The Maratha Entry into the North: The background | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Maratha's Entry into Delhi Politics

• The Maratha involvement in Delhi politics is not a recent phenomenon but can be traced back to the times of Shahu. Balaji Vishvanath, the first Peshwa, went to Delhi in 1718 to seek the Emperor Farrukhsiyar's approval for the peace treaty agreed between Shahu and Husain Ali. The treaty was finally ratified by Muhammad Shah in March 1719, thereby enhancing the Maratha's prestige.
• Under Baji Rao's leadership, the Maratha's influence further increased. Baji Rao's mother, Radha Bai, undertook a pilgrimage tour of several northern Indian towns, including Kurukshetra, where she was provided with an escort by the imperial government and local chiefs.
• The first phase of Maratha's ascendancy at the Delhi court began with the death of Wazir Qamr-ud-din and Emperor Muhammad Shah in 1748 and continued intermittently until the Battle of Panipat in 1761. However, Baji Rao's sudden appearance before Delhi on March 28, 1737, where the Maratha army plundered the suburbs of the capital and defeated a Mughal force, marked a significant turning point in their rise to power. On their way back, they visited Rewari on March 31. 
• The Marathas were able to increase their power during the conflict between the Turani and Irani parties at the Delhi court. Initially, they supported Safdar Jang, the leader of the Irani party, against Nizam-ud-daulah, who was the son of Qamar-ud-din Khan, and helped Jang fight against Rohillas and Bangash Afghans in Oudh and Allahabad in 1751. The Marathas achieved significant victories in these battles, which brought Dattaii Sindhia into the spotlight. 
• Due to the Abdali invasion from 1751 to 1752, the Marathas formed a subsidiary alliance with Safdar Jang, which is crucial in understanding why the Marathas became involved in the northern region. The agreement between the Peshwa and the Emperor promised the former a sum of thirty lakhs of rupees to keep Abdali out of India, as well as twenty lakhs for defending the Empire against internal threats. The Peshwa was also granted chauth on the revenues of Sind, Panjab, and certain districts in the upner Ganga Doab to meet the expenses, and was to be appointed governor of Agra, Mathura, Narnaul, and Ajmer without disrupting the existing administrative setup. 
• However, the Emperor failed to confirm the treaty after formally ceding the Punjab to Abdali and giving his agent Qalandar Khan the royal rescript to this effect on April 23, 1752. Since the Marathas were no longer needed, the Emperor declined to confirm the treaty, and the Maratha leaders demanded fifty lakhs for their immediate withdrawal. 
• They also began to plunder the area around the capital, causing great concern to the Delhi court. The Marathas finally left with a promise that Ghazi-ud-din, who was friendly to them, would be appointed viceroy of the Deccan. Unfortunately, Ghazi-ud-din was poisoned to death by other aspirants to his new assignment and the promise could not be fulfilled.

Maratha Alliance with Emperor and Abandonment of Safdar Jang

• In 1753, the Marathas ended their association with Safdar Jang, who was embroiled in a power struggle at the Delhi court, and joined forces with the Emperor. Raghunath Rao, along with prominent Maratha nobles and a large army, was sent north to raise funds. However, Safdar Jang was defeated before their arrival and died in Lucknow in October 1753. 
• The Maratha army passed through Rajasthan and reached Delhi in May 1754, while Khande Rao Holkar led the advance guard, met with the Emperor on December 22, 1753, and received gifts. The wazir Intizam-ud-daulah and the mir-bakshi Imad-ul-mulk, who were bitter rivals, each had their own plans. The former sought a united front among the Nawab of Oudh, Surajmal, and Rajput princes, while the latter, along with the Marathas, aimed to maintain their hold over the Emperor. 
• Imad-ul-mulk emerged as the dominant figure in the power struggle and removed Ahmad Shah from his position, replacing him with Alamgir II. As Raghunath Rao did not receive the payment he was promised for supporting the wazir, the Marathas began looting the capital and surrounding areas. They began by raiding villages in the northern suburbs of Delhi on August 31, 1754. 
• In response, the Dahiya farmers of Jalalpur and other villages near Narela launched a surprise attack on the Maratha foraging parties, stealing their horses and property. Malhar Rao retaliated by attacking the three villages of Jalalpur, Nahra, and Nahri. 
• The Marathas continued their plundering of villages in the region, selling off the loot in Delhi, despite complaints made to the imperial authority. Eventually, Imad-ul-mulk agreed to pay the Marathas 82.5 lakhs, but only one third of this could be collected. As a show of gratitude, the new Emperor surrendered the Hindu holy places of Kurukshetra and Gaya to the Peshwa in a royal script issued on October 25, 1754. 
• Muslim officers were withdrawn from these places, which were then placed under the control of Hingne brothers, the Peshwa's agents in Delhi. Raghunath Rao crossed the Jamuna and returned via several districts, while Malhar Rao followed a different route and collected tributes from Gujar and Baluch landlords in Haryana.

The Marathas' Response to the Fourth Durrani Invasion

• In response to the fourth Durrani invasion of India in 1756, a strong army was sent from Poona to Delhi under Malhar Rao and Raghunath Rao. Malhar Rao departed earlier but was joined by Raghunath Rao at Indore on February 14, 1757. At that time, Delhi was already under Durrani occupation, and Ahmad Shah had appointed Najib-ud-daulah as mir bakshi on February 19, 1757, to act as his representative after he departed from India. Raghunath Rao was hesitant to march straight to Delhi as long as Durrani was in India. 
• Instead, he first entered Rajasthan and then planned the recovery of Gangetic doab from June to July 1757, when Durrani had left the country. Imad-ul-mulk wanted to turn the Marathas against Najib-ud-daulah, who was also disliked by the Emperor. Malhar Rao and Raghunath Rao joined the Maratha advance party in the outskirts of Delhi. 
• However, they were hesitant to confront Najib due to the fear of a new Durrani invasion in his support. Raghunath Rao sent Manaji Paygude to gather intelligence up to Thanesar and urged the Peshwa to send Dattaji Sindhia to keep an eye on Abdali's movements in the Punjab region. Due to various factors such as death, desertion, and famine, Najib was forced to negotiate with the Marathas. 
• On September 3, 1757, he agreed to leave Delhi, resign from his post as mir bakshi, and pay an indemnity of five lakhs to the Marathas, who thus gained supremacy in the capital. After successfully removing Najib from Delhi in September 1757, the Marathas moved into Haryana and received revenues from Kamgar Khan Baluch in the Rohtak district through his superintendent Sathhami. 
• During a religious event in Kurukshetra on January 9, 1758, Malhar Rao’s women were attacked by a group of Abdus-Samad Khan's soldiers, the governor appointed by Abdali in Sarhind. The Marathas fought fiercely, killed many Afghans and seized their horses. Malhar Rao then went on to plunder Taraori and Karnal and received a tribute of five lakhs from Kunjapura. After crossing the Jamuna, Malhar Rao met with Raghunath Rao to discuss their plan of conquering the Punjab.

The Expedition of Raghunath Rao

• In late February 1758, Raghunath Rao began his expedition. The army passed through Thanesar and reached Mughal-ki-Sarai near Ambala on March 5th. They continued on to the vicinity of Sarhind on March 8th. With the help of Adina Beg and his Sikh allies, the Marathas were able to capture the fort of Sarhind, imprison Abdali's lieutenants Abdus-Samad Khan and Jangbaz Khan, and loot the city. When the formidable Maratha army approached, Timur Shah and Jahan Khan decided to return to Afghanistan in April 1758. 
• The Marathas, having gained control over the Punjab, chased the enemy and conquered Attock, Peshawar and Multan. After ensuring proper governance in the newly acquired territories, Raghunath Rao received orders from the Peshwa to return to the Deccan. He appointed Adina Beg, an experienced administrator, as the Governor of Punjab who could handle the Sikhs and help the Marathas in collecting tributes. 
• Content with his success, Raghunath Rao headed back to Delhi via Thanesar where the Marathas performed a religious bath on Somavati Amavasya (June 5). The Maratha presence in the Punjab did not last for long after the death of Adina Beg on September 15, 1758. The Maratha forces stationed in Peshawar and Attock were recalled, and Imad-ul-Mulk's officers attempted to seize Adina Beg's wealth and possessions. 
• However, upon receiving news of Adina Beg's death in Malwa, Raghunath Rao dispatched a strong force led by Sabaji Patel to the Punjab. Sabaji Patel intercepted Imad's agents at Sonepat, drove them back to the capital, and proceeded towards Peshawar. Additionally, another Maratha contingent led by Dattaji Sindhia was en route to the Punjab under Raghunath Rao's instructions. 
• The change in Maratha policy in northern India signified a shift in leadership from Malhar Rao, who favored conciliation and compromise with the Muslim population, to Dattaji Sindhia, a more aggressive military commander. Dattaji met with Imad at Delhi, who warned him of a possible Durrani invasion and suggested that the Marathas fortify their frontier outposts. 
• Imad offered to provide seven to eight lakhs of rupees for this purpose, which Dattaji accepted. Dattaji then summoned Sabaji from Peshawar and met him at Machhiwara to gather intelligence about the frontiers and make necessary administrative changes.

Dattaji's failed attempt to capture Najib

• Upon his return from the Punjab in May 1759, Dattaji Sindhia crossed the Jamuna and set up camp at Shamli, where he invited Najib to negotiate terms. In an attempt to intimidate Najib, a large Maratha force was also dispatched to the Saharanpur district. Najib eventually agreed to the proposal, but Dattaji's companions, contrary to his wishes, attempted to capture Najib, which aroused suspicion and led to the failure of the plan. 
• Najib and his chief officers showed courage, resulting in an open breach between Najib and Dattaji. This incident remained a source of deadly hostility on the part of Najib towards the Sindhias in the following period. In June 1759, Najib took a defensive position at Sukkartal as most of his territory had been taken over by Dattaji. 
• On September 15, Najib successfully repulsed a Maratha assault. However, in early November, news arrived of Abdali's entry into the Punjab, prompting Dattaji to lift the siege at Sukkartal on December 8, 1759, and rush to check Abdali's progress. Najib also left Sukkartal on December 10 and advanced towards the Jamuna to welcome his master, Ahmad Shah Durrani. 
• This marks the end of the events leading up to the Maratha entry into the politics of the Delhi court and their subsequent movements in Haryana and the Punjab, and the start of Durrani's invasion of India in 1759.

Ahmad Shah's invasion of India and the Marathas' lack of support

• After pacifying rebellions in his own kingdom, Ahmad Shah prepared to invade India, aided by the Ruhelas who had been attacked by the Marathas. The Nawab of Oudh also sided with Ahmad Shah, as he saw the Marathas as allies of Imad, his greatest enemy. 
• Najib-ud-daulah, Ahmad Shah's key Indian ally, urged him to punish the Marathas. Muslim theologian Shah Waliullah also advocated for Muslim power in India and wrote a detailed letter to Ahmad Shah, requesting him to relieve Muslims from Maratha rule. 
• The Marathas were unable to secure support from the Rajputs, who were already estranged by Balaji Rao's policies, nor from the Sikhs, who had grown strong in the Punjab. Balaji Rao's poor diplomacy deprived the Marathas of much-needed support from indigenous powers at a critical moment when they were faced with the formidable combination of Ahmad Shah and his Indian allies. 
• In September 1759, Ahmad Shah set out from Qandhar and arrived in Lahore in November of the same year. By the end of November, he had conquered Punjab. During this time, Imad, the treacherous wazir, had organized the assassination of Alamgir II, who was found to be working with Durrani and Shuja-ud-daula of Oudh. 
• Following this, Shah Jahan II, a prince of the royal family, was declared the new Emperor. After establishing proper governance in Punjab, Ahmad Shah and his army moved towards Delhi, passing through several towns such as Govindwal, Khizrabad, Sarhind, Ambala, and Taraori. It was at Taraori that Najib instructed the Afghans of Kunjapura to supply the Durrani soldiers with scarlet caps.