Welcome to new series. Badshah’s weakness for attacks from northwest drew in Marathas to Delhi as protectors of weak regime. Eventual outcome was spread of Marathas across most of India. From Attock to Cuttack, Peshawar to Tanjavur, Kathiawad to Kolkata.

"Our son had short life, and he went through this whole solar order to achieve immortality. But without Bhau, there is nothing. Nana, I cannot run the kingdom without Bhau. How would the kingdom’s affairs be taken care of in my old age and weakness!".

Overall, in Chhatrapati dynasty, Tarabai and Jijabai II were the only capable ladies. Both of them charted their own independent paths. But they did not think about how the whole Maratha kingdom could be maintained in a good state or how it would prosper.

When the battle between Abdali-Marathas was at its peak at Panipat, Sambhaji II died here in Maharashtra on 20 December 1760 without male heir. “He felt sick at Wadgaon. While near Tap he breathed his last on 20 December 1760.".

Panipat neither meant end of Maratha power nor termination of their ambitions in north. They remained at Delhi 4 decades after Panipat having vanquished their northern enemies, returning triumphant under new generation of leaders.

Ahmedshah Abdali, victor of Panipat, never returned to Delhi after he hurriedly left on 20 March 1761. Sadashivrao Bhau’s demand that India should be ruled by Indians, came true in decade after his death. In final analysis, this is Panipat’s real epitaph.

Due to failure at Panipat, Marathas could not pay attention to Carnatic for 4 years. In this duration, Haidar Ali destroyed Kingdom of Mysore, established his own rule. Therefore, rise of British-Haidar Ali are indirect results of Maratha loss at Panipat.

It is worth looking at similarity in perception of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 17th century, Sadashivrao Bhau in 18th century. Maharaj fought, urged for ‘Deccan for Deccanese’ in his fight against Mughals, while Bhau urged for ‘India for Indians’.

Countless people were killed in battle, and indeed, a virtual illusion was created in north for first 2-4 months that Maratha supremacy has finished. But the moment Abdali returned to his homeland, all the practices went back to being they were before.

Prof HG Rawlinson writing an introduction to Kashiraj chronicle says, “But after all, general who wins a campaign is one who makes fewest mistakes. Bhau did not commit a tithe of blunders of both Wellington and Napoleon in Waterloo campaign.”.

For any further immediate reasons, responsibility lies on Bhausaheb. Leader always gets praised when any task is successful, he is one who gets all blame when task fails. In playing role of Commander-in-Chief, Bhausaheb notched up shorter than Abdali,.

Since Bhau did not have as much experience as Abdali in art of war, even though his intellect did not express itself much in terms of tactics, he had abundant supply of virtues like resolve-bravery. His army was literally devoted to him.

One can say, the moment Vishwasrao fell, Sadashivrao forgot his calm demeanour, got extremely angry, jumped into that sacrificial battle. This act became primary reason behind huge destruction in the end. Direction of battle was still undecided until then.

“Battle of Panipat was a triumph and a glory for Marathas. They fought in cause of ‘India for Indians’, while great Muslim princes of Delhi, Awadh stood aside. Though Marathas were defeated, victorious Afghans retired, never again interfered in India.”.

At Mangrol in the Bundi province, for two days on 29 and 30 November 1761, Shindes and Holkars fought a tempestuous battle with Madho Singh and other Rajput rulers and completely blew them away. This convinced Hindustan that the Marathas were not dead.

Before returning, Peshwa started to run northern Hind’s affairs like before. Beginning-June 1761, Maratha power began shining brilliantly there like before. Next 5 years, aging Holkar took Maratha prestige back to its earlier place north of Narmada.

It is possible battle was lost before Holkar left field. Seeing resurgent Afghans, Holkar with his decades of experience, instinct of ‘living to fight another day’, on his own completed original Maratha strategy of avoiding battle successfully.

In a bid to clear his name, Malharrao, who had fought many a war in a career spanning nearly forty years and the reigns of three Peshwas, wrote a letter of explanation to Nanasaheb Peshwa where he tried to justify his actions at Panipat.

In a month or two, the Peshwa and his circle of advisors fully realised the complete story of the whole affair at Panipat. In the immediate aftermath of Panipat and Holkar’s flight from the battlefield, Malharrao was in the bad books of the Peshwa.

The Marathas could have gone to Delhi, provided they had a large enough army, and against a tired and fractious Afghan force, attempt the restoration of status quo ante. However, Nanasaheb was not in the physical and indeed the mental state to do it.

Hearing that he had lost valorous brother like Bhausaheb, virtuous son like Vishwasrao, his heart lost all gumption. Peshwa’s sorrow surpassed all limits. ‘Bhau! Bhau!’, was his constant lament, all day and night.