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How Many Battles of Panipat Were Fought? Panipat was the site of three major battles that shaped Indian history. Known as the Battles of Panipat, these took place in 1526, 1556, and 1761. Each battle marked a turning point:
Panipat, located north of Delhi, holds immense historical significance. Known initially as Panduprastha—one of the five cities founded by the Pandavas during the Mahabharata—it became a strategic battleground in Indian history. Its location made it a focal point for three pivotal Battles of Panipat, which shaped the course of medieval to modern India, leading to the rise and fall of mighty empires.
The first Battle of Panipat took place on April 20, 1526. The first Panipat war was fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi. It led to the Mughal dynasty’s establishment and the Delhi sultanate’s end. When Babur marched out for Lahore, the Lodi army also marched and routed. Babur placed Alam Khan as the governor, one of Ibrahim Lodi’s rebel uncles. But Alam Khan was soon displaced, and Babur supplied Alam Khan with troops. Babur realized that Ibrahim would not allow him to conquer Punjab.
Babur’s forces comprised around 15,000 men with 20 – 24 field artillery pieces. There were 30,000 – 40,000 men in Ibrahim’s army, along with the 1000 elephants. Babur’s army used guns, but Ibrahim Lodi was unaware of any field artillery. The sounds of the cannons used to frighten Ibrahim Lodi’s war elephants. The tactics of Tulughma and Araba worked in the favour of Babur.
The feudatories and generals of Ibrahim Lodi abandoned him in the middle of a war and changed their parties. Babur’s army defeated Lodi’s army, and Ibrahim Lodi died on the battleground. Babur established the Mughal dynasty. The Lodi dynasty ended with the end of this war.
Ibrahim Lodi was the third ruler of the Lodi dynasty and was unpopular among the nobles. He used to persecute and execute old nobles. Daulat Khan appealed to Babur, the Timurid ruler of Kabul, to save his life.
He originally belonged to the Fergana district. But later, two powers occupied the region – the Safavids of Iran and the Uzbeks of Central Asia. He moved to Kabul in 1504 after losing Samarkand three times. He raided India’s northwestern frontier four times between 1504 and 1524. He started dreaming of a new empire across the east of the Indus. He got this opportunity when Afghan chiefs invited him.
| First Battle of Panipat At Glance | |
| Date | 20 April 1526 |
| Location | Panipat, Haryana |
| Forces | Mughal Ruler Babur and Ibrahim Lodi’s forces comprised around 15,000 men and 20 – 24 artillery pieces. Ibrahim Lodi had around 10,000 men and 1000 war elephants. |
| Result | The Mughal Empire defeated the Lodi dynasty, which ended the Delhi Sultanate. The Mughal dynasty was established with Babur as the first ruler. |
The 1st Battle of Panipat was one of the earliest Battles in which Babur used gunpowder firearms and field artillery. The cannons and artillery played a decisive role in the victory of the battle of Babur. This was one of the reasons why the Lodi dynasty ended. The Lodi dynasty was much more dependent on the traditional mode of warfare, but these cannons gave Babur an edge over Lodi’s army.
The cannons were so loud that Ibrahim Lodi’s war elephants got scared and trampled Lodi’s army. Its loud noise used to confuse the army, which could cause them to lose concentration.
The introduction of artillery in the field had a structural impact on fortifications. Babur had used four types of cannons in the war – light cannon, heavy cannon, siege cannon, and anti-personal gun. Cannons used stone shots, and they shattered on impact. They produced lethal shrapnel as a secondary effect. Babur had 20 cannons in total on the field.
Tulughama and Araba were two tactics of Babur. Tulughma means dividing the army into small subunits on the field. The center-forward army was provided with carts. Cannons were placed behind them for easy maneuver. They could be fired without any fear of being hit because the bullock carts were held in place. The nozzles of the cannons can also be easily changed.
The 1st Battle of Panipat allowed the Mughal dynasty to expand its role in northern India. The desire of Babur to rule the east of the Indus had come true. A new era in medieval history started. However, there were some challenges in the consolidation. Babur kept fighting with Rajput and Afghans to save the seats at Khanua and Gogra. But he passed before the consolidation of the Mughal empire. Then, Humayun became the ruler, and he faced several conflicts and defeats from Sher Shah Suri. But Akbar consolidated the position of the Mughal empire with his caliber and strength.
The Lodi dynasty lost its rule over Delhi and Agra and came to an end. It was the only Afghan empire in the Delhi Sultanate, which had been weakening since the start of the Sayyid dynasty. Ibrahim Lodi deposited many treasures at Agra. Babur captured those treasures and freed himself from financial difficulties. The struggle for supremacy started in north India, which marked a new phase. The Battle of Khanwa with Rana Sanga was one such war due to regional fragmentation.
Regional kingdoms also witnessed shifts in the power dynamics due to power shifting. Babur got new land for rule. They established the Mughal Empire, which ruled for 300 years. It had set new standards for warfare by introducing guns and artillery. It brought Central Asian influence on the Indian subcontinent.
Babur’s conquest marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of medieval India by toppling the Delhi sultanate and establishing the Mughal dynasty. Babur survived to deal with Afghan and Rajput challenges to his positions at Khanua and Gogra, but he died before consolidating his victories. His son Humayun faced a resurgent Afghan threat under Sher Shah. Akbar, Babur’s grandson, oversaw the final consolidation of the Mughal dynasty Empire. The use of elephants as India’s primary weapon of war came to an end with the Battle of Panipat, which marked the official dawn of the gunpowder era.
The second Battle of Panipat was fought between Hemu and Akbar on November 5, 1556. Hemu was the Hindu ruler who ruled north India. The Akbar army defeated Hemu’s army, and the credit went to General Khan Zaman 1 and Bairam Khan. On January 24, 1556, Mughal emperor Humayun was replaced by Akbar after his death. The 13-year-old king had 5000 guard soldiers stationed safely from the Warfield.
The army of Hemu consisted of 1500 war elephants and led his army himself. Hemu had 30.000 horsemen composed of Rajputs and Afghans. When Hemu’s army was about to rout Akbar’s army, one arrow passed his brain clean out from the cup of his head. Hemu’s army was defeated in this disarray and confusion. He was captured by Shah Quli Khan and presented before Akbar.
The third Battle of Panipat was held on 14 January 1761 between the Maratha empire and the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani. The Rohilla Afghan of Doab and Nawab of Awadh were part of this war. Sada Shiv Rao was the commander of the Maratha army. Historians consider this battle as one of the largest battles fought in the 18th century. This battle had seen the largest number of fatalities. There were no supplies to the Marathas, and the soldiers were dying. The army of Marathas asked the commander to die on the battlefield instead of starvation.
The battle involved 125,000 troops. Losses can be seen on both sides. Around 60,000 – 70,000 were killed in the battle. The defeat of Marthas halted their expansion in north India for 10 years. Northern territories were destabilized. Around 40,000 Maratha prisoners were slaughtered in cold blood the day after the battle. After 10 years, Peshwa Madhavrao established the Maratha empire in 1771.
Below is the table detailing the Panipat War 1 2 3 Date and Winners, commonly known as the three Battles of Panipat.
| War | Date | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| First Battle of Panipat | April 21, 1526 | Babur (Mughal Empire) |
| Second Battle of Panipat | November 5, 1556 | Akbar (Mughal Empire) |
| Third Battle of Panipat | January 14, 1761 | Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani Empire) |
We can compare the 3 Battles of Panipat on the following basis:
In the first Battle of Panipat, Babur’s military strategies and innovations were the main reason for the defeat of Ibrahim Lodi’s army. The use of gunpowder and artillery impacted the first battle. The second battle had seen standard usage of cavalry, and this battle solidified Akbar’s position as a Mughal emperor. The Maratha strategies in the third Battle of Panipat involved a strong defensive position, elephant corps, and cavalry charge. The Afghan rulers used diversionary tactics.
The socio-political context was different in all three wars. In the first battle of Panipat, many regional rulers supported Babur due to Ibrahim Lodi’s unpopularity. Babur invaded India from Central Asia. Major stakeholders were Babur and the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, Ibrahim Lodi, along with many regional powers.
In the second battle of Panipat, Akbar was a minor during the war, and his regent, Bairam Khan, led the war. Hemu was the Hindu king who wanted to revive the indigenous rule in north India. AKbar, Hemu, Bairam Khan, and various regional rulers were major stakeholders. In the third Battle of Panipat, the Maratha faced challenges internally as well as externally. Many regional powers conflicted with the Marathas, which was the major factor behind the lack of unity in the war. Marathas, Ahmad Shah Durrani, and regional powers like the Mughals, Rajputs, and Jats were major stakeholders.
All the battles had long-term impacts on Indian history. The 1st Battle of Panipat established the Mughal dynasty and saw the downfall of the Lodi dynasty. The Mughals impacted Indian history in many ways, like culture, politics, and administration. The second Battle of Panipat is important as it consolidated the Mughal dynasty in North India and provided stability to the rulers. Akbar’s policies introduced religious tolerance and administrative reforms.
The third Battle of Panipat weakened the Marathas and deepened the roots of British rulers. Regional fragmentation weakened the socio-economic condition of the Indian subcontinent. These Battles were turning points in the history of India.
The three Battles of Panipat—fought in 1526, 1556, and 1761—had a profound and lasting impact on the political, social, and military landscape of India. These battles altered the fate of powerful empires and set the course for the emergence and decline of several key powers in Indian history.
The First Battle of Panipat marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire in India, ending the rule of the Delhi Sultanate under Ibrahim Lodi. Babur’s victory introduced Central Asian military tactics, such as the use of cannons and the Tulughma strategy, which played a critical role in shaping future warfare in the subcontinent.
The Second Battle of Panipat was pivotal in ensuring the survival of Akbar’s fledgling Mughal Empire. After Humayun’s death, the Mughal power was on the brink of collapse, and Hemu’s attempt to seize Delhi threatened the dynasty’s control. Akbar’s victory in this battle established the Mughal Empire’s dominance and allowed him to initiate policies of religious tolerance and effective governance.
The Third Battle of Panipat had catastrophic consequences for the Maratha Confederacy, which sought to expand its influence across northern India. Ahmad Shah Abdali’s victory weakened the Marathas, halting their expansion and leaving a political vacuum in North India.
The political instability caused by the decline of the Marathas and other regional powers after the Third Battle of Panipat allowed the British to consolidate power. The weakened states were no longer able to resist foreign intervention effectively, and within a few decades, the British began to establish control over large parts of India.
The battles also transformed the nature of warfare in India, especially with the introduction of artillery and gunpowder. The success of cannons in the First Battle of Panipat encouraged future armies to adopt similar technologies.
Panipat was an entrance to Delhi, but it was never the reason for dispute in any battle. Have you ever wondered why all the Battles of Panipat, War 1, 2, and 3 happened at Panipat only? This could be due to strategic location, political significance, and neutral ground status. Situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, it offers an ideal location for the easy movement of troops and supplies.
It was located at the confluence of many kingdoms of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, so power rivalry was common. Political pressure exerted less influence on it because it resided far from the power centers of various kingdoms. History always gives some learning. The Battles of Panipat also left some lessons and legacies behind it. The Panipat wars 1, 2, and 3 taught us management skills and the importance of modern tactics. The battles laid the groundwork for Babur’s successors, and Akbar got the opportunity to expand its territories and consolidate the dynasty into a powerful empire.
The Battles of Panipat were three major historical wars fought in India:
First Battle (1526): Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, founding the Mughal Empire.
Second Battle (1556): Akbar’s forces defeated Hemu, securing Mughal rule.
Third Battle (1761): Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas, marking a major shift in power.
Most of the battles that did take place at Panipat could be due to strategic location, political significance, and neutral ground status. It is located on the banks of the Yamuna River, which allows for easy mobility of troops and supplies.
This chapter explores the Afghan invasion led by Ahmad Shah Abdali, who claimed succession from Nadir Shah to justify his conquest of India. Though Abdali declared his right to rule, his first invasion ended in defeat by the Mughal forces.
The First Battle of Panipat was won via Babur. Due to the establishment of Mughal rule, this battle was crucial to the history of the Indian subcontinent.
The Second Battle of Panipat (1556) was a turning point in Indian history, where Mughal forces under Bairam Khan defeated Hemu, securing Emperor Akbar’s rule in North India.
Ahmad Shah Durrani’s forces emerged victorious, having destroyed multiple Maratha flanks.
Authored by, Amay Mathur | Senior Editor
Amay Mathur is a business news reporter at Chegg.com. He previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. His areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. He is a Columbia University graduate.
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Chegg India does not ask for money to offer any opportunity with the company. We request you to be vigilant before sharing your personal and financial information with any third party. Beware of fraudulent activities claiming affiliation with our company and promising monetary rewards or benefits. Chegg India shall not be responsible for any losses resulting from such activities.
