Thread by @punarUtthana108

Reason not to believe BøllyDAwood !! 🤷

Pindaris
Bidari (pronounced in Arabic)

Pindaris were shown in Vêer movie as freedom fighters against Britishers lead role performed by Sallu

In reality they were irregular military plunderers and foragers

initially in Muzlim army

.1/n

17th - early 19th century accompanied initially Muzlim army, later Maratha army and finally on their own before being eliminated in 1817-18 Pindari War

their compensation was entirely loot they plundered during the war

earliest mention found Aurangzeb's campaign in Deccan

2/n

they were also used by Maratha against Mughal empire

But because of their looters mindset they could never be believed

After several cases of abuse where Pindaris plundered the territories of Maratha

Shivaji issued extensive regulations seeking to carefully limit them

3/n

By 1795 Pindari militia groups sought easy wealth for their leaders and themselves

estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Pindari around 1800-1815 looted villages, captured people as slaves for sale and challenged Muslim sultanates, Hindu kingdoms and British colonies

"Gardi-ka-waqt"

4/n

According to Tapan Raychaudhuri & Irfan Habib Mughal army always had the "Bidari" (pronounced in Arabic)

privileged and recognized thieves who first plundered enemy territory and everything they could find

Unpaid cavalry got compensated by burning and looting everywhere

4/n

The Hindu Marathas, in their war against the Mughals, evolved this concept to by forming Pindaris brigade, encouraging them not only to loot Muslim territories but gather and deliver food to their regular army

@TIinExile @History_Ink1008 @_UntoldHistory @Lost_History1

5/n

Italian traveler Niccolao wrote about Bederia (Pidari) that these are the first to invade enemy's territory, where they plunder everything they find

Richard Eaton, plunder of frontier regions was a part of the strategy contributed wealth and propelled Sultanate systems

6/n

The Ghaznavid sultans plundered north Indian cities from bases in Afghanistan

This strategy continued in the campaigns of Delhi Sultanate, Khalji sultans who plundered the populations beyond the Vindhyas

Babur similarly benefited from plundering & looting raids into India

7/n

After the arrival of the British East India Company among the chaos of a collapsed Mughal Empire and warring kingdoms

Pindaris emerged as centers of violence & looters

They conducted raids for plunder to enrich themselves, or to whichever state was willing to hire them

8/n

British & others became so frustrated that they formed a coalition to end the Pindaris

early 19th-century Pindari War happened

Armies from Gujarat, Deccan & Bengal, some 120,000 troops surrounded Malwa region & Gwalior (protectors of Pindaris) to force them to surrender

9/n

British coalition also offered regular employment to some of the Pindari militia by converting them into a separate contingent of its forces

Some were given jobs as police and offered pensions or Nawab position along with land to their leaders

@ShefVaidya @rightwingchora