पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

42 PANIPAT 1761 longed to that generation of the Marathas which grew up with Bajirao's con quests in Malwa He was the confidential man of Malharrao and had perfect faith⁴⁹ in the wisdom of his master Malharrao Holkar seems to have purposely sent Gangoba to meet Bhau first and sound him in respect of his future policy and temper Malharrao him- self met Bhau along with Janakoji Shinde, a week later, on the 22nd of June ⁵⁰ No difference of opinion is reported at this meeting which seems to have ended amicably, thus belying the purposive colourful writing of the Marathi chroni- cles At the end of the month, Surajmal Jat and the Wazir Ghazi-ud-din saw Sadashivrao Bhau and discussed the future line of action ⁵¹ The plan at the beginning of July was still to cross over the Jamuna into the Doab by build- ing a bridge of boats But even this plan failed because of the rising waters of the Jumuna In fact Bhau's slow march from the Deccan added four addi- tional months of the monsoon to the Panipat campaign, and lowered the vitality and morale of the Maratha army thereby From the tone of a letter written at this juncture, there does not seem to be any difference of opinion between Bhau and his sardars or Surajmal Jat ⁵² The total strength of the Maratha army is given as seventy to eighty thousand while Abdali-Ruhela strength is reported as sixty thousand The balance was to be decided by the joining in of Shuja ud daulah to either side Shuja's army is reported as twenty thousand, with a very strong park of artillery Besides, his army was one on permanent footing and therefore best trained, best equipped and al together more efficient than that of the others It was regularly well paid and therefore contented Naro Shankar and Ramaji Anant Dabholkar,⁵³ Jana- koji's Diwan, had been despatched as special ambassadors to Shuja as a last resort to induce him to come over to the Maratha side by offering him any terms he would choose to ask ⁵⁴ But he finally decided against the Marathas and proceeded to meet Abdali at Ramgad Bhau at once changed his plan of crossing into the Doab and arrived at Gau Ghat to the north east of Sikandara where the great Akbar lies buried This place is some ten miles to the north west of Agra on the bank of the Jamuna There the Maratha army halted and bathed in the holy waters on the new moon day of Ashadha, which fell on 12th July, 1760 ⁵⁵ Thence Bhau proceeded to Mathura where he encamped on the 15th of July ⁵⁶ Thence he sent advanced troops to lay siege to Delhi, then commanded by Yakub Ali Khan, a cousin of the Durrani Wazir Shah Wali Khan ⁵⁷ He had only a small force, not more than two thousand strong The rest of the camp with women in it went on performing the pilgrim's rites at Mathura and Brindavan Nana Fadnis, who was accompanying Bhau with his wife and mother, indulged in the holy pilgrimage to his heart's content, ⁴⁹ SPD 2 116 ⁵⁰ Raj 1 217, SPD 2 127 ⁵¹ Purandare 1.387 ⁵² Ibid ⁵³ Raj 1 208 ⁵⁴ Purandare 1 387 ⁵⁵ Bhau Kaifiyat p 9 ⁵⁶ Raj 1.217 ⁵⁷ Ibid. 1.222, 223