Battle of Palkhed

The Battle of Palkhed took place on February 28, 1728, in the village of Palkhed, near Vaijapur, Maharashtra, India. It was a fight between the Maratha Empire and the Hyderabad State. The Marathas won the battle, defeating the Nizam of Hyderabad.

Battle of Palkhed
Troop movement of Bajirao and Nizam in the Palkhed campaign
Date 28 February 1728 Location Palkhed, Vaijapur, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India Result Maratha victory
Belligerents
Maratha Empire	Hyderabad State
Commanders and leaders
Bajirao I Dawalji Somvanshi Pilajirao Jadhavrao Ranoji Shinde Malhar Rao Holkar	Asaf Jah I  Aiwaz Khan Altaz Khan Fazal Beg
Strength
25,000–30,000 horsemen (modern estimates; composed entirely of elite light cavalry)	90,000-125,000 soldiers (modern estimates; including a massive, highly formidable artillery corps) 100,000+ camp followers

Beginning

In 1725 and 1726, when Bajirao led campaigns into the Carnatic region, the Nizam of Hyderabad became very angry and began preparing to face the Marathas. The Nizam convinced several Maratha nobles, like Chandrasen Jadhav, Udaji Chavan, and Rao Rambha Nimbalkar, to join his side. He also tried to create divisions between the two Maratha leaders, Sambhaji and Shahu. The Nizam moved his capital from Aurangabad to Hyderabad, a more distant place where he could plot against the Marathas without them knowing. When Baji Rao demanded taxes (chauth and sardeshmukhi), the Nizam responded by asking him to first decide whether Shahu or Sambhaji was the true king of the Marathas.

Campaign

Sambhaji joined forces with the Nizam, forcing Baji Rao to act. On August 27, 1727, Baji Rao began attacking and plundering several of the Nizam’s territories, including Jalna, Burhanpur, and Khandesh. Taking advantage of the situation, the Nizam suddenly attacked Pune, where he declared Sambhaji as the Maratha king. However, he soon had to leave the city, leaving Fazal Beg to defend it, as he needed to deal with Baji Rao, who was plundering his lands along the Godavari River. The two armies finally met near Palkhed, about 20 miles from Daulatabad, where the Nizam was eventually forced to seek peace and he surrendered.

Aftermath

After the Battle of Palkhed, the Nizam was forced to make the following grants:

1. He acknowledged Shahu as the only legitimate ruler of the Marathas.
2. He recognized Shahu's right to collect the taxes known as chauth and sardeshmukhi in the Deccan region.
3. The Maratha tax collectors who had been removed were allowed to return to their positions.
4. The Nizam agreed to pay the overdue amounts of chauth and sardeshmukhi.

References