Thread by @itihasika

Third thread of interesting but less known nuances of Panipat 3 with book screen shots of Vishwas Patil’s novel. Some bloodcurdling details will shock you. Don’t miss.

In Panipat 3 Bhau made a MAJOR mistake of carrying too much dead weight unarmed civilians so far from home in a territory without confirmed allies. Hard to understand why he would do such a thing! Maybe he was 30 & immature? But why didn’t seniors veto him? Mystery.

This paragraph that describes the distances involved In medieval battles.

Maratha army was spread 4 miles (1.5 hour walk)

Abdali was sitting 3 miles behind his army (1 hour walk)

Hundreds of scouts have him news updates

Barely a month before Panipat defeat, Peshwa Nanasaheb was busy marrying a 9 year old & doing wild festivities. Why couldn’t anyone smell a rat when no news came from Bhau. Why couldn’t Bhau send incognito messenger without a formal letter that Abdali wouldn’t catch? Beats me!

1 lakh Marathas had been slaughtered to defend the rights of Shah Alam to sit on Delhi throne & that a foreigner Abdali should be sent back. But within no time the Mughal mother forgot Marathas - their faith always comes first. It’s just Hindus that keep doing “India-India”

A lot to made of the letter that Abdali sent to Nanasaheb Peshwa praising Maratha courage & asking forgiveness for the slaughter. The only reason to write it was to keep Muslims safe in India from Maratha wrath to expand in future. Very opportunistic & cunning like always.

Malharrao Holkar, the father in law of Ahilya Bai Holkar was in Panipat with around 20k of his troops. In the middle of the battle when he saw sure loss he turned around & fled. Read his logical explanation - says better to live & fight another day than die for no reason

This one is debatable. Bhau had a choice of doing open battle with cannons vs guerilla style as recommended by senior generals. He choose to go with cannons backed by his trusted Ibrahim Gardi. Historians argue both ways.

Nanasaheb Peshwa wanted immediate retribution
but Malharrao suggested to wait for a more opportune time. Few know but 10 years post Panipat a huge Maratha army lead by Mahadji wrecked havoc on the Rohillas that fought for Abdalli & mass slaughtered them as revenge

This one is sad and a mistake Hindus repeat again & again. Marathas had given refuge to 2000 Afghan orphans. At an opportune moment they turned against Marathas in favor of Abdali. Why oh why are we like this ?

Two other interesting facts. Marathas had eaten nothing for 4 days before the battle & still almost won. Unimaginable grit of fighting so hard with no food in belly for 4 days

Nana Phadnis was there fighting with Bhau almost till the end but managed to escape alive

Other shocking facts

Abdali permitted his soldiers to slaughter any Maratha within 20 miles - 40k men/kids were murdered in cold blood. Women carried away for sec slavery

Jankoji Shinde was caught alive & a chieftain planned to extort money in exchange for releasing him. But fearing that Abdali has gotten to know this he had him murdered, chopped to pieces & buried with mutton & chicken remains

Samsher Bahadur the son of Bajirao & Mastani didn’t die in the battlefield. He survived, reached the palace of Raja Surajmal & died of his injuries in the palace

Ibrahim Gardi the gunner who almost won the battle for Marathas was also caught alive. Shuja had asked AaBdali to let him go. Abdali offered him a position in Kandahar which he refused. So he has him killed over 4-6 days by applying poison on his wounds.

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