Solstice at Panipat

With the growing reach of social media, I have been noticing a trend that on discussions of India History, many people would say it is a boring subject, it should be avoided, and we have not been taught this in school. There is a feeling of apathy, a belief that there is nothing to recommend Indian history which is mired by foreign invasions, subjugation, internecine battles, treachery of Hindu Kings where their greed used to turn the course of a battle at a critical juncture, paving way for our enslavement. The word History is often associated with the curriculum of school-days – the mugging of dates of historical events, memorizing the names of the Mughal Kings, to stencil the ideas of Gandhi and the Indian Independence movement on our minds.The problem is not only that our Indian History is distorted beyond repair by a handful of agenda-driven people. But a more significant issue is that our education system is built on only one pillar – ace the exam. The students are not expected to learn, they are expected to memorize textbook and copy it word-perfect on an answer-sheet. A process that kills the natural curiosity of a child, whom nature has mandated to learn by exploring its environment and the world around.When this curiosity is killed at a young age and you are taught a dry and uninspiring subject, you would not, in later years, go exploring the subject. To do that, you would need to be inspired. And that is where a lot of contemporary authors and historians come into play. It may look like a slow-start, mired by mud-slinging by the established intelligentsia, rejections by publishers, and sometime even loss to personal reputation. However, if we look closely there is a new voice emerging, questioning, hungering for answers. And thanks to historians like Dr. Uday Kulkarni, we are getting interested in learning about our History, we are reading, questioning and debating, we are adjusting to the “newer” facts that are brought to the common populace.Solstice at Panipat is a case in point. It is one such historical event that we need to read carefully and understand deeply. The (in)famous battle of Panipat, is etched into our minds as one where Hindus were summarily defeated against the Islamic invasion. A lasting shame brought about by the treachery of Hindu Kings, another testament to the oft-touted non-unity among Hindus as a people and their identity as a nation. And the death blow to the Maratha warriors’ aspiration to move beyond the Narmada.This is where this book, Solstice at Panipat: 14 January 1761, by Dr. Kulkarni is helpful in filling the gaps and busting the lies. The book looks at the events of January 14 not in isolation but traces the history of the battle, it also assesses the gains made and the losses suffered by the major players post-war.The book is a gripping account of the events leading up to the battle and then the gruesome battle itself as it happened on the fateful day of Winter Solstice. The author has done an honest job narrating the story in a neutral tone without creating heroes or villains, sharing references and notes to give more context to certain events and/or individuals. The narration brings out the deep research that has shaped the book. The author tells the story as it unfolded before, during and after the war; giving accounts of the changing geopolitical climate of Bharat above Narmada, the Deccan region and the Afghanistan-Iran region. The alliances and political intrigues among the players like Peshwa, Nizam, Holkar, Scindia, Mughal Emperor, Najib Jung and many more. The Indian subcontinent topography of that period on which the battle strategy depended, the army and the armaments as they lined up for the battle. All these pieces may mean a lot of details, but they are very necessary details which creates a vivid picture in the reader’s mind as the warriors arrayed themselves in their battle formation.Dr. Kulkarni does not shy away from pointing out the mistakes, errors in judgement, the difference in war-strategy by the Maratha Army vis-à-vis Afghan army and the treachery of key player as it happened. However, shines light on the great courage of the Maratha warriors, the great wins they enjoyed gaining swathes of territories beyond Deccan region, and the fear the mere mention of their names evoked in the hearts of their opposition. So much so, the marauders realized that the only way they could win against the unstoppable force of the Maratha is by treachery and division among their key allies. As the reader immerse herself in the book she realizes that looking on the battle of January 14 in itself is a very narrow view of the larger picture. There is no denying the fact that the Maratha lost the battle, and they carried the shame of this loss with them. But then as the readers of history it is incumbent on us to understand that even when Abdali won the Battle of Panipat, what was the net gains and losses of both the parties; the negotiations made and new alliances created in the post-battle environment; and the fate of the key participants after the gruesome Winter Solstice of 1761.I loved reading this book and I cannot now wait to read the second book, The Era of Baji Rao, by the same author. This book has shed light on hidden facts and corroborated them with extensive references. I recommend this book to fellow readers of history. We need to keep an open mind while reading our history because a lot of what we have read for past several decades were essentially adhered to only one line of thought which was neither the complete truth nor even factual. We need to shed away our defeatism and pacifism; and embrace our history which is expansive, vivid, multi-cultural and above all courageous.

I have read and re-read this book three times. Solstice at Panipat goes beyond the third battle of Panipat. It traverses the long road both sides took in the decades before Panipat to ultimately reach that battlefield. Importantly, it showcases an outline of Maratha history in the decades after the death of Shambhaji, presenting to its readers the manner in which the empire expanded northwards and the friction caused by that expansion in the other powers of the north.The author meticulously delves into the personality of each of the character who contributes to the eventual line-up on either side of the armies that face each other at Panipat and the author spares no one. From the principal commanders Sadashiv rao Bhau and Abdali, to Najib, Shuja ud daulah and Malhar Rao Holkar, it goes deeper into the roles of subordinate commanders such as Govind pant Bundele and Antaji Mankeshwar, perhaps the first such book to do so. It also touches upon the roles played by the Rajput and Jat rulers in the conflict.Within this book is a wealth of information based on Maratha archival history - principally letters and from these the author has been able to piece together a detailed account of the constraints both sides faced in the months leading to the final day of battle and the ebb and flow of the tide. It is perhaps the only literary effort that captures details of the actual battle of Panipat, including the Maratha battle formation, its eventual failure and collapse. Another startling feature is the detailed mention of Maratha finances and the huge issue they created both on the battlefield commander and the Peshwa. Perhaps the best thing about the book is that the author writes with none of the bias that afflicts the average Indian historian. More power to his pen!

The book is an excellent addition to the compilation of Maratha history. Dr. Uday Kulkarni has done a great job in explaining the events that lead to the 3rd battle of Panipat and its aftermath. The political scenarios of the 18th century primarily were extremely complex and the author as is his wont provides the reader with great supporting features: maps, illustrations, list of characters, timelines without which the reader would definitely have felt lost. The Appendix also provides some interesting reads on the actual extracts of some of the letters, notes etc that were written. The research material which has been referred is quite exhaustive and the author is able to substantiate his account with corroborative evidence, which is a clear winner for the book.As the author has stated in multiple forums, the 18th century of Marathas has been largely ignored and the author has done a fine job through this book and his other book 'The Era of Bajirao' which is a prequel to this book, to bring it to light. Specifically in this case, the 3rd Battle of Panipat and the role of Sadashiv Rao Bhau had highly negative connotations associated with it for the Marathas. This has been because of the lack of understanding of the intent of the battle and the fact that the battle is often painted in pure black and white terms rather than a more pragmatic or factual perspective.It is a great read but definitely not a casual read, and the reader must block some significant time to read the same, it is worth the time!!

I must say that this is an extremely well written book with great amount of research.It puts together the sequence of events during the late 17th century and most of the 18th century across the Indian subcontinent and in a way provides insight into the formation of modern day India.Although it describes the epic final battle of Panipat , the context that is required to understand why the battle was fought and its major implications on the entire sub-continent is explained extremely well in simple language supported by maps and photographs of artifacts and paintings. The level of detail , number of stakeholders involved and relationships/interactions between them is not an easy thing to capture and put it in perspective, which the book does extremely well. The comments made by the author are consistent with historical facts and quotes. There are numerous quotes and letters in this book from that era, which provides a sense of the overall situation and brings the history back into the present as one reads through the book.I would recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely interested in history OR has an understanding of Indian history and wants to understand how the battle of Panipat was fought and its implications on the sub-continent.

Fantastic piece of history with accurate facts on an event that changed the course of human evolution! One of the most understated major events has been finally documented in English for the world to comprehend! Excellent book!

Nice detailed account of historic battle

well studied and narrated, Overall well done!....some time details are too much and reader might find it daunting keeping track of all those details and still maintain track of the history/story.

History is amazing!