पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

CHAPTER VI

THE BATTLE

FINALLY, as decided at night, the Maratha army rose in the early hours
of Wednesday, the 14th January, 1761, and prepared itself to march out of
the beleaguered camp at Panipat. After going through the morning round
of physical duties, Sadashivrao Bhau and Vishwasrao bathed, worshipped the
gods, had a hurried breakfast and then dressed themselves in full armour for
the ensuing battle. The whole camp was agog throughout the previous night.
They had collected all their little belongings and tied them in bundles to be
carried away by securing them to their backs or on the bullocks and other
pack animals which had survived. Some carts and other heavy goods, found
either difficult to arrange properly or as absolutely unnecessary on the march,
were left behind in the camp in order to facilitate the march. With the first
call of the trumpets, the whole camp started and arranged itself in marching
order as best it could.¹ To the front were placed the heavy cannon, behind
it the infantry of Ibrahim Khan followed in triangular formation so as to make
the artillery in front, the spear head of the march. To their rear were placed
Damaji Gaikawad, Yashwantrao Pawar, Vitthal Shivdeo, Antaji Manakeshwar,
Samsher Bahadar and other small units. Then followed Bhau and Vishwas-
rao with their personal troops. After them came non combatants and bag-
gage. On the right flank of the rear were appointed the Shinde and Holkar
contingents. The lighter artillery was placed mainly on the right of the march-
ing square, though a few were placed on the left and at the back also, to
scare away any surprise attack on those sides. The hollow square thus formed
marched out step by step and stood three miles in front of Abdali. Their posi-
tion at nine o'clock (local time) was: Ibrahim Khan's infantry in the village
of Nimbdi to the south-west of Panipat, Bhausaheb with the centre one mile be-
hind him to the north of Ugrakhedi, Malharrao Holkar at the rear directly one
mile to the south of Panipat. The non combatants and camp followers were
standing between Panipat and Ugrakhedi, their left-hand side reaching the out-
skirts of Rajakhedi to the north. The distance between Malharrao Holkar's
rearmost contingent and Abdali's left under Shah Pasand Khan was more than
three miles, his contingent probably standing in the field to the east of Siwa.
The Afghan army when arranged stood roughly in a crescent shaped
curved line from Siwa to Chhajpur Khurd. Barkhurdar Khan's Risala was
standing there with the nullah at their back. Dunde Khan and Hafiz Rahamat
Khan were standing between Chhajpur Kalan and Ujah. Ahmad Shah was
somewhere between Risalu and Dhadaula, while Wazir Shah Wali Khan's
cavalry stood ready between Risalu and Ujah. Ahmad Shah's baggage and
camp were between Dhadaula and Nurpur. Najib ud daulah and Shuja ud

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¹ The front originally was spread from Kabuli Bagh to the north-east of Panipat, to
Chandani Bagh to the west of it, where Ibrahim Khan's corps were camping. This was
the head of the Maratha march in order. The direction it took was to the south-east of
Panipat.

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