Panipat - the movie

There are rumblings on media - social or otherwise about the latest Bollywood movie PANIPAT based upon the 3rd Battle of Panipat in January, 1761 between the Marathas and the Afghans led by Ahmed Shah Abdali. In that war the Maratha juggernaut led by their Commander-in-Chief Sadashivrao Bhau on a winning spree capturing the North India was checkmated by Ahmed Shah Abdali in the historic battle at the historic Panipat, located in the modern day Indian state of Haryana.

Many who have seen the trailer of the movie feel that the Maratha Chief Shadasivrao Bhau is depicted as soft by the expressionless actor Arjun Kapoor vis a vis the ferocity and ruthlessness displayed by Sanjay Dutt playing Ahmed Sah Abdali.

Deliberate or not, cruelty and savagery is part and parcel of any war, especially in the ancient and medieval time which involved more men than machine. Ruthlessness, not charity was the sine qua non of the victor over vanquished - a clear fear mongering tactics to create fear and panic amongst the opposition.

The Mughals and Afghans were battle hardened, physically stronger, fighters, had fast moving cavalry and were motivated soldiers. More importantly they had a strategy in place. Historically since Mohammed Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan as the last Hindu King to rule Delhi, we were no match to them. (Technically Raja Himu ruled Delhi for a month in 1556 when incidentally in the battle at the same location of Panipat he was defeated. The Mughals displayed their usual savagery by chopping off Hemu's head and displaying it on top of a pole).

Wish the Marathas going into the battlefield of Panipat learned something from their hero Chattrapati Shivaji - the founder of Maratha Kingdom. Being a pragmatic warrior, he knew the strength of Marathas lied in their familiar zone of hilly territories. So he never ventured out to fight the Mughals in plains - knowing fully that fighting in the plains was Mughals forte.

Shivaji hated war Elephants. The slow moving pachyderms were useless in the treacherous mountain ravines of the Western Ghats where Shivaji and his Maratha warriors ruled the roost. Perfectly adept with the milieu, the marauding Marathas would lure their enemies into the densely forested,

treacherous ravines of the Western Ghats. 

After surrounding them, they would roll large boulders from the top of the mountains, killing and trapping the Mughals. Then the valiant Marathas would smarm over their helpless enemies riding their fast moving horses. The Mughals good at fighting in the plains of North India would suffer irreparable losses.

If outmaneuvered, Shivaji would make tactical retreat and hide in one of his forts. When surrounded, often he made spectacular escapes, right under the nose of enemy forces. This duly earned him the sobriquet of MOUNTAIN RAT by no other than Alamgir (Emperor) Aurangzeb whom Shivaji frustrated to no end till the latter's death. He wasn't shy of making strategic pacts with Nizams and Mughals to buy time and replenish his resources to fight his war another day. 

Sadashivrao Bhau failed to make any such strategic alliance, whereas the Muslims Kings of India joined the Afghan Abdali in the name of Islam, fearful of a Hindu power in Delhi in form of the Marathas. He could have made a pact with the Sikhs to his advantage, who hated Muslims to the core of killing their Gurus.

But the Marathas after him just did the opposite. They went too far north to Panipat, very much part of the vast plains of North India. The January weather in North India was too cold for the Marathas who were accustomed to the comfort of mild winter, whereas it was perfect for Abdali. I am sure, if the Marathas would have the advantage if they fought the war in June in 40 plus heat to the discomfort of the Afghans.

Shivaji also realized the potential of the English who were just starting to poke their nose inside Indian politics. The Chattrapati knew the advantage of Europeans Artillery which were of better quality and bought quite a few from the British. But in 1761 when the 3rd Battle of Panipat was fought, British were already a player in India - having served their foothold in Bengal and the South. They helped Ahmed Sah Abdali with their artillery and other logistics.

The end result - in spite of their valiance and fighting, the Marathas narrowly lost the Battle of Panipat. War is not a sporting event. Winning at any cost is the leitmotif behind a war, unless the war is fought between Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy. Abdali Shah Abdali won because of better strategy and a unified,  motivated army, though we like it or not. History can't be rewritten by making actors look more lethal and ferocious. Arjun Kapoor acting rough and tough won't propel Peshwa win over Abdali.

Unfortunately, history favors the winners. Since 1192 when Ghori defeated Pritviraj Chauhan, our history is mostly full of defeats not due to lack of bravery (as shown by Rajputs and Marathas) but due to treachery, infighting and lack of unity and strategy. Let's learn to live with that, rather than focusing on actors and their depictions of historical characters wish it changes the history.