Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Encyclopedia
Ibrahim Khan "Gardi" was a Dakhani Muslim general in the 18th century India. His forefathers were from some Bhil
or allied tribe, who may have embraced Islam during Aurangzeb
's military campaign in the Deccan. An expert in artillery, he initially served the Nizam of Hyderabad, before working for the Peshwa
of the Maratha Empire
. As a general of the Maratha Empire, he commanded a force of 10,000 men, infantry and artillery. He was captured and killed by the Afghans Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.
community is a group of sub castes such as Bhils, Laman, Vanzara, Pardhi, Mahadeo Koli, Masan Jogi and other Maratha subcastes living in the Deccan between Burhanpur on banks of Tapi up to Hyderabad in Telangana region. The major part of Gardhi communities have settled in Marathwada
region of Mahararashtra bordering Hyderabad and Telangana regions, some of their rituals they claim to have originated 250 years ago from Gardi traditions. Some castes in the Pardhi especially takankar community of Burhanpur
worship Ibrahim Khan Gardi as well as Suleiman Khan Gardi in their rituals & ballads. The Pardhi community has developed special aptitude to handle weaponry such as guns and pistols as well as dynamite. Their forefathers, the Gardhis, were essentially musketeers serving as personal guards of the Peshwas with an extreme sense of loyalty to their masters. The same trend continues with the Pardhi community.
Nizam's army, consisting of a number of Telegus
or telangis. His troops' military prowess and artillery tactics were considered a great advantage in various campaigns. Captured in the Third Battle of Panipat, he is alleged to have been tortured horribly before his death by his Afghan captors. His extreme sense of loyalty to his master Sadashivrao Bhau
even when some of the Maratha generals deserted Sadashivraobhau's army during the thick of battle and escaped unhurt to their Jahagirs in Deccan, Ibrahim Khan Gardi fought to his end and was captured only when all his famed Maratha Gardi musketeers laid down their lives, one by one, or simply vanished during the night of 14 January 1761 when darkness fell on the battlefield. Some of Ibrahim Khan Gardi's artillery detachment with infantry and musketeers kept on fighting while defending their positions until sunset to escape in the darkness of night. To this date, some of the Pardhi communities' folklore have various songs in praise of Ibrahim Khan Gardi as well as Suleiman Khan Gardhi.
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
, an ambitious soldier of fortune
or military general, was an expert in artillery
and was in service of Nizam
of Hyderabad
. Due to limited resources at hand and non-expansionist or docile policy of Nizam, Ibrahim Khan Gardi was commanding small artillery unit.
Ibrahim Khan Gardi was won over by the Peshwa
and he soon joined the services of the Peshwa to command a battalion
having strength of 10,000 men comprized of cavalry
, infantry
, artillery
, archers
(including bowmen and pikemen
), and bayonet
wielding musketeer
s compared to the total strength of Nizam's entire army was no more than 2,000 men. This was windfall for Ibrahim Khan Gardi and he was the first Gardi person to reach the highest level of becoming deputy commander-in-chief
as well as artillery in charge of one of the most powerful armies in the world at that time.
A bright future was awaiting Ibrahim Khan Gardi since the Maratha
s won the third battle of Panipat
on 14 January 1761. The reason was that he was a close confidant
of the Peshwa
as well as his cousin's brother Sadashivraobhau, the commander-in-chief
of the Maratha
army during the Panipat
military expedition.
Other Maratha generals were envious of Ibrahim Khan Gardi's close proximity to the Peshwa and they were angry that the Peshwa's cousin's brother Sadashivraobhau was overruling their instructions and consulting Ibrahim Khan Gardi
exclusively while planning the strategy during the expedition. They worked mischievously to sabotage the strategy suggested by Ibrahim Khan Gardi.
Sadashivraobhau along with Ibrahim Khan Gardi had planned and were executing a foolproof battle strategy to pulverise the enemy formations with cannon
fire and not to employ his cavalry until the Afghan
s were thoroughly softened up. With the Afghans now broken, he'd move camp in a defensive formation towards Delhi
, where they were assured supplies but jealous of the exploits of their artillery chief, the envious Maratha generals overacted while some left battlefield leaving their defences open resulting in the defeat of the Marathas.
It was Ibrahim Khan Gardi's battalion
which faced & repulsed the Afghan onslaught during the battle. All of the Afghan attacks failed to dislodge Ibrahim Khan Gardi's battalion from its defensive positions. About 12,000 Afghan cavalry
and infantry
men lost their lives in this opening stage of the battle. Around 45,000 men from the Durrani
army of Ahmad Shah Durrani
lost their lives due to salvos fired at point blank range into the Afghan ranks.
Even when the news of the death of Vishwasrao
, the Peshwa
's son reached Ibrahim Khan Gardi's battalion it kept defending its position against a numerically stronger Afghan army as, one by one, Gardi musketeers fell and the remaining members escaped from the battlefield using the darkness as cover on the night of 14 January 1761.
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
was caught by Afghans while performing last rites
of his master Sadashivraobhau and Vishwasrao. Ibrahim Khan Gardi was tortured to death by Najib Khan Rohilla and his Rohilla
men as revenge for serving the Maratha
s.
Ibrahim Khan Gardi's loyalty to his master as well as courage to stand upfront against invader distinguishes him from masses as well as make him memorable in various folklore
being sung in the Deccan plateau
.
Gardis kept on serving Peshwas as personal guards as well as musketeers until the end of the Peshwa rule in 1818. After end of the Peshwa's rule, his private army was disbanded and some Gardis along with others from the Maratha sub-caste joined services of the East India Company
as sepoy
s, musketeer
s, cavalry
men in infantry
& artillery
units especially in The Poona Horse
in 1818, Bombay Sappers
, Madras Sappers
, and Maratha Light Infantry
.
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
or allied tribe, who may have embraced Islam during Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
's military campaign in the Deccan. An expert in artillery, he initially served the Nizam of Hyderabad, before working for the Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
of the Maratha Empire
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
. As a general of the Maratha Empire, he commanded a force of 10,000 men, infantry and artillery. He was captured and killed by the Afghans Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.
Origin
The GardiGardi
Gardis are a sub-caste of the Bhil community of the Deccan Plateau in India.-About the Gardi:The Gardi is Daniel Gardel Gómez community essentially was a hunting tribe. Gardis originally were members of the Bhil community who worked for the local tribal chiefs as personal guards in their private...
community is a group of sub castes such as Bhils, Laman, Vanzara, Pardhi, Mahadeo Koli, Masan Jogi and other Maratha subcastes living in the Deccan between Burhanpur on banks of Tapi up to Hyderabad in Telangana region. The major part of Gardhi communities have settled in Marathwada
Marathwada
The name Marathwada identifies one of the five regions in Maharashtra state of India. The region coincides with the Aurangabad Division.-Historical highlights:...
region of Mahararashtra bordering Hyderabad and Telangana regions, some of their rituals they claim to have originated 250 years ago from Gardi traditions. Some castes in the Pardhi especially takankar community of Burhanpur
Burhanpur
Burhanpur is an important city in Madhya Pradesh state, India. It is the administrative seat of Burhanpur District. It is situated on the north bank of the Tapti River, southwest of Bhopal and northeast of Mumbai...
worship Ibrahim Khan Gardi as well as Suleiman Khan Gardi in their rituals & ballads. The Pardhi community has developed special aptitude to handle weaponry such as guns and pistols as well as dynamite. Their forefathers, the Gardhis, were essentially musketeers serving as personal guards of the Peshwas with an extreme sense of loyalty to their masters. The same trend continues with the Pardhi community.
Military career
Trained to the French discipline as commandant de la qarde to Bussy, Ibrahim Gardi bore the title, or nickname, of "Khan," a souvenir of his professional origin or title. Originally part of the HyderabadHyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
Nizam's army, consisting of a number of Telegus
Telugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
or telangis. His troops' military prowess and artillery tactics were considered a great advantage in various campaigns. Captured in the Third Battle of Panipat, he is alleged to have been tortured horribly before his death by his Afghan captors. His extreme sense of loyalty to his master Sadashivrao Bhau
Sadashivrao Bhau
Sadashivrao Bhau was son of Chimaji Appa and Rakhmabai and nephew of Peshwa Baji Rao I and served as the commander of the Maratha army.-Birth and early years:...
even when some of the Maratha generals deserted Sadashivraobhau's army during the thick of battle and escaped unhurt to their Jahagirs in Deccan, Ibrahim Khan Gardi fought to his end and was captured only when all his famed Maratha Gardi musketeers laid down their lives, one by one, or simply vanished during the night of 14 January 1761 when darkness fell on the battlefield. Some of Ibrahim Khan Gardi's artillery detachment with infantry and musketeers kept on fighting while defending their positions until sunset to escape in the darkness of night. To this date, some of the Pardhi communities' folklore have various songs in praise of Ibrahim Khan Gardi as well as Suleiman Khan Gardhi.
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Ibrahim Khan "Gardi" was a Dakhani Muslim general in the 18th century India. His forefathers were from some Bhil or allied tribe, who may have embraced Islam during Aurangzeb's military campaign in the Deccan. An expert in artillery, he initially served the Nizam of Hyderabad, before working for...
, an ambitious soldier of fortune
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
or military general, was an expert in artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and was in service of Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
of Hyderabad
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
. Due to limited resources at hand and non-expansionist or docile policy of Nizam, Ibrahim Khan Gardi was commanding small artillery unit.
Ibrahim Khan Gardi was won over by the Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
and he soon joined the services of the Peshwa to command a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
having strength of 10,000 men comprized of cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, archers
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
(including bowmen and pikemen
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
), and bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
wielding musketeer
Musketeer
A musketeer was an early modern type of infantry soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern armies, particularly in Europe. They sometimes could fight on horseback, like a dragoon or a cavalryman...
s compared to the total strength of Nizam's entire army was no more than 2,000 men. This was windfall for Ibrahim Khan Gardi and he was the first Gardi person to reach the highest level of becoming deputy commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
as well as artillery in charge of one of the most powerful armies in the world at that time.
A bright future was awaiting Ibrahim Khan Gardi since the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
s won the third battle of Panipat
Panipat
Panipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...
on 14 January 1761. The reason was that he was a close confidant
Confidant
The confidant is a character in a story that the lead character confides in and trusts. Typically, these consist of the best friend, relative, doctor or boss.- Role :...
of the Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
as well as his cousin's brother Sadashivraobhau, the commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
army during the Panipat
Panipat
Panipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...
military expedition.
Other Maratha generals were envious of Ibrahim Khan Gardi's close proximity to the Peshwa and they were angry that the Peshwa's cousin's brother Sadashivraobhau was overruling their instructions and consulting Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Ibrahim Khan "Gardi" was a Dakhani Muslim general in the 18th century India. His forefathers were from some Bhil or allied tribe, who may have embraced Islam during Aurangzeb's military campaign in the Deccan. An expert in artillery, he initially served the Nizam of Hyderabad, before working for...
exclusively while planning the strategy during the expedition. They worked mischievously to sabotage the strategy suggested by Ibrahim Khan Gardi.
Sadashivraobhau along with Ibrahim Khan Gardi had planned and were executing a foolproof battle strategy to pulverise the enemy formations with cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
fire and not to employ his cavalry until the Afghan
Demography of Afghanistan
The population of Afghanistan is around 29,835,392 as of the year 2011, which is unclear if the refugees living outside the country are included or not. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between...
s were thoroughly softened up. With the Afghans now broken, he'd move camp in a defensive formation towards Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, where they were assured supplies but jealous of the exploits of their artillery chief, the envious Maratha generals overacted while some left battlefield leaving their defences open resulting in the defeat of the Marathas.
It was Ibrahim Khan Gardi's battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
which faced & repulsed the Afghan onslaught during the battle. All of the Afghan attacks failed to dislodge Ibrahim Khan Gardi's battalion from its defensive positions. About 12,000 Afghan cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
men lost their lives in this opening stage of the battle. Around 45,000 men from the Durrani
Durrani
Durrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali later as Durrani they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16%...
army of Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani , also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī and born as Ahmad Khān, was the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1747 and is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan.Ahmad Khan enlisted as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid kingdom and quickly rose...
lost their lives due to salvos fired at point blank range into the Afghan ranks.
Even when the news of the death of Vishwasrao
Vishwasrao
Vishwasrao was an Indian noble of the Maratha Empire.- Early life :Vishwasrao was born the eldest son of Nanasaheb Peshwa at Supa near Pune...
, the Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
's son reached Ibrahim Khan Gardi's battalion it kept defending its position against a numerically stronger Afghan army as, one by one, Gardi musketeers fell and the remaining members escaped from the battlefield using the darkness as cover on the night of 14 January 1761.
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Ibrahim Khan Gardi
Ibrahim Khan "Gardi" was a Dakhani Muslim general in the 18th century India. His forefathers were from some Bhil or allied tribe, who may have embraced Islam during Aurangzeb's military campaign in the Deccan. An expert in artillery, he initially served the Nizam of Hyderabad, before working for...
was caught by Afghans while performing last rites
Last Rites
The Last Rites are the very last prayers and ministrations given to many Christians before death. The last rites go by various names and include different practices in different Christian traditions...
of his master Sadashivraobhau and Vishwasrao. Ibrahim Khan Gardi was tortured to death by Najib Khan Rohilla and his Rohilla
Rohilla
The Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...
men as revenge for serving the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
s.
Ibrahim Khan Gardi's loyalty to his master as well as courage to stand upfront against invader distinguishes him from masses as well as make him memorable in various folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
being sung in the Deccan plateau
Deccan Plateau
The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in India, making up the majority of the southern part of the country. It rises a hundred meters high in the north, rising further to more than a kilometers high in the south, forming a raised triangle nested within the familiar downward-pointing triangle of...
.
Gardis kept on serving Peshwas as personal guards as well as musketeers until the end of the Peshwa rule in 1818. After end of the Peshwa's rule, his private army was disbanded and some Gardis along with others from the Maratha sub-caste joined services of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
as sepoy
Sepoy
A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...
s, musketeer
Musketeer
A musketeer was an early modern type of infantry soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern armies, particularly in Europe. They sometimes could fight on horseback, like a dragoon or a cavalryman...
s, cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
men in infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
& artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
units especially in The Poona Horse
The Poona Horse
The Poona Horse is an armoured regiment in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. The regiment, known before independence as The Poona Horse , was raised as a regular cavalry regiment in the Bombay Presidency army of the East India Company...
in 1818, Bombay Sappers
Bombay Engineer Group
The Bombay Engineering Group, or the Bombay Sappers as they are informally known, are a regiment of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers. The Bombay Sappers draw their origin from the erstwhile Bombay Presidency army of the British Raj. This regiment has its centre in Khadki, Pune in...
, Madras Sappers
Madras Engineer Group
Madras Engineer Group are a regiment of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The Madras Sappers draw their origin from the erstwhile Madras Presidency army of the British Raj. This regiment has its HQ in Bangalore...
, and Maratha Light Infantry
Maratha Light Infantry
The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment of the Army....
.