पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

8 PANIPAT: 1761 Nizam by fomenting an internal revolution there, through the agency of the minister Shah Nawaz Khan The Peshwa was in the very thick of the con- spiracy just at this juncture, but Bussy proved more than a match for the Peshwa in this move He took the fort of Daulatabad from the hands of Shah Nawaz Khan's retainer, in April 1758 Nizam Ali, the younger brother of the Nizam Salabat Jang, was slowly and cautiously feeling his way and coming forward under his brother's cover He caused the murders of Haidar Jang the chief native assistant of Bussy, Shah Nawaz Khan and his son, thus ending the French as well as the Maratha influence at the Nizam's Court at one stroke Anticipating these developments, the Peshwa seems to have called back his brother to be at his elbow in any crisis likely to arise from there But as things then stood, this meant the weakening of the Maratha strength in the Panjab just when it was most needed Raghoba and Malharrao had acted wisely in choosing a proper time for pushing forward upto Lahore, just when Abdali's troops there had been reduced to a small force But once having pushed so far, it was necessary to build there an impregnable line across Abdali's path Instead, they chose the wrong path—which has often been repeated by the Marathas in their history—of returning home They had al- ready made over the management of the conquered parts to Adina Beg and left only a small force to aid him in any eventualities Their whole plan mis- carried as later developments showed Raghoba and Malharrao returned at the end of May 1758 They were conscious that the Maratha troops left behind were inadequate While returning, they ordered certain other Maratha bri- gades to proceed to the Panjab to canton there Malharrao despatched Tukoji Holkar and Khandoji Kadam, Raghoba ordered Vitthal Shivdev to repair there Janakoji Shinde, after his meeting with Raghoba in Rajputana on his way back, sent the old and experienced Sabaji Shinde to take over the whole charge of the Maratha affairs in the Panjab as a deputy governor Of these, Vitthal Shivdev⁸ seems to have continued there only up to October, together with his colleague Satvoji Jadhav Sabaji reached Lahore some time after But in the interval Adina Beg died on the 16th September, 1758⁹ He was the only experienced and influential man in the Panjab not altogether ill dis- posed towards the Marathas After his death began again the vicious scramble for power in that region Khwajah Mirza tried to assume the governorship at Lahore and renew his broken career With the help of Tukoji and Khandoji he beat back an invasion of some Afghans and Gakkhars in concert This was before Sabaji's arrival and his taking over the charge of the Panjab Tukoji and Khandoji pushed on beyond the Jehelum¹⁰ and the Indus in pursuit of the Afghans and thus carried the Maratha standards beyond Attock This was sometime in October 1758, before the severe winter in those regions began Sabaji followed them after a short interval and joined them in Pesh.... ¹¹ 8 SPD 21 146 9 SPD 2 96 10 BISM (Persian Mss) No 696 11 Ibid No. 699