पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

76 PANIPAT. 1761 Tiloi and Hindupat of Pratapgarh In fact, the times and the surroundings were such that no potentate could be taken as fully established and free from internal rebellions Shuja had placed Veni Bahadur with full powers in charge of his dominions during his absence in Abdali's camp The major portion of Shuja's troops he kept behind him for guarding his dominions, fully knowing the risks to which his dominions would be exposed once he antag- onised the Marathas In fact, his direct help to Abdali was his fine park of artillery and the moral prestige of his name only Sadashivrao Bhau appears from his letters to be unaware of this important fact Shuja's troops are found estimated at 20,000 at the beginning of July, but how many of these he took with him to Abdali's camp is doubtful, as none seem to give very reliable figures But if we take Kashiraj's figures as correct, Shuja had at Panipat 2,000 cavalry, 2,000 infantry and 20 guns with him, thus leaving 16,000 to guard his dominions All these troops were well disciplined and well equipped They were engaged on a permanent footing and very well paid with the re- sult that they had no cause to grumble and go against their master This was possible because Shuja possessed the most fertile lands in India and he could collect his revenues without any hitch The only possible loop hole in Shuja's dominions was the danger from his big zamindars who were always ready to rebel and would have liked to become independent When Bhau is found ordering Govindpant to invade the Ruhela lands beyond the Ganges and Gopalrao Barve to attack Shuja's dominions, he seems to be talking of something which he could not understand Abdali had sent many of the Ruhelas back to their homes during the rains to lessen the pressure on his scanty supplies of grain and possibly with a view to protect their province, thus making it impossible for Govindpant to move in the matter Govindpant occupied Ahmad Khan Bangash's lands in Farukhabad adjoining his, because these were on his side of the Ganges But beyond the river he could not go Similarly, Gopalrao found it impossible to move in the face of Veni Bahadur guarding the Ganges in full force The combined troops of the Marathas under all their captains in this region, are found estimated at only ten to twelve thousand troops Many of these were possibly infantry corps only, and not very well disciplined They were fit for collecting revenues from refractory zamindars hiding in their fortalices, but not fit to face regular troops under Veni Bahadur The rainy season passed in mere manœuvring without any actual invasion In the mid- dle of November, Govindpant turned towards Delhi on account of Bhau's ex- press orders, with his contingent of some 5,000 troops, and only Gopalrao Barve was left behind in the lower Doab, facing Shuja's dominions Sadashivrao had ordered Ganesh Sambhaji Khandekar to join his forces with those of Barve, but he does not seem to have crossed the Jamuna from the south at all Be- sides, Shuja's wise mother and Veni Bahadur had by this time quelled the rebel- lions of the zamindars and brought them over to their side by lavish expen- diture on them Gopalrao had written to Bhau in his letter of 22nd November, 1760 that he was presently crossing over into Oudh, actually he was unable to cross before 30th December, 1760, as a part of his army had been sent to Govindpant's help under Bajirao Barve, Ramchandra Krishna and Ghanashyam Pandurang, which he was expecting back But Bhau could not spare these