Did Marathas Really Conquered Attock And Peshawer Before Sikhs?

[Azad67]

Don't know about this, but there was an incident of Afghan prisoners of war who were located behind the Marathas. These Afghan POWs managed to break free and capture some weapons and began killing the Marathas from behind. This caused panic among the Maratha soldiers who thought they were fighting a two front battle.

I have read in some books that they were not prisoners of wars , but two thousands Afghan pindari mercenaries/irregulars who were in the service of vithal shivdev and damaji gaekwar of left flank. On hearing about news of death wishwas rao in the battle, those afghan irregulars discarded their typical brownish yellow headgears and started attacking their own maratha colleagues. It caused great confusion and panic in the already much damaged left flank.

[Azad67]

The Jats were good fighters too but they knew their limit. Fighting the Afghans under a leader like Abdali in a direct engagement was no easy task. They tried to explain this to the Marathas, but the Maratha military leaders closed their ears to all sane advise. They were like the Japanese militarists who insisted on attacking pearl harbor and taking on a greater power like the Americans.

But even then the Marathas were initially winning the battle. The Maratha artillery was being led by Gardi Khan whose accurate shots were taking the toll on the Afghans. But the Afghans wore armour which the Marathas didn't and in a hand to hand fight this means a lot. Marathas and Afghans were equally good horsemen. Some say the Afghans had the advantage, some say the Marathas. But truth be told It was an even match.

Ibrahim gardi, was depicted very different in sanjay khan's great marathas serial, perhaps for political correctness. Actually he made some big blunders and embarrassment. First he charged at the left flank, ahead of the rest of maratha army. His artillary shots were flying above rohillas heads for atleast one hour. He fought bravely but in his boldness, many gardi battalions got wiped out very early on.

[Azad67]

The Jats were good fighters too but they knew their limit. Fighting the Afghans under a leader like Abdali in a direct engagement was no easy task. They tried to explain this to the Marathas, but the Maratha military leaders closed their ears to all sane advise. They were like the Japanese militarists who insisted on attacking pearl harbor and taking on a greater power like the Americans.

But even then the Marathas were initially winning the battle. The Maratha artillery was being led by Gardi Khan whose accurate shots were taking the toll on the Afghans. But the Afghans wore armour which the Marathas didn't and in a hand to hand fight this means a lot. Marathas and Afghans were equally good horsemen. Some say the Afghans had the advantage, some say the Marathas. But truth be told It was an even match.

Ibrahim gardi, was depicted very different in sanjay khan's great marathas serial, perhaps for political correctness. Actually he made some big blunders and embarrassment. First he charged at the left flank, ahead of the rest of maratha army. His artillary shots were flying above rohillas heads for atleast one hour. He fought bravely but in his boldness, many gardi battalions got wiped out very early on.

As far as I know Marathas got to the fringe of Peshawer before Abdali drove them out. They could easily have effaced him at Panipat but their emphasis on fighting pitched battles against numerical foes saw them being slaughtered.

We saw that Abdali struggled against guerralla warfare of sikhs and was quite helpless in dealing with insurgency. But in conventional warfare, he was much more capable and experienced commander than maratha's. He was once commander of elite corps of nadir shah afshar, the napolean of asia and his reserve force, who turned the tides of battle in panipat, were same qizalbash of afsharids.

According to our sources, marathas didnt cross indus and reach peshawer, they reached upto trans-chenab area and extracted tribute and that was one time affair.

[chatanga]

As far as I know Marathas got to the fringe of Peshawer before Abdali drove them out. They could easily have effaced him at Panipat but their emphasis on fighting pitched battles against numerical foes saw them being slaughtered.

Read "Sikhs in the 18th century" by SS Gandhi, who has devoted an entire chapter to the Marhattas, and you will see why the lines you have mentioned above are grossly over-exaggerated.

[13Mirch]

Read "Sikhs in the 18th century" by SS Gandhi, who has devoted an entire chapter to the Marhattas, and you will see why the lines you have mentioned above are grossly over-exaggerated.

Will do again.