Battle of Delhi (1757)

2022-11-11T19:42:09Z

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{{Other uses|Battle of Delhi (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of Delhi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| image =
| caption =
| partof = Afghan-Maratha Conflicts
| conflict = Battle of Delhi, 1757
| date = 11 August 1757
| place = [[Delhi]]
| result = Maratha victory
| combatant1 = [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] [[Maratha Empire]]
| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Rampur State.svg}} [[Rohilla|Rohilla Afghans]] [[File:Flag of the Mughal Empire.png|25px]] [[Mughal Empire]]
| commander1 = [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] [[Raghunathrao]] [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] [[Malharrao Holkar]] [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] Manaji Paygude [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] Sakharam Bapu [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] [[Dattaji Rao Scindia|Dattaji Shinde]] [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] [[Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh)|Gharge-Desai Deshmukh]] [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|25px]] Antaji Mankeshwar
| commander2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Rampur State.svg}} [[File:Flag of the Mughal Empire.png|25px]][[Najib-ud-Daula]] {{flagicon image|Flag of the Rampur State.svg}}[[Mian Qutb Shah]] {{flagicon image|Flag of the Rampur State.svg}}Mulla Aman Khan
| strength1 =
| strength2 =
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
| territory = [[Delhi]] captured by the [[Marathas]]
}}
The '''battle of Delhi in 1757''' also referred to as the '''Second battle of Delhi''', was a battle fought on 11 August 1757 between the [[Maratha Empire]] under the command of [[Raghunath Rao]] and the [[Rohilla|Rohillas]] under the command of [[Najib-ud-Daula]], who was under the [[Durrani Empire|Afghan]] suzerainty and simultaneously the "Pay Master" of what remained of the [[Mughal Army]]. The battle was waged by the [[Marathas]] for the control of [[Delhi]], the former Mughal capital which was now under the control of [[Rohilla]] chief [[Najib-ud-Daula]], as a consequence of the fourth invasion of [[Hindustan|India]] by [[Ahmad Shah Abdali]].<ref name="delhi">[https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA229&dq=marathas+in+control+of+delhi&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aEgJUKCPB5DNrQeHhbHJCA&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=marathas%20in%20control%20of%20delhi&f=false Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813]</ref>

==Background==
[[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] invaded [[North India]] for the fourth time in early 1757. He entered Delhi in January 1757 and kept the Mughal emperor under arrest. On his return in April 1757, Abdali re-installed the Mughal emperor [[Alamgir II]] on Delhi throne as a titular head. However, the actual control of [[Delhi]] was given to [[Najib-ud-Daula]], who had promised to pay an annual tribute of 20 lakh rupees to [[Ahmad Shah Abdali|Abdali]]. Najib had also assisted Abdali in his fourth invasion and had already won the trust of the Afghan emperor. It can be said that he worked as the agent of [[Ahmad Shah Abdali|Abdali]] in Delhi court. So, [[Najib-ud-Daula|Najib]] was now the de facto ruler of Delhi with [[Alamgir II]] as a puppet emperor in his control.<ref name="delhi"/>

The Mughal emperor and his ''wazir'' [[Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III|Imad-ul-Mulk]] were alarmed by all these developments and hence requested [[Maratha]]s to help them get rid of Abdali's agents in Delhi.<ref name="delhi"/><ref>[http://www.google.co.in/search?tbm=bks&hl=en&q=the+marathas+occupied+delhi+without+difficulty&btnG=#hl=en&tbm=bks&sclient=psy-ab&q=+At+this+very+moment+Ahmad+Shah+Abdali+invaded+India+the+fourth+time+in+1755+and+departed+from+Delhi+in+1757%2FShortly+after+this%2C+the+Marathas+were+invited+to+Delhi+and+the+Punjab+by+Imad.+&oq=+At+this+very+moment+Ahmad+Shah+Abdali+invaded+India+the+fourth+time+in+1755+and+departed+from+Delhi+in+1757%2FShortly+after+this%2C+the+Marathas+were+invited+to+Delhi+and+the+Punjab+by+Imad.+&gs_l=serp.3...25599.25599.0.26042.1.1.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.1...1c.qZeHMniebsw&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=bc2404c6dd39d4c5&biw=1024&bih=685 Indian History - Page C-27]</ref>

A contingent of 40,000 Maratha troops was dispatched for attacking [[Delhi]].<ref name="delhi"/>

==Battle==
The Marathas encamped opposite the [[Red Fort]] on the other side of [[Yamuna river]]. Najib gave the charge of 2,500 strong infantry to Qutub Shah and Mulla Aman Khan and himself commanded another infantry contingent of 5,000 troops and heavy artillery and which were deployed by him to prevent Marathas from entering the city. The battle started on 11 August and after two weeks of intense fighting, Najib surrendered and was arrested by Marathas. <ref name="delhi">[https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA229&dq=marathas+in+control+of+delhi&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aEgJUKCPB5DNrQeHhbHJCA&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=marathas%20in%20control%20of%20delhi&f=false Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813]</ref>

Maratha commander [[Raghunath Rao]] demanded immediate withdrawal of Najib from Delhi along with a tribute of 50 lakh rupees. He also promised that he would never return to Delhi and never threaten any Maratha fort.<ref name="delhi"/>

==Aftermath==
The [[Marathas]] had now become the de facto rulers of Delhi.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA232&dq=maratha+had+become+the+de+facto+rulers+of+delhi&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Al4KULS4K4HqrQew6uDICA&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=maratha%20had%20become%20the%20de%20facto%20rulers%20of%20delhi&f=false History of Indian subcontinent]</ref> [[Raghunath Rao]] appointed Antaji Mankeshwar as Governor of Delhi province while [[Alamgir II]] was retained as titular head with no actual power.<ref name="delhi"/><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=1BY9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA564&dq=the+marathas+occupied+delhi+without+difficulty&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IVMKUIT3B8rWrQfr-KXICA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=the%20marathas%20occupied%20delhi%20without%20difficulty&f=false The New Cambridge Modern History, Volume 4]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Battle of Delhi (disambiguation)]]
* [[Battle of Plassey]] (1757)
* [[Maratha conquest of North-west India]]
* [[Battle of Karnal]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=UbdgaWR_xsUC&pg=SA10-PA13&dq=In+1757,+they+captured+Delhi+and+in+1758+they+conquered+Punjab+by+defeating+Timar+Shah+(Abdali's+son)&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oVYKUOTYMIjTrQfMmenICA&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=In%201757%2C%20they%20captured%20Delhi%20and%20in%201758%20they%20conquered%20Punjab%20by%20defeating%20Timar%20Shah%20(Abdali's%20son)&f=false TVandana Thorpe]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=MmXfBqefJh8C&pg=PR28&dq=marathas+delhi+1757&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u1gKUOSWOofxrQfAj7XICA&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAjgy#v=onepage&q=marathas%20delhi%201757&f=false y Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī, Marcia K.]

{{Maratha Empire}}

[[Category:Battles involving the Maratha Empire|Delhi 1757]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1757|Delhi 1757]]
[[Category:1757 in India]]
[[Category:18th century in Delhi]]
[[Category:Military history of Delhi|Delhi 1757]]

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Battle of Delhi (1757)