Battle of Panipat: The Three Battles, Major Events and Outcomes

The Battle of Panipat has a long and glorious history in the chronicles of the Indian subcontinent. Do you know how many Battles of Panipat were fought and who fought these battles? In this blog, we will explore these questions. Furthermore, the blog will give you information about the objectives with which these battles were fought along with their consequences. Let us Read the blog and get to know more about the Battles of Panipat.

The Three Battles of Panipat

First of all, let us first break down the three battles of Panipat:

• The First Battle of Panipat (1526): It was fought between the Timurids led by Babur (founder of the Mughal Empire) and the Afghans led by Ibrahim Lodi (the last king of Delhi Sultanate)
• The Second Battle of Panipat (1556): The Hindu monarch, Hemu battled the Mughals under Akbar during the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556).
• The Third Battle of Panipat (1761): The Maratha Empire and the Durrani Empire, led by the Afghan ruler, Ahmad Shah Abdali, fought the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.

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What was the First Battle of Panipat?

The First Battle of Panipat on the 21st of April, 1526 took place near Panipat, Haryana. It also marked the start of the Mughal Empire in India. During the rule of Ibrahim Lodi of the Lodi Dynasty, the battle took place. It was fought between the invading armies of Zahir-ud-din Babur and Ibrahim Lodi, the last king of the Delhi Sultanate.

What was the Military Force in the Battle?

During the Battle of Panipat, the Military Force included:

• Babur’s force numbered about 15,000 soldiers and had 20 to 24 field artillery guns.
• Ibrahim Lodi’s fighting army numbered between 30,000 and 40,000 soldiers, with at least 1000 war elephants.
• The Sultan lacked field artillery, but Babur’s force had cannons that proved critical on the battlefield.

What were Barbur’s Tactics? 

Babur’s Tulughma and Araba strategies, not his weapons, were the key to his victory.

Tulughma: It referred to the division of the entire army into three units: the Left, the Right, and the Centre.

• There was a subdivision of the Forward and Rear divisions from the Left and Right divisions.
• A deputation of a tiny army to surround the enemy from all sides in this way.

Araba: The center-forward division was then given araba (carts). They were stacked up against the enemy and tied together with animal hide ropes.

What was the Outcome of the First Battle of Panipat?

The Outcomes of the First Battle of Panipat were as follows:

• Babur, the Timurid ruler of Kabulistan, defeated Ibrahim Lodi, Sultan of Delhi, and his much superior Mughal armies.
• Babur’s success allowed him to establish the foundations for the Mughal Empire in India.
• The betrayal by Ibrahim Lodi’s feudatories and generals got him killed on the battlefield (many of whom were mercenaries).
• The majority of the feudatories switched their loyalty to Delhi’s new ruler.
• Sultan Ibrahim’s fate may have changed if only he had lasted another hour of battle. Since Babur had no reserves left and his soldiers were quickly fatigued.

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What was the Second Battle of Panipat?

The Second Battle of Panipat took place on the 5th of November 1556. The battle was between the armies of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, known as Hemu, the Hindu ruler of North India from Delhi, and the army of Emperor Akbar. Khan Zaman I and Bairam Khan, Akbar’s generals, won a powerful victory.

What was the Background of the Second Battle of Panipat?

The Background of the Second Battle of Panipat was:

• Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, often known as Hemu, was the Hindu ruler of Delhi after defeating Akbar and the army Humanyun at the Battle of Delhi.
• Hemu was a descendant of Rewari, who served as an adviser to Sher Shah Suri’s son Islam Shah from 1545 until 1553. Between the years 1553 and 1556, as Prime Minister and Chief of the Army of Islam Shah, he defeated Afghan rebels in 22 battles.
• Humanyun, the Mughal king, died in Delhi on the 24th of January 1556. He was succeeded by his thirteen-year-old son, Akbar, at Kalanaur.
• King Akbar was enthroned on the 14th of February 1556. The Mughal rule was limited to Kabul, Kandahar, parts of Delhi, and Punjab at the time of his accession to the throne.

Which Events Occured in the Second Battle of Panipat?

The events that occurred in the Second Battle of Panipat are as follows:

• Akbar and his guardian Bairam Khan were stationed 5kms (8 miles) away from the battleground and did not partake in it.

• The 13-year-old King was not allowed to be present on the battlefield. Instead, he was given a special guard of 5,000 well-trained and loyal soldiers. Moreover, was stationed well behind the battle lines at a safe distance.

• The Mughal Vanguard was composed of 10,000 cavalries. 5000 of which were trained veteran soldiers ready to face Hemu’s invading army.

• Hemu personally led his army. His army comprised 1,500 war elephants and an artillery park vanguard. And led a force of 30,000 well-trained horsemen composed of Rajputs and Afghans who marched in tight sync.

What were the Consequences of the Second Battle of Panipat?

The Consequences of the Second Battle of Panipat were:

• Hemu was ready to defeat Akbar’s army while commanding his soldiers from atop an elephant when an arrow injured Hemu’s squinting eye.
• He went unconscious when the arrow pierced through his brain and out of the cup of his skull.
• Hemu’s army was defeated as they did not spot Hemu on his howdah (a seat for riding on the back of a horse).
• Shah Quli Khan Mahram found and captured dead Hemu several hours after the battle ended. He then carried him to Akbar’s tent in the Panipat camp.
• Hemu’s supporters erected a Cenotaph at the location of his beheading. It may still be seen today in the village of Saudhapur on Panipat’s Jind Road.

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What was the Third Battle of Panipat?

The Third Battle of Panipat happened on the 14th of January 1761 at Panipat, about 60 miles (95.5 kilometres) north of Delhi. The battle took place between a Maratha Empire, a northern expeditionary force and the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani, with two Indian Muslim allies- the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab and Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Oudh.

The battle is considered one of the most important in the eighteenth century, with the highest number of casualties.

Where Did the Military Forces Stand During the Third Battle of Panipat?

The battle pitted the French-supplied artillery and Maratha cavalry against the Afghans’ and Rohillas’ strong cavalry and mounted artillery (zamburak and jezail) led by Ahmad Shah Durrani and Najib-ud-Daulah (Ahmad Shah Abdali was also a name for Ahmad Shah Durrani.)

What was the Background of the Third Battle of Panipat?

The Third Battle of Panipat had the following background:

• The decline of the Mughal Empire after the 27-year Mughal-Maratha war (1680–1707), resulted in rapid territorial gains for the Maratha Empire.
• Gujarat and Malwa came under Maratha rule under Peshwa Baji Rao. Finally, in 1737, Baji Rao defeated the Mughals on the outskirts of Delhi and gained possession of most of the old Mughal territory (south of Delhi).
• This brought the Marathas into direct conflict with Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Durrani empire.
• Ahmad Shah Abdali formed an army from Pashtun tribes in 1759 and made several gains in Punjab against the smaller Maratha garrisons. He, then formed a broad alliance against the Marathas with his Indian allies, the Gangetic Doab’s Rohilla Afghans.

The Support of Shuja-ud-Daulah

In addition, Shuja-ud-Daulah supported in the following ways:

• Both the Marathas and the Afghans tried to persuade Shuja-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Awadh, into their camp.
• By late July, Shuja-ud-Daulah had decided to join the Afghan-Rohilla coalition, choosing to be part of the so-called “Army of Islam.”
• Shuja provided much-needed finances for the prolonged Afghan stay in North India, therefore this was a strategic loss for the Marathas.

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The Shortage of Food

There was a shortage of food and:

• This turned into a two-month-long siege led by Abdali against the Marathas in the town of Panipat.
• During the siege both sides tried to cut off the other’s supplies at which the Afghans were considerably more effective; by the end of November 1760, they had cut off almost all food supplies in the besieged Maratha camp.
• This eventually turned into a two-month battle of Panipat, led by Abdali against the Marathas.
• Both sides tried to cut off the other’s supplies during the siege, but the Afghans were far more successful; by the end of November 1760, they had cut off nearly all food supplies into the trapped Maratha camp.
• By late December or early January, the Maratha camp’s food production had run out, and thousands of cattle died.
• Early in January, reports of soldiers dying of starvation started circulating.

What were the Events During the Battle?

The following were the events before the Battle:

• With no supplies and dying soldiers, the Maratha leaders begged Sadashiv Rao Bhau, their commander, to let them die in battle rather than starve to death.
• The Marathas left their camp to march towards the Afghan camp in a desperate bid to break the siege.
• Over 125,000 soldiers were involved in the battle, which lasted several days.
• There were long fights, with losses and victories on both sides. After defeating numerous Maratha wings, Ahmad Shah Durrani’s army emerged victoriously.

What were the Outcomes of the Third Battle of Panipat?

The outcomes of the Third Battle of Panipat were as follows:

• The battle put an end to additional Maratha conquests in the north, as well as weakening their holdings, for around ten years. The rule of Peshwa Madhavrao, who is credited with restoring Maratha supremacy following the defeat at Panipat, lasted ten years.
• Peshwa Madhavrao sent a huge Maratha force into North India in 1771, ten years after Panipat, in an effort that was intended to:
  • Restore the Maratha Empire’s dominance in North India.
  • Punish rebellious nations that had either allied with the Afghans, like the Rohillas, or had tried to pull from Maratha control after Panipat.
• The campaign’s success may be regarded as the conclusion in Panipat’s long history.

What Happened After the Third Battle of Panipat?

After the Third Battle of Panipat, the following happened:

• Maratha Decline: The Third Battle of Panipat dealt a severe blow to the Maratha Empire, thus resulting in heavy losses of soldiers and leaders. Moreover, this weakened the Maratha military and diminished their political influence in northern India.
• Durrani Empire’s Influence: Ahmad Shah Durrani’s victory at Panipat increased the influence of the Durrani Empire in the Indian subcontinent. However, Durrani did not establish a lasting presence, and the Durrani Empire did not extend its rule extensively into India.
• Political Changes: The defeat of the Marathas created a power vacuum in northern India, hence leading to shifts in power dynamics. There were various regional powers and kingdoms, which included the Nizam of Hyderabad who gained prominence as they sought to fill the void left by the weakened Marathas.
• Mughal Authority Weakened: The Mughal Empire which was already in decline, suffered further weakening after Panipat. Mughal ruler Shah Alam 2 became a pawn in the hands of regional powers. The Marathas who had supported the Mughals, lost much of their influence.
• Regional Instability: The aftermath of the battle resulted in a period of regional instability and conflicts. Local rulers and chieftains competed for power, thus leading to a fragmented political landscape in northern India.
• Impact on Society: The battle had a significant impact on the social and economic fabric of northern India. In addition, there was widespread destruction and loss of life caused economic hardships, and the region took time to recover from the consequences of the conflict.

What was the Significance of thе Three Battlеs of Panipat?

Thе Thrее Battlеs of Panipat had a significant impact on the political landscapе of India. Moreover, thе First Battlе of Panipat lеd to thе еstablishmеnt of thе Mughal Empirе in India. Additionally, thе Sеcond Battlе of Panipat sеcurеd Akbar’s position as thе rulеr of North India. Thе Third Battlе of Panipat markеd thе bеginning of thе dеclinе of thе Maratha Empirе.

Furthermore, the Battlеs of Panipat were also significant in terms of their military innovations. Babur’s use of mobilе artillеry and cavalry units was a major turning point in Indian military history. Durrani’s usе of Afghan cavalry and his innovativе military tactics also had a significant impact on Indian warfarе.

Thus, the Battlеs of Panipat continue to be studied by historians today. Thеy providе insights into thе military and political dynamics of India during thе Mughal and Maratha pеriods. Thе battlеs also highlight thе importancе of lеadеrship, organization, and disciplinе during warfarе. 

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