पानीपत १७६१ (मराठा साम्राज्य एवं पानीपत महायुद्ध इतिहास)

14 PANIPAT 1761
by Sir Jadunath²⁰ and copied on his authority by Dr Hari Ram Gupta and
others That they had gone to Peshawar is also clear from the contemporary
Persian Akhbars which clearly say that Tukoji had reached Peshawar in
October 1758, and that Sahibji (Sabaji) Patel had started from Peshawar and
reached Lahore in March 1759 It is no "ignorant boast" of the Marathas,
therefore, "that the Maratha standards were carried up to the Indus at Attock,"
as in fact they had not only reached that crossing but had, ignoring the so-
called bar for the Hindus not to cross it, actually reached Peshawar and lived
there for about six months ²¹ This was the zenith of Maratha expansion, and
it is not a sin, we think, if the Marathas feel some natural pride in that event
Raghunathrao had kept Adina Beg as the chief administrator in Lahore
and the Jalandar area because it was through his invitation and support that
the Marathas had entered the Panjab He is reported to have promised to
pay the Marathas in cash for their help at the rate of one lakh of rupees for
every day of marching and half a lakh for every day of halt,²² but it is doubtful
whether the Marathas did receive even a portion of such payment It is known,
on the whole, that Raghunathrao's campaign of Lahore had been anything but
profitable to the Peshwa's government Raghunathrao had presented a deficit
account of eighty lakhs to the Poona court and Sadashivrao Bhau had an oc
casion to reprimand him in that connection Nor does it seem that Adina Beg
ever paid the seventy-five lakhs a year as promised to the Marathas No doubt,
he died within four months of the event and during the interval he had to wage
incessant war against the Sikhs for whom he had no particular love, though he
had made use of them in his rebellion against the Afghan rule In fact, though
an able administrator, he had no scruples against changing sides and he may
be called a time server or an opportunist in politics After his death, his widow
and a boy-child succeeded to his office with Sadik Beg, who was already a
foujdar of Sarhind, as her deputy This seems to have weakened the admin
istration and become detrimental to the Maratha cause In short, the Peshwa's
idea of making use of the machinery of the Mughal government with all its en-
cumbrances proved fatal to the Maratha cause in the Panjab as it had proved
in other parts of India as well
After his return from the Panjab in May 1759, Dattaji Shinde thought
of going to Bengal through the territory of Shuja-ud daulah in order to exact
Chauth from the new Nawab Mir Jafar set up by the English and pay off the
Peshwa's debts. The Peshwa's letters to the Shindes in this connection do not
show him in the best light He had no scruples in choosing any side provided
money could be had out of it The Marathas seemed to be auctioning the Wazir-
ship of Delhi to the highest bidder ²³ Malharrao was directly responsible for
the 1754 revolution in Delhi with a new Emperor and a new Wazir But later
he was convinced that the Wazir was anything but a straightforward man So
he turned away from Ghazi ud din and naturally inclined towards Najib Khan
²⁰ Fall 2 76.
²¹ BISM (Persian Mss.) Nos. 696, 699, BISMQ No 93 (Marathas Beyond Attock)
²² GUPTA, Adina Beg Khan, p 33
²³ Ait., Patren Yadi Nos 166, 167, 171