Battle of Barari Ghat

SideMarathas of the Shinde houseDattaji Shinde; Jankoji Shinde

1760vs

VictorAhmad Shah Abdali’s Afghans with Najib’s RohillasAhmad Shah Abdali; Najib-ud-Daula

At Barari Ghat the Afghans forced the Yamuna under cover of the reeds, and Dattaji Shinde, who held the north for the Peshwa, died leading his men against them. His death brought the Marathas north in full strength, to Panipat.

Date: January 1760Where: Barari Ghat on the Yamuna, north of DelhiType: Battle

Result

The Afghans crossed the river and the Maratha force was broken; Dattaji Shinde was killed.

01Shukartal and the Afghan return

In 1758 the Marathas had driven Abdali’s governors out of the Punjab. Dattaji Shinde, brother of Jayappa and uncle of the young Jankoji, was sent north to hold Hindustan. Through the autumn of 1759 he besieged Najib-ud-Daula, the Rohilla chief, at Shukartal on the Ganga, while Najib wrote to Abdali for help. Abdali came down through the Punjab late in the year. Dattaji gave up the siege and fell back to cover Delhi, and his army took post along the Yamuna fords north of the city, at Barari Ghat.

02Death at the ford

In January 1760 Afghan and Rohilla troops crossed to an island in the river, hidden by the tall reeds, and fell on the Maratha posts. Dattaji rode forward to drive them back and was shot down; Jankoji was wounded and carried off by his men. Jadunath Sarkar describes the rout that followed. Maratha tradition keeps Dattaji’s answer when an enemy asked the dying man if he would fight again: ‘If I live, I will fight more.’ His head was cut off and taken to the Afghan camp. The Rohilla who did it, Qutb Shah, was captured and put to death when the Marathas took Kunjpura that October.

Why it matters

Barari Ghat cost the Marathas their commander in the north and brought Sadashivrao Bhau up from the Deccan with the Peshwa’s main army, setting the stage for Panipat a year later.