Who had the silver removed from the roof of the Diwan-i-Aam in Delhi to pay the salaries of his army stationed there to assist the Mughal Emperor?
During the Panipat campaign, Sadashiv Rao Bhau faced a severe financial crisis and could not pay his massive army. To raise funds, he ordered the removal of the silver ceiling from the Diwan-i-Aam in Delhi’s Red Fort. Despite the immense symbolic value, the silver was melted down to sustain the Maratha forces during their long, difficult encampment. ANSWER: (A) Sadashiv Rao Bhau
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As the Maratha army occupied Delhi in 1760 before the Battle of Panipat, Sadashiv Rao Bhau struggled with a desperate shortage of funds and supplies. With the Mughal treasury empty and regional allies withholding support, Bhau was forced to take drastic measures to prevent a mutiny among his hungry soldiers. He ordered the dismantling of the ornate silver ceiling of the Diwan-i-Aam within the Red Fort. The silver was melted to mint currency for military arrears. This act was criticized by many contemporaries as a sign of Maratha desperation and a violation of the sanctity of the imperial palace.