On the history trail: Nizam-ul-Mulk prepares to fight Peshwa Bajirao and the Marathas

Nizam-ul-Mulk after being accorded the highest honours by the ruler at Delhi left the capital in October 1737 with a thirty thousand strong army equipped with artillery on a singular mission to chase the Marathas away from the rich provinces of Bundelkhand and Malwa.

 

He turned south, crossed the Jamuna River near Agra and entered Bundelkhand by crossing the Jamuna again near Kalpi. Though the Peshwa and Chimaji Appa were engaged in a religious war against the Portuguese and their atrocities against Hindus in the Konkan, they rose to the occasion and headed north.

 

Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj held long meetings with the Peshwa and Ranoji Scindia, Malharrao Holkar and other commanders to discuss the next course of action. It was clear that the Mughals had united for the first time since the death of Aurangzeb with a goal to deliver a decisive blow to the Marathas and their sovereignty.

 

The Peshwa took up the challenge without a second thought with a display of extraordinary confidence and courage that tremendously lifted the spirits of Shahu Raje. On the auspicious day of 15 October 1737, Peshwa Bajirao took the blessings and permission of Shahu Raje and headed north with his army.

 

The Nizam’s son, Nasir Jung had also in the meantime managed to raise an enormous amount of money from Malwa that he used for the military preparations. He intended to catch the Marathas unaware in the middle of his and his father’s army. While he moved from the south, the Nizam was marching steadily from the north.

 

The Peshwa was quick to his tactics and stationed his brother Chimaji Appa at Varangaon on the Tapti River with strict instructions to prevent Nasir Jung from proceeding beyond Burhanpur and coming to the aid of his father. Eventually, Chimaji Appa did a magnificent job of holding back Nasir Jung which worked in the favour of the Marathas.

 

The Peshwa designated specific duties and tasks to Raghuji Bhosle, Damaji Gaikwad and Avji Kavde who executed their part to perfection. The Peshwa crossed the Narmada in early December 1737 and received regular reports through his agents and network of spies.

 

He waited patiently for an opportunity to use their famed guerrilla tactics to push the Nizam into a corner. After learning the arrangement of the Nizam’s camp, the Maratha bands began hovering about the Mughal camp and harassing them from a distance in December 1737.

 

They made sure that they kept sufficient distance and were out of the range of their artillery. They began to slowly drive the Mughals towards the south where the Peshwa was waiting in anticipation in Malwa. The Mughals had no other option but to wait and watch as pursuing them was out of the question.

 

It became impossible for the Mughals to move swiftly with their large army while chasing the Marathas. Soon, they found themselves running short of basic provisions for their men and animals. The Nizam decided to take refuge in a fortified place where he could keep his men safe while planning his next move against the roving Maratha bands.

 

Written by Lakshmi Subramanian

 

* Information about Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj is taken from archives