The 18th century was a watershed moment in Indian history. The second phase of Maratha Advance into Doab and Punjab lasted from 1752 to 1761. The decline of the Mughal Empire coincided with the rise of Marathas. Under the command of their capable general Baji Rao I, the Marathas became the de facto rulers of Delhi. With the entry of the Marathas in the doab and Ahmad Shah Abdali into Punjab in 1752, Northern Indian politics took a new turn. In this article, we will discuss the Second Phase (1752-61) of the Maratha Advance into Doab and Punjab which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Second Phase (1752-61) - Features

Consolidation of Marathas Power in Deccan

• It appears that the Maratha polity needed time to consolidate before embarking on a war of conquest across vast swaths of land.
• Balaji Baji Rao devoted his energies to settling the administration and consolidating Maratha conquests in the Deccan, almost exactly following the Pratinidhi's programme during Baji Rao's reign.
• Beginning in 1753, the Peshwas led annual expeditions into Karnataka to free it from the control of the Hyderabad state.
• The Peshwa took advantage of Bussy's departure and attached Haiderabad state, forcing it to surrender the four northern cities of Ahmednagar, Daultabad, Burhanpur, and Bijapur, as well as sixty lakh rupees in the territory, at Udgir (1761).

Maratha's Expedition to the North

• In North India, Balaji combined a consolidation strategy with an aggressive, forward-thinking strategy.
• With the rise of Ahmad Shah Abdali and his invasion of India in 1748, a new political situation had emerged in North India, which was followed by many others in regular succession.
• After learning of Abdali's capture of Lahore, the Delhi Emperor requested assistance from the Peshwa.
• The Peshwa was eager to assist the Emperor and had dispatched Sindhia and Holkar from Poona.
• Balaji's actions corresponded to Baji Rao's call for a united front of Marathas and Mughal nobles against the external foe during Nadir Shah's invasion.
• On the other hand, the Abdali had been defeated before the Marathas arrived in North India.
• Balaji returned to Delhi soon after, having visited Jaipur and met with Emperor Muhammad Shah.
• In order to deal with the new situation, the Marathas had to abandon or change their stated intention of subverting the Mughal Empire.
• The Marathas may not have posed the question in this manner, but it became more prominent with each new Abdali invasion.
• Following the death of Emperor Muhammad Shah in 1748, the new emperor, Ahmad Shah, appointed Safdar Jung, the governor of Awadh and Allahabad, as wazir.
• The Ruhela Afghans of Shahjahanabad and Bareilly, who had usurped many new areas in Badaun, Pilibhit, and other districts, and the Bangash Afghans of Farrukhabad, who had likewise extended their control to Kora-Jahanabad on one side and up to Aligarh on the other, saw it as a golden opportunity to deal with two of his most powerful internal enemies.
• Unable to deal with the Ruhelas, Safdar Jung turned on the Bangash Afghans in the ensuing complex struggle.
• However, he was soundly defeated by Ahmad Khan Bangash. Safdar Jung had now sought help from the Marathas.
• The Marathas reacted quickly, led by Sindhia and Holkar, seeing it as an opportunity to curry favour with the Imperial wazir while also establishing themselves in the doab.
• The wazir promised them Rs.25,000 per day to cover campaign costs. Suraj Mal, a Jat Raja, was also used in the scheme.
• Ahmad Bangash was soundly defeated by the Marathas.
• However, before they could crush him, the wazir received an urgent summons from the Emperor due to a renewed invasion by Ahmad Shah Abdali. As a result, the Afghans of Ruhela and Bangash signed a treaty.
• The Marathas appear to have acquired the Parganas of Phapund, Shikohabad, and Etawa, as well as Kora and Jahanabad, in the name of the Peshwa.
• As a result, the Marathas were able to gain access to the doab.
• Safdar Jung appears to have developed a favourable opinion of the Marathas and concluded that defeating the Abdali threat required their assistance.
• It was agreed in 1752 that the Marathas would protect the Emperor from internal enemies like Pathans, Rajputs, and other rebels, as well as external foes like Afghan King Abdali.
• The Emperor would pay the Marathas 50 lakhs in exchange for their assistance, and the Peshwas would be given the Subahdaris of Agra and Ajmer.
• Marathas also demanded that the Peshwa would be given the authority to collect Chauth from Punjab, Sindh, and the Doab.
• The Emperor ignored these demands because, before Safdar Jung and his Maratha allies arrived in Delhi, he had already agreed to the Abdali demand for the Subahdari of Lahore and Sindh.
• These proposals demonstrate the breadth of the Maratha ambitions, as well as their inherent contradictions.
• The Marathas could not defeat the Abdali and meet these lofty demands unless they met and overcame the opposition of the Nawab of Awadh, the Jats, the Afghans, and the Rajputs - the very people they needed to fight the Abdali.

Change in Political System of Delhi and Rise of Marathas as a Major Power

• In 1753, the wazir, Safdar Jung, had a disagreement with the Emperor, resulting in a civil war.
• The opposition to the wazir was led by Imad-ul-Mulk (then 16 years old), son of the former wazir, Qamaruddin Khan.
• Najib Khan Ruhela, a staunch opponent of the wazir and Abdali, joined Imad.
• Both parties tried to gain Maratha's support. Imad-ul-Mulk offered to pay one crore rupees and the subahs of Awadh and Allahabad if the Peshwa assisted him in becoming a wazir.
• The Peshwa dispatched Sindhia and Holkar to assist Imad.
• Safdar Jung, on the other hand, had been defeated before they arrived.
• Safdar Jung was permitted to retain his governorship of Awadh and Allahabad and resume his duties. He died a year later.
• Maratha favoured Imad thinking that a weak wazir would be more convenient for the Maratha ambitions for the doab's Chauth.
• It instilled in the Awadh Nawabs a deep distrust of the Marathas, which the Marathas had to pay for later.
• Surprisingly, Suraj Mal, a Jat Raja who had fought alongside the Marathas in Safdar Jung's Afghan war, refused to abandon his former friend.
• The alliance with the wazir Imad-ul-Mulk from 1753 to 1759 was a period of peak Maratha power in North India, but it was also a period when the Marathas alienated all potential allies, paving the way for the disaster at Panipat in 1761.
• During this period, the Mughal Emperor's prestige plummeted, when the successive rulers, Ahmad Shah in 1754 and Alamgir II in 1759, were assassinated by the wazir Imad-ul-Mulk.
• As a result of their alliance with Imad, the Marathas had to bear the shame of being parties to such heinous deeds.
• During this period, the Peshwa launched three major campaigns in North India, the first two led by his younger brother, Raghunath Rao, an 18-year-old who had never visited the region before, and the third by his nephew, Sadashiv Bhau, a renowned general and administrator who was the victor of Udgir.
• Raghunath Rao is frequently blamed for exacerbating the Marathas' political and financial problems in North India, as well as creating a situation that the Bhau was unable to resolve later.
• Raghunath Rao and the Bhau, on the other hand, were confronted with the same set of problems that had no solution: they were tasked with collecting funds to pay off the Peshwa's massive debt while also seeking allies to fight the Abdali.
• Raghunath Rao's first action during his first expedition was to demand one crore rupees from the Jat raja, as well as the restoration of the lands he had encroached upon.
• The Jat raja agreed to pay 50 lakhs in three annual instalments, but they were never paid, leaving him perpetually in arrears. The only other way to make money was to go to war with Safdar Jung and the Afghans.
• Raghunath Rao conducted only minor raids in the doab due to logistical constraints.
• He then marched into Rajasthan, which had already fallen under the control of Holkar and Sindhia and then returned home without acquiring any new territory or money.
• In 1756-1757, while Raghunath Rao was away, Ahmad Shah ravaged Delhi and extended his marauding activities as far as Mathura, Gokul, and Vrindavan.
• Imad-ul-Mulk had no choice but to make peace with the Abdali in the absence of the Marathas, who had fled after appointing Najib-Ud-Daula as Mir Bakhshi and virtual representative.
• The Abdali's only opponent was the Jat raja, who defended his strong forts of Dig, Bharatpur, and others.

Conclusion

The period between 1752-61 was the peak of Maratha power in India. Marathas consolidated their power in Deccan and Karnataka before moving toward northern India. The alliance with the wazir Imad-ul-Mulk from 1753 to 1759 was a period of peak Maratha power in North India, but it was also a period when the Marathas alienated all potential allies, paving the way for the disaster at Panipat in 1761.

FAQs

MCQs

1. What was the main reason for the Maratha expansion into the Doab and Punjab region in the 18th century?

A) To defeat the Mughals
B) To establish control over the strategic northern territories
C) To secure trade routes
D) To spread Maratha culture

2. Which battle marked a major setback for the Marathas in their advance into Punjab?

A) Battle of Buxar
B) Battle of Panipat
C) Battle of Plassey
D) Battle of Talikota

3. Who was the key Afghan leader opposing the Maratha expansion in Punjab?

A) Ahmad Shah Durrani
B) Sher Shah Suri
C) Bahadur Shah Zafar
D) Akbar the Great

4. What was the outcome of the Maratha advance into the Doab region?

A) Complete Maratha control
B) Temporary Maratha influence
C) Mughal resurgence
D) Local rulers' independence

5. How did the Maratha's defeat in the Battle of Panipat affect their political influence in the north?

A) It solidified their control over Punjab
B) It led to the decline of Maratha influence in the north
C) It helped them expand further into Afghanistan
D) It resulted in their alliance with the Mughals

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Assess the impact of the Maratha expansion on the Mughal Empire in the 18th century.

Answer: The Maratha expansion in the 18th century played a significant role in the decline of the Mughal Empire. As the Marathas advanced into the northern territories, they effectively reduced the Mughal Empire's control over regions like Doab and Punjab. The Marathas, through military campaigns and alliances, undermined the Mughal influence, leaving the empire politically fragmented. The Mughals' inability to defend their northern territories from Maratha expansion hastened their decline, contributing to the rise of regional powers and further weakening Mughal authority.

Q2: Discuss the causes and consequences of the Maratha defeat in the Battle of Panipat (1761).

Answer: The causes of the Maratha defeat in the Battle of Panipat were rooted in strategic mistakes, lack of unity among Maratha leaders, and the intense resistance from the combined forces of Ahmad Shah Durrani, Najib-ud-Daula, and other local powers. The Marathas failed to maintain a cohesive strategy, and their overextension into Punjab led to logistical challenges. The consequences were far-reaching: the Marathas suffered heavy losses, leading to a temporary halt in their northern ambitions and the weakening of their power in the region. Despite this, they continued to influence southern India.

Q3: How did the Maratha expansion into Punjab and Doab shape the political landscape of 18th-century India?

Answer: The Maratha expansion into Punjab and Doab in the 18th century reshaped India's political landscape by challenging the Mughal dominance and introducing a new regional power. The Marathas, through military conquests and political maneuvering, asserted their influence over northern India, weakening Mughal authority and creating power vacuums. This allowed the rise of other regional powers, like the Sikhs and Rajputs, who benefited from the Maratha decline. However, the Maratha defeat at Panipat stalled their progress and altered the course of Indian history by further fragmenting the subcontinent into smaller, more localized powers.

Previous Year Questions on Second Phase (1752-61) - The Maratha Advance into Doab and Punjab

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2016:

Question: The Maratha advance into Punjab in the 18th century was mainly aimed at:

A) Expanding Maratha influence in northern India
B) Defeating the Mughals
C) Establishing cultural ties with the Rajputs
D) Conquering the Sikhs

Answer: (A)

Explanation: The Marathas sought to expand their political and military influence in northern India, including Punjab, as part of their larger plan to challenge the weakening Mughal Empire.

2. UPSC CSE Prelims 2019:

Question: The Maratha defeat in the Battle of Panipat (1761) was significant because:

A) It marked the end of Maratha supremacy in India
B) It led to the collapse of the Mughal Empire
C) It initiated a long period of peace in northern India
D) It led to the establishment of British power in India

Answer: (A)

Explanation: The defeat at Panipat led to a decline in Maratha power in northern India, marking a turning point in their expansion and political influence. This created a power vacuum that facilitated the rise of British influence in India.