Palkhed, 1728
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj
Shahu, the son of Sambhaji Maharaj was released by the Mughals in 1707. Balaji Vishwanath Bhat rallied the major Maratha chieftains like Dhanaji Jadhav, Nemaji Shinde, Haibatrao Nimbalkar and Khanderao Dabhade among others behind the flag of Shahu Maharaj and as a result Shahu Maharaj was coronated as the Chhatrapati in 1708. For getting the cooperation of Kanhoji Angre, Balaji Vishwanath Bhat became the Peshwa in 1713. In his career, Balaji Bhat achieved many victories by his diplomacy as well as military might. Sadly, he passed away early in 1720.
Balaji Bhat was succeeded by his elder son, Bajirao Ballal Bhat as the next Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. Bajirao had inherited all the qualities of his father and was an even better military commander than his father. In his eaely years as the Peshwa, he launched several campaigns in Karnataka and Khandesh against the Mughal governors in order to collect taxes. His main opposition came in the form of the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah I.
Asaf Jah I
Background and the Battle
By 1724, the Nizam had practically declared himself independent from the Mughal Empire. He strengthened his armies by enlisting Turkmen and made his heavy artillery, the most powerful force in the whole of Indian Subcontinent. The heavy batteries of the Nizam were strong enough to blow an entire fortress into pieces. The main concern of the Nizam was the growing power of the Maratha court at Satara and their rising star, the young Peshwa, Bajirao. The opposing court at Kolhapur was not strong enough and was more of a neutral power. Nizam decided to take advantage of the strife between the two seats. He stopped paying the Chauth and Sardeshmukhi taxes to Shahu Maharaj and questioned his rights as the true successor to the Maratha Throne. He claimed that he would act as a mediator and would decide if the Satara or Kolhapur Chhatrapati was the real head of the Marathas. Shahu's courtiers like Shripatrao Pratinidhi were urging him to accept the Nizam's offer but Bajirao outright rejected it. Accepting the Nizam's proposal was equivalent to giving up the Maratha Sovereignty. Shahuji went with Bajirao's suggestions and rejected the Nizam's proposal. This gave the Nizam the opportunity to ally with the Kolhapur court led by Chhatrapati Sambhaji II and his commander, Chandrasen Jadhav (son of Dhanaji Jadhavrao, he left Shahu Maharaj's camp after his father's death).
The Nizam led his heavy army into the Maratha Empire. On 1 August, 1727, Bajirao Peshwa assembled his army and left the Deccan soon. Chhatrapati Shahu and rest of the ministers were kept at Purandhar fort under the care of Chimaji Appa, the younger brother of Bajirao Peshwa.
The Nizam was set upon pursuing the army of the Peshwa and sent Iwaz Khan with the command of the vanguard. A small skirmish took place near Jalna and Iwaz Khan was defeated. Bajirao started racing through Khandesh towards Gujarat which was one of the richest Mughal province of the time. The Nizam followed him initially but later turned back towards Swarajya. He captured many minor towns (Narayangao, Pabal, Udaipur) before advancing onto Pune and captured the great city. The Nizam went on the capture Baramati and made his camp there. At Baramati, he got the news that Bajirao was advancing towards Aurangabad. The city of Aurangabad was one of the major cities under the Nizam's control. The loss of Aurangabad would have meant the end of supplies for him. He marched his army north with the hopes of crushing the Maratha army once and for all. And it was here that the Nizam received the first blow. Shahu Maharaj had sent a letter to Sambhaji II and successfully convinced him to abandon the Nizam who hated the Marathas. The Nizam kept marching at a slow pace towards Aurangabad, hoping to garrison it before the arrival of Bajirao. He was burdened with his heavy artillery and the huge Janankhana (the wives, concubines and servants) he used to bring with him everytime. To gain some speed, the Nizam abandoned his artillery at the fort of Ahmednagar and marched on with just his infantry and cavalry battalions which were much weaker than their Maratha counterparts. Bajirao on the other hand had nothing to burden him. His soldiers were mostly mounted troops whose main strength was their mobility. The Marathas did not use heavy artilleries. The narrow passes and gorges made artillery, an ineffective weapon in the Deccan. While marching north, the Nizam did not have any idea that the Maratha forces, led by Malharrao Holkar, Davalji Somvanshi and Ranoji Shinde were following his armies and slowly encircling him. Finally, on 25 February, 1728, the Nizam's army was trapped in a waterless tract with no supplies. The Maratha army had surrounded them from all sides. Any attempts to break through the encirclement were thwarted by the Marathas with their archery and marksmanship. When finally his soldiers started dying due to hunger and thirst, the Nizam sent Iwaz Khan to act as his vakil and negotiate a truce with Bajirao. The mightiest of Mughal commanders had finally been brought down to his knees by the Marathas.
On 6 March (22 March in some sources), 1728, the Nizam had to sign a humiliating treaty at Mungi-Paithan. The terms of the treaty were as follows
1. Chhatrapati Shahu was recognized as the rightful ruler of the Marathas.
2. All the lands captured from the Marathas had to be returned to them.
3. The Maratha revenue collectors who were dismissed by the Nizam had to be reappointed.
4. The balance revenue, since the cessation of payments had to be paid to the Marathas.
5. The rights to collect Chauth and Sardeshmukhi were to be returned to the Marathas once again
This battle had little casualties on both sides. The Nizam lost more men comparitively but it was not a crippling los for him. The battle however ensured Maratha supremacy over the Deccan for the next century until the Anglo Maratha wars. The Nizam never dared to attack thr Marathas in the Deccan after this. His pride and power were broken and he submitted to the Mughal court once again. Bajirao Peshwa on the other hand, emerged as a Hero and a Saviour. His standing increased immensely in the Maratha court and it proved to be a tight slap on the faces of his political opponents, especially the Pratinidhi. Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (British Army, WWII) praised this campaign as "a masterpiece of strategic mobility" and wrote about it in his book.
"Baji Rao’s army was a purely mounted force, armed only with sabre, lance and a bow in some units, and a round shield. There was a spare horse for every two men. The Marathas moved unencumbered by artillery, baggage, or even handguns and defensive armour. The lightly equipped Marathas moved with great rapidity, avoiding the main towns and fortresses, living off the country, burning and plundering. … The Nizam for a time pursued them but was bewildered by the swift and unpredictable movements of the enemy, and his men became exhausted."
- Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery
A Map of the Palkhed Campaign
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