PANIPUT', the chief t. of the district Kurnal, in the division of Deli', Punjab, is situated 54 m. (by road 78 m.) n. by w. from Delhi, in a fertile tract, the resources of which are largely developed by artificial irrigation. Pop. '68, 25,27G. Being a sta tion on the great military road between Afghanistan and the Punjab, and to some extent an outpost of Delhi, it has been at various times the scene of strife between the inhabitants of India and invaders. The first great battle of Paniput was fought in 1526, and gained by Mirzs the ex-ruler of Ferghana. at the head of 12,000 :Mongols, over Ibrahim the emperor of Delhi, whose unwarlike array numbered 100,000 omen, with 1000 elephants. This victory seated Baber on the throne of Hindustan as the first of the "Great Mogu: " dynasty. The second great battle was fought in 1556, by the Mongols under Akbar, grandson of Baber, and third of the Mogul emperors, against Hemu, an Indian prince who had usurped the throne of Delhi. Hemn's army was
defeated with great slaughter, and himself slain. The third battle was fought on Jan. 14, 1761, between Ahmed Abdalli. ruler of Afghanistan, and the till then invincible Mahrattas. The Jats, who had been forced to join the Mahrattas, deserted to the Afghans at a time when victory seemed to be declaring for the former; and this act of treachery, together with the loss of their leaders, threw the Mahrattas into confusion, and in spite of their most resolute valor they suffered a total defeat. They left 50,000 slain on the field of battle, including all their leaders except Ilolkar, and 30,000 men were killed in the pursuit, which was continued for four days. The Mahrattas never recovered this cruslring blow. It was at Kurnaul, a town a little to the n of Paniput, that Nadir Shah of Persia,. in 1739, won tie celebrated battle over the Mogul emperor, which placed n.w. India at his feet.