Bajirao's march to Delhi (1737)

Bajirao's invasion of Delhi
Part of Bajirao I's Northern Expansion
Bajirao I riding a horse into battle c.1720–1740
Date 1st March - 2nd April 1737 Location Ganges-Yamuna Doab, Jalesar, Delhi, Badshahpur Result Indecisive Territorial changes None
Belligerents
Maratha conferadacy	Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
Bajirao I Ranoji Scindia Malhar rao Holkar (WIA) Indraji Kadam (WIA) Satwaji Jadhav Baji Bhivrao Ruprai Adaru Tukaji Pawar Jiwaji Yashwant rao Pawar Manaji Paigude Govind Hari	Saddat Ali Khan Mansur Ali Khan Mir Bakshi Qamruddin Khan Khan Durran Muhammad Khan Bangash Mir Hasan Koka  † Shiv Singh † Azimullah Roz Afzul Khan Amir Khan Muzaffar Khan
Strength
50,000 cavalry	1,07,000 In Total: 12,000 cavalry led by Mansur Khan 50,000 men led by Sadat Khan 25,000 cavalry led by Khan Durran 12,000 men led by Muhammad Khan Bangash 8,000 men led by Mir Hasan Koka
Casualties and losses
1530 Killed and Wounded Unknown number of Captured	8500 Killed, wounded, Captured and routed

Bajirao's march to Delhi also known as Bajirao's dash upon Delhi was an invasion led by the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I on the crumbling Mughal Capital Delhi. Initially, Bajirao I started off from Pune on November 12, 1736 and divided his army into two.

One led by his General, Malhar rao Holkar who started plundering the lower Ganges-Yamuna Doab and attacking few places. Holkar entered Jalesar and encountered the Mughal army. He got defeated and also faced few wounds.

The terrorized Maratha army suffered heavy causalities but was successful in retreating. Bajirao then planned to skip the direct Delhi-Agra route and slipped off towards Delhi from the Jat country.

There, he defeated the Mughal army at the borders of Delhi and started to retreat back as he got intelligence of a Mughal army heading towards him. The campaign though resulted Indecisive, forced the Mughal Emperor to pay money to the Marathas.

Prelude

The map portrays Bajirao I's route from Pune to Ater during his Delhi Expedition

Campaigns in Malwa and Bundelkhand

Bajirao gathered a big army of 50,000 horsemen and started his journey from Pune on November 12, 1736. In December, he arrived in Bhopal, which was ruled by a chief named Yar Muhammad. Bajirao made him pay 500,000 rupees before moving on to Bhilsa on January 5, 1737, where he met two other leaders, Malharji Holkar and Ranoji Scindia. After a short fight, they took control of the Bhilsa fort on January 13. Next, they entered Bundelkhand and reached Orchha in February 1737. Pilaji Jadhav Rao reported that they collected taxes from Orchha, Narwar, and Datia. Hence, Malwa and Bundelkhand were conquered.

Attack on Bhadawar and Ater

Ater and Bhadawar were protected by Sadat Khan, and Gopal Singh decided to fight against the Marathas. He gathered an army of 7,000 men, many horses, and 45 elephants to fight against them. Meanwhile, Aniruddha Singh's brother joined the Marathas and told them a secret to win the battle. The Marathas divided their army into two groups: one group fought against Aniruddha, and the other group attacked Ater. The king had to run away to the safety of Ater fort. From there, he sent messages to Sadat Khan asking for help. Baji Bhivrao was given the task of crossing the Yamuna River, and he got help from Chhatrasal's son, Hirde Sa. They took control of the river crossings and boats, which stopped Sadat Khan from crossing the river. Raja Gopal Singh, who was in a difficult situation, came out of the fort and met Bajirao. Bajrao asked for a lot of money, 20 lakh rupees, as a penalty. 15 lakh rupees were paid in cash, and the rest was promised to be paid later. The capture of Ater on February 18, 1737, finally woke up the Mughal court, and they started making big preparations to fight against the Marathas.

The Expedition

At Ater, Bajirao was only about 30 miles south of Agra. Two big Mughal armies, led by Khan Durran and Qamruddin Khan, were moving towards Agra and seemed to be blocking the direct road to Delhi. Sadat Khan's army from the doab region was trying to cross the Yamuna River to join them. So, the Peshwa came up with a plan to create a distraction by launching a surprise attack into the doab region. This might help to split the Mughal armies and make it easier for the Marathas to reach Delhi.

Battle of Jalesar

Malhar rao Holkar in the Lower Doab

On March 1, 1737, Malharji Holkar, Satvaji Jadhav, and Baji Bhivrao led a fast-moving army of 10,000 cavalrymen, who were lightly equipped and mobile. They crossed the Yamuna River at Rapri, which is about 30 miles northwest of Etawah. Then, they started raiding and looting cities in the doab region. First, Holkar went to Etawah, and then moved on to Shukohabad, Firozabad, and Itimadpur, plundering the area. The chief of Shukohabad, Lalji Khatri, paid Holkar 1.5 lakh rupees and gave him an elephant to spare his city. At Itimadpur, Holkar came very close to Agra, just a dozen miles away across the Yamuna River. After that, Holkar turned east and went deeper into the doab region, attacking Jalesar.

At that time, Sadat Khan was in Etawah. He quickly marched his army east to find Holkar's army. On March 12, 1737, at sunrise, Holkar's army encountered Sadat Khan's vanguard, led by Abul Mansur Khan (later known as Safdar Jung), which had 12,000 horsemen. Holkar started to surround this army, but Mansur Khan retreated, with the Marathas chasing him. This led Holkar to face the main army of 50,000 men led by Sadat Khan himself. Realizing his army was too small to fight an army six times larger, Holkar decided to retreat. The Mughal army chased after them, killing around 1,500 Marathas, including some of their leaders. During the chase, the Marathas got lost and entered the Yamuna River at the wrong place, causing many to drown. The remaining army finally reached Baji Rao's camp at Kotila, near Gwalior.

The Siyar-ul-Mutaqherin states the event as:

Malrao (Malhar rao), one of greatest Generals in Bajirao's army, having found means to cross the Jamuna, had fallen at once upon the province of Etawah, and was actually burning and sacking everything from the gates of that city to the seat of Moty bagh, which is close to Akbarabad (Agra). Wherever he passed, he left nothing but slaughter, desolation and ashes. From there, he turned towards the towns of Saadabad and Jalesar when Sadat Khan suddenly appeared on the Marathas' rear, like a storm that threatens destruction from afar. Finding the freebooters dispersed, he fell so vigorously upon them, that he never ceased killing and slaughtering until he had chased them beyond Itimadabad, which was at a distance of four kos from the field of battle. Heaps of dead were to be seen everywhere, and the road, for eight miles together was strewn with corpses. Three Generals of character were taken prisoner and Malrao himself being severely wounded, thought himself happy to make his escape with a few followers. The main of the runaways, having thrown away their booty, fled towards the Jamuna, and having in their hurry and consternation, mistaken one place for the other, they plunged into a part of the river that had no ford, where disappearing in the eddies of annihilation, they perished in shoals. Malrao with the few that kept pace with him, found with infinite pains his way to Bajirao's camp, to whom he presented himself in the most dismal condition.

Sadat Khan crossed the Yamuna River and arrived in Agra. According to the Siyar-ul-Mutaqherin, before giving up the chase, Sadat Khan reached the north bank of the Chambal River, intending to drive away Bajirao's main army. However, he couldn't find a single Maratha soldier. Sadat Khan then returned to Agra. He wrote a letter to the Nizam, claiming that he had defeated the Marathas and punished them. He also sent similar letters to the Emperor, stating that he had defeated the Marathas and chased them south of the Chambal River. The Emperor was pleased with Sadat Khan's news and rewarded him with expensive gifts.

Just as Sadat Khan was about to take action, he received a letter from Khan Dauran saying that he was on his way to join him and suggested that Sadat Khan wait a little until they could proceed together to defeat the Marathas. Sadat Khan was already mounted on his horse, unsure of what to do. However, he eventually decided to stop his march and instead moved west to meet Khan Dauran near Mathura three days later. Meanwhile, Qamruddin Khan and Bangash were still about 30 kilometers from Delhi, on their way to Ajmer, waiting for the Marathas to arrive in that area. When Khan Dauran arrived in Agra, they spent six or seven days socializing and enjoying each other's company. Khan Dauran brought with him 25,000 horsemen, many cannons, and elephants. Soon, Muhammad Khan Bangash joined them with an additional 12,000 men. As a result, there were nearly 90,000 men gathered around Agra, while Wazir Qamruddin Khan, who was closer to Delhi, was only a day's march to the west of them.

Bajirao's reaction

At Kotila, near Gwalior, Bajirao assessed the situation. He had three options to consider. The safest choice was to retreat back to the Deccan, as three massive Mughal armies were blocking his path to Delhi. The second option was to stay in the ravines of the Chambal River, near Ater or Gwalior, for an extended period. However, this option was not safe either. The third and most daring option was to press on and launch an attack on Delhi itself.

In his letter to Chimaji Appa, he wrote :

I am presently camped near Jainagar. I sent my heavy luggage and camp followers to Bundelkhand with Raja Jagatraj and became lightly equipped. I sent the information about the arrival of the sardars after their fight with Sadat Khan with messengers, which you will have received. Sadat Khan crossed the Yamuna and came to Agra. There I would have faced him, but he had taken shelter in Agra. To go and fight there, it was not certain whether he would be broken in his sheltered place. Staying at the confluence of the rivers Gambhir and Yamuna; the place had too many ravines. Khan Dauran and Muhammad Khan Bangash were coming to Agra and once they joined Sadat Khan, the matter would have been difficult to deal with, and staying at the sangam of the rivers would not be wise.

Secondly, Sadat Khan had written to the Emperor, Khan Dauran and Qamruddin Khan that 'the Maratha army came across the Yamuna and I sank them. I killed two thousand, drowned two thousand in the river. Malharji Holkar and Vithoji Bule were killed. Bajirao raided us, this is what happened to him. There is no strength left in his army. I will cross the Yamuna and push the Marathas beyond the Chambal.' He wrote many things that were mere gossip. He received the Emperor's approbation and rewards in the form of robes, a pearl necklace, an elephant, and a turban. His vakil was also rewarded with a turban. Sadat Khan had made his position strong. He wrote contemptuously to many amirs. I got this information from Dhondo Govind from time to time. In conclusion, 'my army has no strength left, it is lifeless, it has been sunk and demolished', is what he wrote. He showed it as a game of 'hide and seek'.

However, you know the Mughal way of doing business. They do little; boast a lot. What the Emperor thought was true, has to be proven false. There are two thoughts towards achieving this: one, sink Sadat Khan, or the second, go to Delhi and burn its suburbs. Then the falsehood will be exposed. When I found Sadat Khan would not leave Agra, I decided to go to Delhi. Burn the city's suburbs and show the Emperor that the Marathas are still here

— Bajirao,

The Dash to Delhi

Bajirao's presence in the Delhi region

In an incredible feat, Bajirao traveled nearly 200 kilometers in just four days and nights, navigating through the camps of Wazir and Sadat Khan, and avoiding multiple Mughal armies to the south of the capital. He reached the gates of Delhi, achieving this remarkable journey in a remarkably short time. Meanwhile, Sadat Khan, Khan Dauran, and Bangash were still 140 kilometers away, at Radha Kund near Mathura, on Tuesday, March 23rd. Coincidentally, this was also the day of Ram Navami, a significant Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Rama.

In Delhi, Bajirao made a bold statement by appearing at the Ram Navami festival being held at the Kalika temple, near the Khizrabad grove. The festival was bustling with people, and Bajirao's men took advantage of the situation by plundering some goods, elephants, and camels. The sudden arrival of Bajirao in Delhi was like a storm on a calm day, catching everyone off guard. The Siyar-ul-Mutaqherin, a historical text, vividly describes the initial shock and chaos caused by Bajirao's arrival at the many fairs and markets that surrounded Tughlaqabad, a region located to the south of the walled city of Delhi.

Before Bajirao's arrival, panicked citizens had already fled to the city, sharing stories of their terrifying encounters. The first to bring the news to the city were pilgrims who had been robbed and mistreated by Bajirao's men. Filled with fear, they created a huge commotion at the city gates, shouting that Bajirao had arrived in Delhi. When asked what was wrong, they reported that Bajirao was in the city. The news was then brought to the Emperor and his advisors, who initially laughed at the idea, thinking it was impossible. Ashob, a historian who lived at the time, describes the scene in detail:

What could Bajirao have to do at Kalka devi? It was some small raid of Mewati thieves and nothing more. Why had the traders been so careless and overconfident as to take their goods into a waste place? But doubts still lingered in the minds of the courtiers; and in the afternoon a man disguised as a mendicant was sent to Kalka Malcha, and Tal Katora to find out how things stood. The messenger returned before midnight. Appearing before the Emperor he took out of his beggar's wallet a handful of grain, mostly dry unground gram, a few scraps of raw half-baked bread devoid of salt and some pods of red pepper. These were the alms he had received in the Mahratta camp. He told them that in the morning by breakfast time there would be an attack on the city.

— Ashob,

The city and the Emperor's court were in a state of chaos throughout the night. It was unbelievable that the Marathas had reached Delhi, considering that two large armies were stationed to the south of the capital. People wondered if these armies had been defeated, which would leave the Emperor with no choice but to surrender. Sad-ud-din Khan, an experienced artilleryman who had fought under the Nizam, felt that it was beneath the Emperor's dignity to personally lead the army against the Marathas, whom he considered to be "lowly" and "mere ploughmen". He also thought it would be even more humiliating to hide behind the fort walls. Instead, he suggested that the remaining 10,000 to 12,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers in the city should be sent to fight the Marathas. Amir Khan, the Emperor's current favorite, was chosen to lead the troops. Leaving a small reserve force to guard the Emperor and securing the boats on the Yamuna River behind the fort in case they needed to escape to protect the women, the army gathered under Amir Khan's command near the Misri Khan gate in the Paharganj area at night. Some more Mughal officers joined him, and they set up a defensive position with guns and intervals from the city to Tal Katora. As dawn broke, the Marathas still hadn't attacked.

Then, a young and ambitious officer named Mir Hasan Koka Khan saw an opportunity to gain recognition and intervened in the situation. He criticized the Emperor for hiding and marched out to join Amir Khan's forces. However, Amir Khan cautioned against acting impulsively and didn't encourage a hasty attack on the Marathas. But the young and impulsive officers ignored his advice, gathered around 7,000 to 8,000 men, and insulted Amir Khan. They then set out towards Rakabganj, where they were spotted by the alert Bajirao.

Battle with Mir Hasan Koka

Sarvaji Jadhav tricked Mir Hasan Koka and his inexperienced soldiers into moving forward, luring them about two miles away from Amir Khan's main force. At that moment, Bajirao received a message from Sarvaji Jadhav and launched a full-scale attack on the Mughal army with his entire force, defeating and destroying most of it.

Bajirao's own letter describes the situation :

Sarvaji Jadhav went ahead and faced the Mughal force. Some skirmishing took place. He sent a message according to which I sent up Malharji Holkar, Ranoji Scindia, Tukaji Pawar, Jiwaji and Yashwant rao Pawar, Manaji Paigude and Govind Hari. The Mughal was broken. Raja Shiv Singh and ten to twelve courtiers were killed. Nawab Mir Hasan Khan Koka was injured. At the Digarbad (?) chowk another two hundred and fifty to three hundred were killed. Four hundred were wounded. Roz Afzul Khan and Amir Khan and Muzaffar Khan ran away to the city. We captured two thousand horses. Five to six thousand ran away. Indraji Kadam, who was with Ranoji Scindia, had two fingers of his hand blown off due to a bullet injury. No other known person was killed or injured. Some men and horses were injured. Then we camped at the jheel. There was still four ghatika light left in the day.

— Bajirao I,

Sudden Retreat

At the lake (jheel), Bajirao received news that Qamruddin Khan's army was getting close. Qamruddin was the nearest to Delhi, only about 100 kilometers away at Kaman Pahari. After a short stop at Malcha, he moved to Mehramnagar, which is west of Delhi and near the current airport. From there, he went to the rest stop of Alla Vardi in Gurgaon.

The Emperor stayed up late in his court, waiting for messengers to confirm that the enemy had left. The messengers also brought news that the Wazir, accompanied by his cousin Azimullah at the front and the Nizam's eldest son Ghaziuddin at the back, were approaching the capital city. When the people of Delhi heard this, they felt a huge sense of relief.

Battle with the Wazir, Badshahpur

At Badshahpur, the Wazir didn't want to engage in a battle as the day was coming to an end, especially since he had only half of his troops with him and they weren't prepared for combat. It was March 31, 1737. However, his cousin Azimullah was eager to fight.

He (Azimullah) drove his elephant on, taking with him his flying artillery and some other troops, and moving a little ahead of the Wazir, managed bit by bit to get away from him altogether. He sent back a message that being quite close and in touch with the enemy he intended to attack, and asked the Wazir to follow in support with his whole force. Then after breathing a prayer he drove his elephant forward with the shout "God is great". On the other side the Marathas marched out to meet him. Champions on both sides issued from the ranks with weapons ready and fell upon each other. The General ordered his big kettledrums to play and brought his artillery and matchlockmen into action. Bajirao replied with the roll of his drums and the blare of his trumpets. He then came on and with his vanguard attacked repeatedly the advancing Muhammedans.

— Ashob,

As night fell, the Wazir's main army finally caught up with his advance group. As they faced more and more enemy soldiers, the Marathas decided to retreat. At nightfall, they moved away from the battlefield and headed towards Rajputana, traveling all through the night until they reached Rewari and Kot Putli.

Aftermath

• 
  Grand Wazir of Mughal Empire

Khan Dauran received news of Bajirao's attack while he was in Agra, at a place called Gau Ghat. He marched quickly for three days, taking short breaks, and joined the Wazir's army the day after Bajirao's battle. Sadat Khan arrived two days later. By that time, Bajirao had already reached Kotputli. The four Mughal leaders decided that the best course of action was to go to the royal court and congratulate the Emperor on the occasion of the Id festival. However, Sadat Khan fell out of favor with the Emperor. He had asked the Emperor for control of four provinces: Agra, Malwa, Gujarat, and Ajmer, and promised to keep the Marathas from entering the north. The Emperor gave a vague response and didn't grant him an audience, instead ordering him to return to Awadh and Bangash to protect Agra. The Wazir and Khan Durran were told to go back to their homes.

List of Military engagements

Date	Conflict	Marathas	Mughals	Result
1 March 1737	Plunder of Doab	Maratha Empire	Mughal Empire	Marathas under Malhar rao Holkar Plundered the Doab region Etawah, Shukohabad, Firozabad and Itimadpur plundered and looted.
12th March 1737	Battle at Jalesar	Maratha Empire	Mughal Empire	Maratha armies destroyed, Mughals killing about 1500 of them.
30th March 1737	Plunder at Kalika Temple	Maratha Empire	Mughal Empire	Bajirao suddenly arrives at the borders of Delhi, plundering and looting few of the pilgrims.
31st March 1737	Battle at Tal Katora	Maratha Empire	Mughal Empire	Marathas under Bajirao defeats and destroys almost all of the Mughal army under Mir Koka.
1st-2nd April 1737	Skirmishes at Badshahpur	Maratha Empire	Mughal Empire	Both Marathas and Mughals avoids pitched battle. Few horses and elephants seized by Marathas, with the loss of 30 men.