The Road to Delhi

The year 1751 was a watershed in Indian History. The Mughal Empire was tottering and its Wazir or Prime minister, Safdar Jung was under attack by the Rohilla chiefs north of Delhi. With the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah (r. 1748-1754) depended on the Wazir for his sustenance, the defeat of his chief deputy meant his own defeat. In Kasganj, northeast of Agra, Safdar Jung sustained just such a defeat in 1750, and before long, the beleaguered Wazir sent his aides to the Maratha chiefs Malharrao Holkar and Jayappa Scindia seeking their help. Extravagant promises of money and the cession of Mughal subahs were made and the two chiefs who had just placed Madho Singh on the throne of Jaipur wrote to the Peshwa at Pune that -

‘agents of the Wazir had come to seek help of the sardars and it would be opportune to take advantage of it and create an impact in the north’.

Just before this, the succession struggle for the Jaipur throne, between Ishwari Singh the elder and Madho Singh the younger son of Sawai Jaisingh of Jaipur, had drawn Maratha compatriots Holkar and Scindia into opposing sides. Seeing his chiefs ranged against each other, Nanasaheb Peshwa asked Scindia to withdraw. With Madho Singh promising Holkar an annual tribute for his help, the Maratha chief marched towards Jaipur. Ishwari Singh found no way out of his predicament but to take his own life, paving the way for Madho Singh to take charge of Jaipur. However, Madho Singh did not wish to be burdened by the promised payment to the Marathas Instead he locked up a few thousand Maratha soldiers within the walls of Jaipur, commanding a slaughter of his benefactors. The Maratha response could have been quick had the Wazir not sought their help at this critical juncture. Letting Madho Singh alone for now, Scindia and Holkar rushed to Safdar Jung’s help.