On Makarsankranti

Today is 14th January, Makarsankranti, the day when sun moves to Northern hemisphere and hence an auspicious day for us. But it is an important day for us all Indians. It was on the same day that the third battle of Panipat was fought in 1761.

It was a clear conflict among the rising power of Marathas (read national) and waning power of Afghans (read foreign).The moment Marathas started knocking o...n the gates of Delhi from 1719, the Mughal power started getting uneasy about the rise of so called kafirs. But the momentum of Bajirao, his son Nanasaheb and Raghunathrao was impossible to relent. Within 12 years of death of Aurangzeb, Marathas became the owner of central India and started expanding in all directions. By 1740s they were in Bengal and Orissa and in 1758 they achieved the pinnacle when saffron flag flew over Attock after a gap of 1000 years. They became the defacto rulers from Attock to Cuttack and Delhi to Tanjavur.

It was in this background that Mughals started conspiring to bring down the national movement which was clearly eclipsing them fast. Najib khan invited Abdally who had been crushed by Marathas previously to avenge his defeat and also get a huge loot from the prosperous land. He kept a smoke screen of friendship with Marathas and revealed his plans when Abdally was near Delhi. The northern flank of Marathas in Punjab collapsed and the responsibility fell on Dattaji Shinde, who was mecilessly murdered by Najib while protecting his motherland.

Marathas had to avenge his death and a huge army started from Pune under the leadership of Sadashivrao Bhau.His movement were slowed down due to huge contingent of non soldiers as a result he was stuck around rivers in monsoon. It somehow happened that the 2 forces were locked in such a way that Marathas blocked Abdally's return to Afghan land and he blocked Marathas return to South.Shuja-ud Daulah, Nawab of Awadh sided with Abdally in name of jihad and hence he recieved fresh reinforcements and supplies but Marathas were left with their supply lines cut off in the hostile cold of North.

It was in this desperation that the 2 sides collided in Panipat, in initial few hours the battle was tilted toward Marathas but the sudden killing of Vishwasrao and disappearance of Sadashivrao, caused the whole formation to collapse and ultimately to the rout.Almost 1.0 lac fighters gave their life defending their motherland in a war which could have been won if all the forces including Rajput had sided with Marathas against Abdally.

It wiped out the Afghan factor from Delhi politics and created a power vaccum for a few years, Marathas were back in the game under the able leadership of Madhavrao in late 1760s.But the ultimate benificiaries were the Englishman who without firing a shot gave a major setback to their biggest competitor in India. The lesson remains the same that only UNITED WE STAND and is more relevant today when the anti corruption movement is divided into 2 pitched groups who are fighting among each othe while the big daddy of corruption watches merrily.