First, Second and the Third Battle of Panipat – All You Need to Know

Panipat, a historic city in Haryana, India has a great courageous past. The three crucial battles, namely the first, second and the third battle of Panipat fought near the city were said to be the major turning points in Indian history. The current city is located at 90 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The city is also famous by the name of “City of Weavers” and “Textile City”.

From the rise of the Mughal Empire to the fall of Maratha power, each battle had deep political and military consequences.

The three Battles of Panipat:

• The First Battle of Panipat (1526), fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi
• The Second Battle of Panipat (1556), at which Akbar defeated Hemu
• The Third Battle of Panipat (1761), at which the invading Afghani forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the army of the Maratha Empire under Sadashivrao Bhau

Battle	Year	Main Leaders	Winner	Impact
First	1526	Babur vs Ibrahim Lodi	Babur	Mughal Empire begins
Second	1556	Akbar vs Hemu	Akbar	Mughal rule restored
Third	1761	Abdali vs Marathas	Abdali	Maratha decline

Why Was Panipat Chosen for These Battles?

Panipat was a strategic location because:

• It is close to Delhi
• Open land suitable for large armies
• Easy access for invading forces from the northwest

Here is a cool infographic which gives you a brief introduction to the battles of panipat.

The First Battle of PaniPat:

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When was the first battle of Panipat fought?

The First Battle of Panipat, was fought on 21 April 1526

Fought Between:

It was fought between the invading forces of Babur then ruler of Kabul and Ibrahim Lodhi, king of Delhi Sultanate.

Causes of the First Battle:

• Weak leadership of Ibrahim Lodi
• Ambition of Babur to expand into India
• Internal conflicts in the Delhi Sultanate

After the failure of many attempts to rule over the kingdom of Fergana and Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Babur gave attention to conquering India. Until 1524, his aim was to only expand his rule to Punjab, mainly to fulfil his ancestor Timur’s legacy, since it used to be part of his empire. At the time parts of north India were under the rule of Ibrahim Lodi of the Lodi dynasty, but the empire was crumbling and there were many defectors.

By taking advantages of these circumstances, Babur decided to conquer against Ibrahim Lodi to rule over Delhi Sultanate. (Source Quora)

Result of First battle:

Babur defeated the Afghan Sultan of Delhi Ibrahim Lodi, which not only ended Lodi rule but gave the Mughals a stronger foothold on the subcontinent and marked one of the biggest milestone of Indian history, the beginning of the Mughal Empire in India. It all started after Babur won the first battle of panipat against Ibrahim Lodi.

 

Second Battle of Panipat :

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When was the second battle of Panipat fought?

The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on November 5, 1556

Fought Between:

It was fought between the forces of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, who was also called Hemu, the Hindu king who was ruling North India from Delhi and the army of Jala-ud-din Muhhamad Akbar.

Reason for the second battle:

Hemu had conquered the states of Delhi and Agra a few months earlier by defeating the Mughals led by Tardi Beg Khan at the Battle of Delhi and proclaimed himself Raja Vikramaditya. Akbar and his guardian, Bairam Khan who lost Agra and Delhi, had marched to Panipat to reclaim the lost territories. The two armies clashed at Panipat not far from the site of the First Battle of Panipat of 1526.

The Second battle of Panipat marked the beginning of Akbar’s reign in India, as it was in the first year of his holding the throne.

Result of Second battle:

The defeat of Hemu at the Second Battle of Panipat, 1590s painting by Kankar from the Akbarnama. Neither Hemu nor Akbar are depicted here suggesting that this might be part of a double-page composition (wikim source)

Hemu had a large army along with 1500 war elephants. Hemu was struck with an arrow in his eye and subsequently the army got panicked seeing their unconscious leader. The battle concluded with Mughals crowned with victory.

Although Hemu had lost his artillery to the Mughals before the battle, his forces held the numerical superiority. However, Hemu was wounded by an arrow in the middle of the battle and fell unconscious. Seeing their leader going down, his army panicked and dispersed. Hemu was captured and subsequently beheaded for going against the caliphate. The battle ended in a decisive victory for Akbar.

This was the beginning of Akbar’s rule across India, a reign which lasted for almost 50 years, fulfilling the destiny of Mughals in India as rulers.

 

Third battle of Panipat

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When was the third battle of Panipat fought?

The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 13 January 1761

Between:

It was fought between the Afghans and the Maratha Empire.

The invading forces of the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali was supported by two Indian allies—the Rohillas Najib-ud-daulah, Afghans of the Doab region and Shuja-ud-Daula-the Nawab of Awadh. The Marathas are under the leadership of Peshwas, established control across Northern India.

The battle is considered one of the largest and most eventful fought in the 18th century, and has perhaps the largest number of fatalities in a single day reported in a classic formation battle between two armies. The battle lasted for several days and involved over 125,000 troops.

Reasons behind the third battle of panipat:

Decline of Mughal Empire after the attack of Nadir Shah in 1739. Leading to collapse of the empire and rise of local provinces, Marathas gaining control of territories rapidly- Gujarat, Malwa, Rajputana and finally South Delhi and outskirts.

Fearing Marathas’ ever-expanding boundaries Rohillas and Rajputs sought to Ahmed Shah for help. Marathas keen on expanding the territory, proceeded towards Punjab in 1758. Defeating Timur Shah – son of Ahmed Shah Durrani provoking him to attack on India.

The internal dispute between marathas and other kingdoms also encouraged Abdali.

Result of the Third battle of Panipat:

Marathas lost. The Afghans emerged victorious.

The Marathas failed to get support from the Rajputs, Jats or the Sikhs as well as the Maratha capital was at Pune and the battlefield was miles away. So Afghans were victorious at third battle of Panipat.

 

Movie based on Third Battle of Panipat:

Ashutosh Gowariker is directing a historical period drama film which is based on the third battle of Panipat. This movie is titled as Panipat. The film features Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles and is set to release on 6 December 2019. Ajay Atul are composing the music for the film. The songs will be written by Javed Akhtar.

FAQs

1. Why were the Battles of Panipat important?

The Battles of Panipat were important because they decided who would rule northern India at different times. Each battle changed political power and shaped India’s future history.

2. Who won all three Battles of Panipat?

Different rulers won each battle: Babur won the first, Akbar won the second, and Ahmad Shah Abdali won the third. No single empire won all three battles.

3. Which Battle of Panipat was the most deadly?

The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) was the most deadly due to massive casualties on both sides. It is considered one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the 18th century.

4. What was the main reason for the Third Battle of Panipat?

The main reason was the expansion of the Maratha Empire into northern India. This brought them into conflict with Ahmad Shah Abdali, who wanted to maintain control over the region.

5. Where is Panipat located and why was it important?

Panipat is located in present-day Haryana, near Delhi. Its open plains and strategic position made it an ideal battlefield for large armies throughout history.

6. How many Battles of Panipat were fought?

There were three major Battles of Panipat fought in 1526, 1556, and 1761. Each battle marked a major shift in political power in India.

7. Who fought in the First Battle of Panipat?

The First Battle of Panipat was fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi. Babur emerged victorious and established the Mughal Empire in India.

8. What weapons were used in the First Battle of Panipat?

Babur used advanced weapons like gunpowder, cannons, and matchlock guns. These technologies gave him a major advantage over Ibrahim Lodi’s traditional army.

9. What was the impact of the Third Battle of Panipat on India?

The Third Battle weakened the Maratha Empire significantly. It also created a power vacuum that later helped the British East India Company expand its control in India.

10. Why did the Marathas lose the Third Battle of Panipat?

The Marathas lost due to poor supply lines, lack of coordination, and strong opposition from Ahmad Shah Abdali. Their army was also exhausted and far from their home base.