Afghan–Maratha War: Difference between revisions

| image            = The Third battle of Panipat 13 January 1761.jpg

| caption          = [[Third Battle of Panipat]], 14 January 1761

| partof            = the [[Indian campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani]]

| date              = 28 April 1751–10 September 1790

* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|border=}} [[Raghunathrao|Raghunath Rao]]

* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|border=}} [[Sakharam Bapu Bokil]]

* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|border=}} [[Malhar Rao Holkar]]

* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|border=}} [[Dattaji Rao Scindia|Dattaji Scindia]]{{KIA}}

* [[Adina Beg]]

}}

}}

=== Battle of Delhi (1757) ===

The Mughal emperor and the imperial grand vizier alarmed by this foreign occupation, secretly sent for his vassal, the Peshwa. The Maratha Peshwa [[Balaji Baji Rao]] sent his brother [[Raghunath Rao]] along with [[Shamsher Bahadur]], Ramsingha, Gangadhar Tatya, [[Sakharam Bapu Bokil]], Naroshankar Rajebahadur, Sidhojiraje Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh, Mankojiraje Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh, Maujiram Bania and a large army towards Delhi. They were accompanied by [[Malhar Rao Holkar]] of [[Malwa]] who had much experience in [[North India]] and with its rulers. The Marathas [[Battle of Delhi (1757)|captured Delhi]] in August 1757. They decisively defeated the Rohillas near Delhi in 1758.<ref name="War" />

==Initial campaign & success==

{{Main|Maratha conquest of North-west India}}

{{Main|Capture of Delhi (1771)}}

===Maratha invasion of Rohilkhand===

===Battle of Delhi===

In October, Mahadji, accompanied by [[Rane Khan]] Bhai and Jiwabadada Baxi, arrived in Delhi. On October 2nd, the combined forces of Rana Khan and Jiwabadada defeated Ghulam and Ismail Beg, leading to the capture of Delhi. They proceeded to lay siege to the Agra fort, which they also captured, and reinstated a blinded Shah Alam to his throne. While Ismail Beg surrendered, Ghulam Kadir fled the area. Rana Khan, Raji Patil, Devji Gawli, and Baghirathrao Shinde were then sent to persuade Ghulam Kadir, eventually capturing the Aligarh fort. Ghulam Kadir subsequently fled. After the Marathas had liberated Delhi, a hunt for Ghulam Kadir was mounted by the Marathas. Ghulam Kadir fled to Meerut, which in turn was encircled by the Marathas.{{Sfn|Sarkar|1952|p=328}} After the conditions there had become intolerable, he managed to break the encirclement during the night with 500 horsemen and tried to escape to Ghausgarh.{{Sfn|Sarkar|1952|p=328}} But during the engagement of his horsemen by a Maratha patrol, he lost sight of his entourage. Then his horse stumbled and broke its leg and he had to continue his escape alone and on foot. He reached Bamnauli (Uttar Pradesh), where he sought refuge in a house of a Brahmin and offered him a reward for a horse and a guide, who could lead him to Ghausgarh.{{Sfn|Sarkar|1952|pp=328–329}} But the Brahmin recognized him and alerted a party of Marathas, who captured him on 18{{nbsp}}December{{Sfn|Sarkar|1952|p=329}}{{Sfn|Malik|1982|p=565}} or 19{{nbsp}}December 1788.{{Sfn|Garg|1996|p=94}}

===Execution of Ghulam Kadir===

===Taimur Shah Durrani and India===

{{Main|Battle of Merta}}

==Reference==

* {{Cite journal|last=Malik|first=Zahiruddin|date=1982|title=Persian Documents pertaining to the tragic End of Ghulam Qadir Rohilla, 1780–1789|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress|volume=43|pages=565–571|issn=2249-1937|jstor=44141288}}

* {{Cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Jadunath|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.1681/page/n1/mode/2up|title=Fall of the Mughal Empire|publisher=M. C. Sarkar & Sons|year=1952|edition=2|volume=III|location=Calcutta|author-link=Jadunath Sarkar}}