The book opens in Pune, the seat of the Peshwa. We see the internal politics. The Peshwa (Nanasaheb) is weak and ill. Sadashivrao Bhau, his cousin, is appointed as the leader of the expedition to North India. Patil brilliantly shows the reluctant hero—Bhau knows the treasury is empty, but honor forces his hand.
The novel covers the Third Battle of Panipat, fought on January 14, 1761. On one side stood the Maratha Empire (led by Sadashivrao Bhau and the teenage Peshwa’s son, Vishwasrao). On the other was the invading army of Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani), the King of Afghanistan, supported by Rohilla and Nawab of Oudh. Panipat By Vishwas Patil Pdf
If you cannot read Marathi, note that a popular Hindi translation titled Panipat (by the same author) is also available via Hindi publishers like Rajpal & Sons. The Hindi version is also sold as an eBook. The book opens in Pune, the seat of the Peshwa