The Third Battle of Panipat

 The Third Battle of Panipat

Bajirao was succeeded by Balaji Bajirao alias Nanasaheb as Peshwa . Following the invasion of Nadirshah , there was instability in Delhi . In these circumstances , Nanasaheb tried to stabilize the Maratha rule in the North . Ahmadshah Abdali posed a challenge to the Marathas at Panipat . We shall learn about these developments in this lesson .

 Situation in the North : 

The Pathans who had migrated from Afghanistan had settled near Ayodhya at the foot of the Himalayas . These Pathans were known as the Rohillas . The region where they had settled , was known as Rohilkhand . The Rohillas had wrought havoc in the Doab region of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers . The Nawab of Ayodhya invited the Marathas to subdue the Rohillas . The Marathas chastised the Rohillas .

Conflict with the Afghans : 

Ahmadshah Abdali , the ruler of Afghanistan , was attracted by the riches of India . He conquered the Punjab in AD 1752. There was anarchy in the Mughal territory . The Mughals were facing the of Abdali's invasion . In these circumstances , the Mughals found it necessary for their own protection , to seek the help of the Marathas . Therefore , Safadarjung , the Nawab of Ayodhya , entered into a treaty with the Marathas on behalf of the Emperor . According to this treaty , the Marathas agreed to protect the Mughal power from enemies like the Rohillas , the Jats , the Rajputs and the Afghans . In return , the Marathas got the right to collect chauthai in the territories of the Punjab , Multan Rajputana , Sindh and Rohilkhand . 

Raghunathrao , brother of the Peshwa Nanasaheb , accompanied by Jayappa Shinde and Malharrao Holkar , undertook the campaign of North India . Mathura , near Delhi , was the seat of the Jat power where Surajmal Jat was the Chief . Raghunathrao attacked the territory of the Jats because of which , the Jats were hurt . 

After the death of Raja Sawai Jaysingh of Jaipur , there was a conflict among his sons for the throne of Jaipur . The Marathas intervened in this conflict . Therefore , the Rajputs were annoyed . As a result , the Jats and the Rajputs did not help the Marathas in the battle of Panipat .

Peshwa Nanasaheb

The Maratha standard on Attock : 

Najibkhan was a Rohilla chief . He found it hard to tolerate the Maratha supremacy in the North . At the behest of Najibkhan , Abdali invaded India again . He captured Delhi . He returned to Afghanistan with a huge booty . Raghunathrao and Malharrao Holkar marched to the North again . They captured Delhi . Then , driving out Abdali's officers , they captured the Punjab . The Marathas pursued Abdali's soldiers right up to Attock in AD 1758. The Maratha standard was raised at Attock . Attock is in present day Pakistan . From Attock , the Marathas pushed the campaign up to Peshawar . However , they did not make proper arrangements to look after this newly conquered territory .

Dattaji's valour : 

To get a firm hold over the Punjab and to crush Najibkhan , the Peshwa sent Dattaji Shinde and Janakoji Shinde to the North . Dattaji went to the North . Keeping him engaged in negotiations , Najibkhan established contacts with Abdali . He requested Abdali to come to his help . On receiving the message from Najibkhan , Abdali invaded India again . Dattaji and Abdali confronted each other at Buradi Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna . A fierce fight ensued . Dattaji showed tremendous valour . He met with a heroic death in this battle .

 Sadashivraobhau leaves for the North : 

Nanasaheb sent Sadashivraobhau to the North to crush Abdali . He had with him , a huge army and a powerful artillery . Ibrahimkhan Gardi was the Chief of the artillery . Vishwasrao , the eldest son of Nanasaheb , and many capable Maratha Sardars had joined this campaign .

The battle of Panipat : 

In his campaign of the North , Sadashivraobhau captured Delhi . The armies of the Marathas and Abdali confronted each other at Panipat . On 14 January 1761 , the Marathas opened the battle by attacking Abdali's army . Vishwasrao fell a victim to an enemy bullet . When Sadashivraobhau learnt this , he fiercely attacked the enemy in a frenzy . He disappeared in the battle fray . Seeing that their leader had disappeared , the Maratha soldiers lost courage . At that very moment , the reserve contingents of Abdali launched an attack on the Marathas with a fresh vigour . The Marathas were defeated . A whole generation of young men in Maharashtra was killed . Many brave Sardars fell on the battlefield . The Marathas believed that an outsider like Abdali had no moral right to rule here . The Marathas fought at Panipat with the broad perspective that India is for Indians .

Peshwa Madhavrao :

 After the death of Peshwa Nanasaheb , his son Madhavrao succeeded him to the office of the Peshwa . Madhavrao kept the Nizam and Haidar Ali at bay . He established the supremacy of the Marathas in the North again .

 After the defeat of the Marathas at Panipat , the Nizam once again resumed his anti - Maratha activities . He invaded the Maratha territory . Madhavrao defeated the Nizam at Rakshasbhuvan near Paithan . 

Displacing the king , Haidar Ali had usurped the throne of Mysore . Taking advantage of the Maratha defeat at Panipat , Haidar Ali attacked their territory in Karnataka . The Marathas defeated Haidar in a battle at Motitalao near Srirangapattan . He agreed to cede the region north of the river Tungabhadra to the Marathas .

The revival of the Maratha power : 

The Maratha prestige in the North had suffered a severe setback because of the debacle at Panipat . Madhavrao dispatched Mahadaji Shinde , Tukoji Holkar , Ramchandra Kanade and Visajipant Biniwale to re - establish the Maratha rule in the North . The Maratha army defeated the Jats , the Rohillas and the Rajputs . The Marathas restored the Emperor Shah Alam to the throne of Delhi under their own protection . The Maratha power was revived in the North . In this achievement , Mahadaji Shinde had the lion's share . 

Peshwa Madhavrao died in AD 1772. In the history of the Marathas , he is described as an honest , hard working , determined administrator who was keen on public welfare . Grant Duff spoke of him in the following words : ' The plains of Panipat were not more fatal to the Maratha Empire than the early end of this excellent Prince . The death of this capable Peshwa was an irreparable loss to the Maratha State .