पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

CHAPTER II SUKARTAL, BURADI AND AFTER BEFORE proceeding to Bahlulpur¹ on the Satlaj to arrange for the govern- ment of the Punjab in February 1759, Dattaji had already forfeited the confi- dence of the Wazir Ghazi-ud-din by his policy of initiating things on his own au- thority without paying any attention to the Wazir's interests and susceptibilities. The Wazir complained that even after giving his all, the Empire was not able to keep its prestige. All who had taken part in the business had lost their all with nothing left to fall back upon.² This was a true indictment. As the Wazir had found the Maratha power to be a broken reed in times of need, he had perforce to open negotiations with others and try to have something in his own power. Abdali, when he returned in 1757, had tried to establish a sort of balance of power at the Delhi court. He had restored the deposed Emperor to his place and therefore the Wazir was no more free to do away with him or to over ride him when he liked.³ Najib Khan had been ap- pointed Mir Bakshi thus placing the military power in his hands as a check on the Wazir. Ahmad Shah had also shown the wisdom of deposing Intizam- ud-daulah (on whom he had at first bestowed the Wazirship) and restoring Ghazi-ud-din to his office. When the Marathas returned, they had to do away with Najib as the one real representative of Abdali's cause in India. But he was not arrested and put into prison as he ought to have been, if the Marathas wished to rule over Delhi. On the contrary, he was allowed to keep the districts under him, and to act as a collector for the Marathas! This meant that Najib had still left to him both the means and the freedom to create mischief. When Dattaji returned, he found a stalemate in the Delhi politics due to this position. While the Wazir had all the legal power of the Empire, of appointing and dismissing, of granting and resuming, centred in him there was no sanction behind his decrees as the military power rested with Najib. Dattaji by his high handedness alienated the Wazir, but did not, by any means, win over his rival for power, Najib. Dattaji discovered this fact when it was too late. As stated in the previous chapter, he confidently tried to make Najib join him in his cause through the mediation of Govindpant Bun- dele. But Najib completely foiled his project by procrastination. Dattaji, angered by this deceit and insult, at once besieged Najib with an overwhelming force. But even this overwhelming force was ineffective before the cunning and the ability of Najib. There are certain natural impediments which it is impossible to over- come even with greater force. Najib's camp at Sukartal had the Ganges on three sides and on the fourth side the ground was so uneven that to approach Najib's camp with artillery or even with cavalry was well-nigh impossible, espe- cially during the rains. The plains in the Gangetic Doab become so muddy 1 BISM (Persian Mss.) No 699 2 SPD 27.140 3 Purandhare 3.205 [ 18 ]