because the other European powers were mainly confined to the South, but I am not aware what their stand was but they must have hoped that the Marathas lost because Panipat was the beginning of the end of Marathas and would eventually help the English replace the weakened Maratha power.