ANyway guys I have been very interested in Indian history and so I have created this tl. I hope to make it as realistic as plausable. Before you read i would like to tell you I suck at actually describing the battle as it occurs on the field. So expect not to see much description on those parts of the tl. Otherwise i hope you will enjoy this tl.
" Those islamic enemis knew what would happen to them against our superior weaponry." Indian soldier at third battle of Paniput.
In 1759 Abdali shah raised a powerful coalition against the maratha confederacy. Earlier the maratha made rapid gains bringing an end to the mughal empire and to finish the conquest Balaji balaji rao ordered an invasion of punjab. This brought the confederacy into conflict with the Durrani.
After much discussion Sadashivrao bao raised an army of 70000 to put down the durrani threat. *He after much debate agreed with his generals to not bring any pilgrims with him during the conquest. This would prove descive in the coming battle.
Without pilgrims the maratha armies moved at a breakneck pace and by July 5th 1760 Delhi had fallen. Soon skirmishes arose along the yamuna river beetween Durrani and Marathi forces. It was called battle of Kunjpura where the entire garrison of 30000 afghan soldiers led by Shuja and Najib ud daula were ambushed and destroyed. Only 15000 Marathi soldiers fell that day. With the victory here Sadashivrao turned his attention against Abdalis forces on the eastern side of the river.
In the dead of night Sadashivraos forces launched a surprise nigh attack against Abdali and his soldiers. Many soldiers had been asleep and when the marathas attacked the entire durranni camp was caught by surprise. To make matters worse a maratha cannon blew up the munitions tent of the durrani. The explosion killed many in the vicinity. It was more of a massacre than a battle. By morning Abdali had been slain and his forces destroyed. The surprise night crosisng of the river proved descisive in the battle.
With abdali and much of the durrani army destroyed Sadashivrao continued his offensive. In a rapid advance Sadashivrao and his forces conquered the rest of punjab by January 1761.
However Sadashivrao decided to end the durranis once and for all. In march 1762 Sadashivrao and his army now numbered 100000 invaded the heartland of the durranis. By 1764 after intense fighting the Durrani empire was annexed by the marathas. With the fall of the durrani virtually no state stood in the way of maratha dominence in india.
Balaji knew that the marathis still couldn face the european powers. SO he decided to unite the rest of india before taking on Europe. He used much of the loot gathered from the conquest of durrani to order the construction of a larger navy. Soon academies for naval training and modern naval ships based off the european style were being built.
Throughout this period the marathis grew extremly amicable with the french. The french were iven better trade deals and many perks over the other major powers. In return france supplied naval advisors to the marathis whose navy soon followed the french model. Meanwhile with coffers being depleted in 1768 Balaji turned his eyes toward the nizams of the south. On may 5th he ordered the hero Sadashivrao to raise some 60000 soldiers and conquer the rest of sothern India from the nizams.
Throughout the period he also ordered the constructions of new temples and soon started work on the rebuilding of the ancient nelanda university in India.
In 1769 Sadashivrao and his armies conquered Orissa crushing the nizam who ruled their. The orrisans had no way of opposing the superior maratha armies and were also blockaded into submission by the maratha navy. Using their now pwoerful navy the marathas blockaded much of the southern india controlled by the nizams crippling the nizams powers leading to amphibious assault which captured much of the south indian coasts.
Meanwhile on land the Marathi armies soon captured much of kannada and after bitter fighting put an end to the sultans of hyderabad taking hyderabd in 1771.
By 1772 Maratha forces capptured travancore ending nizam rule.. But the Marathas were far from satisfied. In 1772 led by Sadashivrao the marathis invaded Mysore. In a series of battles Mysore fell by 1774 to the triumphant armies of sadashivrao bao. With the conquest of mysore virtually all of southern india was under marathi control.
By 1773 the maratha confederacy had conquered nearly the entire indian subcontinent. Balaji soon saw his coffers filed with blots of gold. Many temples were built, celebrations were held across the empire. The powerful navy soon numbered some 100 ships rapidly expanding.
But not all was well. The British empire which was seeing the Maratha grow strong grew wary of the indian kingdom. To the BEI the maratha confederacy was a threat. This was further compounded when the BEI learned of the MIC which had been formed by rich buisnessmen and merchants in the confederacy eager to trade with europe and africa bypassing the silk route to make more profit.
Soon the pieces were in place. The marathis led by Balaji knew they would come into conflict with the British and both sides knew war was inevitable. The stage was set to determine once and for all which side would be destined to unite the indian subcontinent.
________________________________
* otl Sadashivrao brought 200k pilgrims with him and with these ppilgrims was starved out by adbali.
" Those islamic enemis knew what would happen to them against our superior weaponry." Indian soldier at third battle of Paniput.
The Maratha conquests of the nizams and the Durrani
In 1759 Abdali shah raised a powerful coalition against the maratha confederacy. Earlier the maratha made rapid gains bringing an end to the mughal empire and to finish the conquest Balaji balaji rao ordered an invasion of punjab. This brought the confederacy into conflict with the Durrani.
After much discussion Sadashivrao bao raised an army of 70000 to put down the durrani threat. *He after much debate agreed with his generals to not bring any pilgrims with him during the conquest. This would prove descive in the coming battle.
Without pilgrims the maratha armies moved at a breakneck pace and by July 5th 1760 Delhi had fallen. Soon skirmishes arose along the yamuna river beetween Durrani and Marathi forces. It was called battle of Kunjpura where the entire garrison of 30000 afghan soldiers led by Shuja and Najib ud daula were ambushed and destroyed. Only 15000 Marathi soldiers fell that day. With the victory here Sadashivrao turned his attention against Abdalis forces on the eastern side of the river.
In the dead of night Sadashivraos forces launched a surprise nigh attack against Abdali and his soldiers. Many soldiers had been asleep and when the marathas attacked the entire durranni camp was caught by surprise. To make matters worse a maratha cannon blew up the munitions tent of the durrani. The explosion killed many in the vicinity. It was more of a massacre than a battle. By morning Abdali had been slain and his forces destroyed. The surprise night crosisng of the river proved descisive in the battle.
With abdali and much of the durrani army destroyed Sadashivrao continued his offensive. In a rapid advance Sadashivrao and his forces conquered the rest of punjab by January 1761.
However Sadashivrao decided to end the durranis once and for all. In march 1762 Sadashivrao and his army now numbered 100000 invaded the heartland of the durranis. By 1764 after intense fighting the Durrani empire was annexed by the marathas. With the fall of the durrani virtually no state stood in the way of maratha dominence in india.
Balaji knew that the marathis still couldn face the european powers. SO he decided to unite the rest of india before taking on Europe. He used much of the loot gathered from the conquest of durrani to order the construction of a larger navy. Soon academies for naval training and modern naval ships based off the european style were being built.
Throughout this period the marathis grew extremly amicable with the french. The french were iven better trade deals and many perks over the other major powers. In return france supplied naval advisors to the marathis whose navy soon followed the french model. Meanwhile with coffers being depleted in 1768 Balaji turned his eyes toward the nizams of the south. On may 5th he ordered the hero Sadashivrao to raise some 60000 soldiers and conquer the rest of sothern India from the nizams.
Throughout the period he also ordered the constructions of new temples and soon started work on the rebuilding of the ancient nelanda university in India.
In 1769 Sadashivrao and his armies conquered Orissa crushing the nizam who ruled their. The orrisans had no way of opposing the superior maratha armies and were also blockaded into submission by the maratha navy. Using their now pwoerful navy the marathas blockaded much of the southern india controlled by the nizams crippling the nizams powers leading to amphibious assault which captured much of the south indian coasts.
Meanwhile on land the Marathi armies soon captured much of kannada and after bitter fighting put an end to the sultans of hyderabad taking hyderabd in 1771.
By 1772 Maratha forces capptured travancore ending nizam rule.. But the Marathas were far from satisfied. In 1772 led by Sadashivrao the marathis invaded Mysore. In a series of battles Mysore fell by 1774 to the triumphant armies of sadashivrao bao. With the conquest of mysore virtually all of southern india was under marathi control.
By 1773 the maratha confederacy had conquered nearly the entire indian subcontinent. Balaji soon saw his coffers filed with blots of gold. Many temples were built, celebrations were held across the empire. The powerful navy soon numbered some 100 ships rapidly expanding.
But not all was well. The British empire which was seeing the Maratha grow strong grew wary of the indian kingdom. To the BEI the maratha confederacy was a threat. This was further compounded when the BEI learned of the MIC which had been formed by rich buisnessmen and merchants in the confederacy eager to trade with europe and africa bypassing the silk route to make more profit.
Soon the pieces were in place. The marathis led by Balaji knew they would come into conflict with the British and both sides knew war was inevitable. The stage was set to determine once and for all which side would be destined to unite the indian subcontinent.
________________________________
* otl Sadashivrao brought 200k pilgrims with him and with these ppilgrims was starved out by adbali.