6_Glorious_Epochs_of_Indian_History

426 SIX GLORIOUS EPOCHS OF INDIAN HISTORY
the Emperor of Persia, was preparing to invade Kabul**,
and that, at the invitation of the Moghal Emperor to help
arrest his onward march the Marathas had set out with a.
large army towards Delhi**. So considering it to be
inopportune to press onwards to Delhi that shrewd general
Abdali retreated immediately to Kabul**. But before his.
departure he had it proclaimed throughout India that the
whole of the Punjab was subject to the sovereign Afghan;
rule under him.
THE FIRST TREATY OF SURRENDER
BY THE MORIBUND MOGHAL EMPIRE
WITH THE MARATHAS
1045-46. In the meanwhile the Moghal Emperor at
Delhi had delegated most solicitously all administrative
authority over the whole of India right from Bengal, Bihar,.
Orissa to Sindh (including the Subha of Multan), the whole
of the Punjab, Rohilkhand, Doab and all the South-Indiam
divisions of the Moghal empire to the Marathas by a special
treaty*'.
1047. By this treaty, by this written consent at least
of the Moghal Emperor the Marathas had become since
that date the de facto sovereigns of the whole of India, and
the Moghal Emperor himself had been reduced to a non­
entity.
1048. The tremendous responsibility that devolved-
upon the Marathas because of this change in the imperial
administrative authority was, of course, the onerous one of
defending the Moghal empire against all internal as well as
external dangers—against internal rebellions and revolts as-
well as against foreign invasions. Gigantic as this responsi­
bility was it was only the Maratha sinews that could bear it
efficiently—the sinews that had almost realised the dream of
the foundation of Hindu-Patpadashahi ! That is why they
accepted that condition of the treaty quite readily as if it
was a boon.