The Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section IV: The Battle of Panipat

THE AFTERMATH Canberra, 18 March 2022 Peshwa Balaji Rao’s Circumstances News from the North Indian expedition was slow to reach Pune. The Peshwa was sanguine under the illusion that he had provided all resources required for Sadashiv Rao Bhau to succeed in his mission. A few favourable titbits reached Pune, such as the easy victory […]

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The Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section III North India Beckons

Canberra, 21 February 2022 Punjab was in political turmoil throughout the 1740s, destabilised by different claimants to its governorship, inevitably in conflict with each other. Further, the Sikhs were in open rebellion. In the broader Indian political scene, between 1748–49, three influential ‘chiefs’ died: chiefs who were men of old values and traditions; chiefs who […]

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The Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section II The Second Phase – Coming of Age

Canberra, 23 January 2022 While the Persian adventurer Ahmad Shah Abdali was repeatedly attempting to make inroads into North India, and the French were laying the foundations upon which the English would later build their Eastern Empire, the Maratha king Shahu continued to dither as an indecisive head of the greatest power of the time […]

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Indian History Part 81 Akbar Section II: The Regency Years

Crackenback, 08 June 2020 After the victory at Panipat, Akbar and Biram Khan marched directly from the battlefield to Delhi. Akbar still did not outwardly indicate the strength of character and resources of intellect that would become his predominant characteristics as he grew into manhood. It would seem that even his ‘guardian’ or ‘protector’ Biram […]

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Indian History Part 81 Akbar Section I: A Boy-King is Inaugurated

Canberra, 31 May 2020 About two months before his death, Humayun had made an unusually wise decision, which would have long-term implications for the future of the Mughal Empire in India: he made Biram Khan, whose steadfast loyalty and military leadership had been primarily instrumental in regaining the throne of Delhi for the Mughals, the […]

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Indian History Part 80 Humayun Section III: An Empire is Lost

Canberra, 27 April 2020 After having defeated and forced Humayun back to Agra, Sher Shah returned to Bengal and evicted the Mughal governor, Jahangir Kuli, installed by Humayun. Sher Shah knew for certain that he would have to fight Humayun again and therefore wanted to consolidate his territories as soon as possible. More importantly, he […]

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Indian History Part 49 The Ghaznavids Sect II: Fragile Equilibrium

  Canberra, 8 March 2016 Farrukh-Zad continues to remain a shadowy figure in the firmament of the Ghaznavid dynasty, especially since very little is known regarding his personal preferences and behaviour pattern, making it difficult to build a picture of his personality. However, he managed to induce a sense of peace into the kingdom, which […]

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