Indian campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani: Difference between revisions

{{morefootnotes|date=November 2019}}

Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded India eight times between 1748 and 1767. After the assassination of [[Nadir Shah]], Ahmad Shah Durrani succeeded the throne of Afghanistan and started plundering wealth from nearby regions. In the Chota Ghalughara and Vada Ghalughara Abdali managed to massacre many through ambush, but in the end, Abdali retreated when he encountered the Sikhs on his way to India on the banks of river Chenab. That was his last invasion he would ever do as shortly after he died. After Durrani returned to Afghanistan, the Sikhs rebelled and annexed several cities in the Punjab region. His repeated incursions destroyed{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}} the Mughal empire and at Panipat, dealt a major blow to Maratha pretensions in the North and created a power vacuum. His objectives were met through the raids (taking the wealth and destroying sacred places belonging to the Indians) and caused political issues in India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120715/spectrum/main3.htm|access-date=2020-12-04|website=www.tribuneindia.com}}</ref>

[[Ahmed Shah Abdali]] invaded India eight times from 1748 to 1767. The frequency of his repeated invasions reflected his "tireless energy, ambition" and purpose. Being poor as well as a "backward country", Afghanistan could not provide subsistence to its population or provide a financial support for running the government. So it was "necessary" for Abdali to invade a "rich but poorly defended neighbouring country" India to plunder and exploit her resources. He also wanted to establish "political hegemony" in India. During his time, the Mughal empire was disintegrating and he was "eager to step into the shoes of the decadent Mughal authority" to fill up the "political vacuum without any loss of time".{{sfn|Mehta|p=248}}

Durrani attacked India in 1748. Ahmad Shah's Afghan troops swept aside the Mughal army's left flank and raided their baggage train but a fire beginning in a captured rocket cart went on to ignite the Durrani artillery store, roasting thousands of soldiers alive and forcing Ahmad Shah Durrani's retreat.<ref>{{Google books |id=NbUB_ACAR5QC |page=509 |title=History of Islam}}</ref> After the retreat of Durrani, Sikh bands under [[Charat Singh]] continued to harass them as they retreated to Kabul.<ref name="Mehta" /><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ifs9AQAAQBAJ&q=shahnawaz+khan+1748&pg=PT76 |access-date=2015-08-21 |title=Punjab: A History from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten |isbn=9789383064410 |last1=Gandhi |first1=Rajmohan |date=14 September 2013}} {{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}} {{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> he had to return home in failure.<ref name="Mehta">{{cite book|title=Advanced study in the history of modern India 1707–1813|last1=Mehta|first1=J. L.|year=2005|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-1-932705-54-6|page=251|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA251 |access-date=2010-09-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ifs9AQAAQBAJ&q=shahnawaz+khan+1748&pg=PT76 |title=Punjab: A History from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten |isbn=9789383064410 |last1=Gandhi |first1=Rajmohan |date=14 September 2013}}</ref> He lost to the Mughal soldiers and Sikhs of the [[Phulkian Misl]] (also known as the [[Patiala State]]).

Further the troops of Adina Beg and Sikhs fought together against Afghans at Hoshiarpur. Later troops of 20,000 horsemen of [[Timur Shah Durrani]] was defeated and captured by Sikhs. This resulted in insecurity in mind of [[Adina Beg]],<ref name="delhi"/> who invited the [[Marathas]], who had taken Delhi to come to Punjab and recapture Lahore resulting in the [[Maratha conquest of North-west India]]. Sikhs and Marathas rout Afghans from Lahore by March 1758. Adina became subedar of Punjab, by promising 75 lakh rupees<ref name="delhi"/> a year to be paid to Marathas. The Chief Qazi of Lahore fearing Hindu domination by Marathas invited Ahmed Shah Abdali to Punjab, causing his sixth invasion.<ref name="delhi"/>

* [[Durrani occupation of Delhi (1757)]]<ref name="delhi">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&q=marathas+in+control+of+delhi&pg=PA229|title=Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707–1813|first=Jaswant Lal|last=Mehta|date=1 January 2005|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|via=Google Books|isbn=978-1-932705-54-6}}</ref>

* [[Battle of Bharatpur (1757)]]

* [[Battle of Amritsar (1757)]]<ref name="auto">{{cite book|last=Bhagata|first=Siṅgha|title=A History of the Sikh Misals|publisher=Publication Bureau, Punjabi University|year=1993|page= 181|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BihuAAAAMAAJ&q=charhat+singh|quote=...}}</ref><ref name=deol>{{cite book

   | page = The case of Punjab; 189}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |ref=CITEREFSikh_Missionary_College|title=Brief History of the Sikh Misls |publisher=Sikh Missionary College |location=Jalandhar |url=http://www.apnaorg.com/books/sikh-misls/book-1.php?fldr=book}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Grewal |first=J.S. |date=1990 |title=The Sikhs of the Punjab |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_nryFANsoYC&q=%22jamadar+khushal+singh%22&pg=PA107 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=91 |isbn=0-521-63764-3 |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZJcAQAAQBAJ&q=peshawar+capture+durrani+empire&pg=PA204|title=A Concise History of Afghanistan in 25 Volumes, Volume 14|access-date=29 December 2014|isbn=978-1-4907-1441-7|last1=Alikuzai|first1=Hamid Wahed|date=October 2013}}</ref>

* [[Battle of Barari Ghat]]

* [[Second Battle of Sikandarabad (1760)]]

* [[Sikh Occupation of Lahore]] .<ref>{{cite book|title= The Sikhs : Their Journey Of Five Hundred Years|author= Raj Pal Singh|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ra19YSPDliQC&q=hargobind+jahangir&pg=P114|publisher= Pentagon Press|year= 2004|isbn= 9788186505465|page= 116}}</ref>

The Fifth Invasion was the most crucial of the invasions. In this invasion, the Mahrattas lost the battle of panipat and lost Delhi, Punjab, Lahore, Multan and Attock. They lost many civilians and soldiers and Ahmed Shah Durrani freely plundered them. Later, in all his next invasions he fought against the Sikhs on every occasion he was less successful and Sikhs became stronger. In the end the Sikhs drove him away from India all the way back to the Indus. Ahmed Shah Durrani also injured his nose after a part of artillery hit him on his face.

== Sixth invasion ==

The Naga Sadhus were camping in a small village when the Afghan Soldiers were going towards the city of Mathura to loot the temple. They saw them and since the Naga Sadhus were armed with Trishools and daggers they fought the Afghans bravely. Although the Sadhus were outnumbered they inflicted heavy casualties on the Afghans who then retreated.

== Seventh invasion ==

* [[Battle of Amritsar (1762)]]

* [[Battle of Sialkot (1763)]]<ref name="auto" /><ref name="sarsa">{{cite book|url=http://m.friendfeed-media.com/6e9ec7f58014456d2d5fd015cc8af9d2974509c0|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges|page=939|author=Jacques, Tony|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=978-0-313-33536-5|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626120848/http://m.friendfeed-media.com/6e9ec7f58014456d2d5fd015cc8af9d2974509c0|archive-date=2015-06-26|year=2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title= The Sikhs : Their Journey Of Five Hundred Years|author= Raj Pal Singh|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ra19YSPDliQC&q=hargobind+jahangir&pg=PA116|publisher= Pentagon Press|year= 2004|isbn= 9788186505465|page= 116}}</ref>

In 1761, Ahmad Shah and [[Marathas]] were at war, called the [[Third Battle of Panipat]] with heavy casualties on both sides. Ahmed shah returned to kabul and after ten years Maratha army recaptured Delhi in 1771 and in 1772 Marathas invaded rohilkhand doab area.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} Marathas looted and devastated of rohilas and pathans in rohilkhand.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}  

* {{cite book|title=Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707–1813|last=Mehta|first=Jaswant Lal|date=January 2005|isbn=9781932705546|publisher=Sterling Publishers}}

* {{cite book|title=The Sikh and Sikhism|last=Kohli|first=Surinder Singh|publisher=Atlantic Publishers and Distributors|isbn=9788171160938}}