Panipat

PANIPAT, an ancient town in lat. 29° 23' N. long. 77° 1' 10* E., in the Kurnool district of the Panjab, 53 miles N.W. from Dan, with a poptila. tion in 1868 of 25,276. It has been supposed by some to be one site on which the Kurt' and Pandu chiefs contended about 1300 years before the Chris tian era, and it has repeatedly since then been made the battle-field on which contests have been held for supremacy over India. The emperor Baber, in his fifth and last expedition into India, led an army of 12,000 men from Kabul ; lie en countered and completely defeated the emperor Ibrahim Khan, Lodi, at Panipat, 20th April 1526 ; and in May, Dehli yielded to him without resist ance, and he soon after reduced to his power all the provinces of the empire. The emperor Akbar, grandson of Baber and son of IIumayun, had to defend his claim to India against Hemu, the Hindu general of Sultan Adili. Henna, on•the death of Humayun, advanced with 100,000 men against Akbar, who, at Panipat, met Heins, completely defeated him, and took him prisoner ; and, while bleeding from his wounds in Akbar's tent, Bahram Khan struck off the captive's head, 5th Nov. 1556. The next decisive battle here was fought Gth Jan. 1761, when Ahmad, the Abdalla, king of Kabul, inflicted a crushing blow on the Mahrattas, which indirectly cleared the way for the establishment of British supremacy. The Maliratta power was then at its zenith. Their frontier extended on the north to the Indus and the Himalaya, and on the south nearly to thelextremity of the Peninsula ; all the territory within those limits that was not their own paid tribute. They had a well-paid and well disciplined army of cavalry, with 10,000 dis ciplined infantry, and a good train of artillery. Ragoba, brother of the ruling peshwa, was com manding their forces in the North-West Provinces, and in 1758 he occupied the whole of the Panjab. But in the year 1759, Ahmad Shah returned to Hindustan, and fell on and almost destroyed the letached force of Dataji Sindia, and the force under Mulhar Rao Holkar was overtaken and early destroyed by a body of Ahmad's army. These failures led to Ragoba resigning the corn s nand to Sedasheo Rao, Bbao, a cousin of Balaji Rao, Peshwa. The Bhao was naturally haughty nd overbearing, proud of the new greatness of as family, and puffed up by recent success into an overweening confidence in his own abilities both a soldier and a statesman. He Caine to the north of India accompanied by Wiswas Rao, the o shwa's youthful son and heir-apparent, and by 11 the great Mahratta and Brahman chiefs with iut exception. Whatever the nation possessed, ither of power or magnificence, was brought forth o give weight to Sedasheo Rao, Bhao. Many ljput detachments were sent to join him as he dvanced, and Suraj Mull is said to have reinforced rim with a body of 30,000 Jat. The Daurani krmy had been many months in India, and were occupying Dehli with a small garrison. Sedasheo lao took this city and its citadel with little dtffi sully, and he plundered whatever of value the Persians and Afghans had left. Whilst the kfahrattas were advancing and occupying Dehli, Ahmed Shah was forming alliances with NAIR). ild-Dowlah and the Rohilliis, and with Shuja-utl I Dowlah, viceroy of Ahmed Shah remained • encamped at Annpaliahr, on the frontiers of Omni, till near the close of the rainy season of 1760, , when ho set out for Dehli, and, between fording ; and swimming, crossed the Juana near Cubjpura October 1760), which made so great an • impression on the Mahrattas, that they hastily re . moved to Panipat, where they threw up works round their camp, encompassed by a broad and deep ditch, and protected by their numerous artillery. The numbers in the two armies are not accurately known. The Bhao's force seems to have consisted of 50,000 cavalry in regular pay, with at least 15,000 predatory Mahratta horse, and 15,000 infantry, of whom 9000 were disciplined sepoys under Ibrahim Khan Gardi, a Muhamma dan deserter from the French service. He had 200 guns, with numerous wall pieces, and a great supply of rockets, which was a favourite weapon of the Mahrattas. These troops, with their numerous followers, made the numbers within his lines amount to 300,000 men. Ahmad Shah had about 40,000 Afghans and Persians, 13,000 Indian horse, and a force of Indian infantry estimated at 38,000, partly Rohilla, hut the great majority a rabble of foot,-soldiers. Ile had also about 30 pieces of cannon of different calibres, chiefly belonging to his Indian allies, and a number of wall pieces. Ahmad Shah also en camped and threw up lines rotund his army. Govind Rao Bundela appeared in the rear of the Daurani camp with 10,000 or 12,000 horse, which spread over the country in the Mahratta manner so as to intercept all supplies. But Attai Khan, the grand vizir's nephew, made a march of sixty miles, surprised Govind Rao's camp about day break, and completely destroyed his force, Govind Rao himself falling in the action. And now the Mahrattas began to feel the severest want, having entirely eaten up and consumed the town of Panipat, which was within their lines. For two months there were skirmishes, and the 3fahmttas thrice made attacks on the Daurani lines. Ahmad

Shah had pitched a small red tent in front of. his entrenchment, to which he repaired every morn ing. He was on horseback the whole day, visit ing his posts, reconnoitring, and never rode less than fifty or sixty miles a day. At night ho placed a picket of 5000 horse as near as he could to the enemy, while other parties went the round of the whole encampment. In the Ifahratta camp the distress for supplies became intense. They sent. out a foraging party, with innumerable camp followers, to endeavour to bring in some relief ; but the helpless crowd was discovered by the Daurani force, and slaughtered in prod 'glom numbers. On this the chiefs and soldiers sur rounded the Bhao's tent in a body, and urged that it was better to run any risk in the field than to perish in misery. The Bhao agreed to their wish for battle ; they all partook of the betel-leaf, and swore to fight to the last, and orders were given to make the attack the next morning before day break. Early in the morning the Daurani spies brought intelligence that the Mahrattas were getting under arms, and Ahmad was roused. soon appeared on horseback, and ordered out his own troops, himself advancing till he saw the Mahratta army coming on slowly and regularly, with their artillery in front. Ahmad Shah drew up his army opposite, and himself took post at his little red tent, which was now in rear of his line. The artillery was not much employed by the Muhammadans, and the practice of the Mahrattas was inefficient. The actual engagement was begun by Ibrahim Khan Gardi, who ordered his battalions to charge with the bayonet. Their attack fell on the Rohillas, who were broken with prodigious slaughter. Their defeat exposed the right of the grand vizir, who commanded the centre of the Daurani line, and who was now charged by the Bhao and Wiswas Rao with the flower of the Mahratta army. In this charge, Attai Khan, the vizir's nephew, was killed by his side, and the Daurani troops were forced to give ground, but he himself dismounted, and, with the few that were near him, determined to die at his post. As the din of battle suddenly ceased, Casi Rao was sent by Shuja-ud-Dowlah to inquire the cause. Casi Rao found the vizir on foot in full armour in an agony of rage, reproaching his troops for quitting him, and endeavouring to re form his ranks. Ride to Shuja-ud-Dowlab, said he to Casi Rao, and tell him if he does not support me immediately I must perish. But Shuja-ud Dowlah, though he kept his ground, did not venture to take part in the action. Ahmad Shah had observed these transactions, and ordered up a reserve to support the vizir. The advantage re mained with the Mahrattas until Ahmad, after rallying the fugitives, and ordering all who re fused to return to be cut down, gave orders for an advance of his own line, and at the same time directed a division on his left to wheel up and take the Mabrattas in flank. This manoeuvre was decisive ; for though the closest combat was raging in the centre where the Bhao and Wiswas Rao were engaged on horseback, and they fought on both sides with spears, swords, battle axes, and even daggers, pee all at once, as if by enchantment, the whole Mahratta army turned their backs, and fled at full speed, leaving the field of battle covered with heaps of dead.' The victors pursued in every direction for fifteen or twenty miles with the utmost fury, and, as they gave no quarter, the slaughter was immense. A large portion of those who escaped the Daurani arms were cut off by the peasants, and great numbers who fell into the hands of the Daurani Were massacred in cold blood. Ahmad Shah, instigated by Najib - ud - Dowlah, ordered a search for Jancoji Sindia, who had been con cealed by a Daurani chief, and was made away with to avoid detection. He also compelled Shuja-ud-Dowlah to deliver up Ibrahim Khan Gardi, sent for him into his presence to reproach him, and then gave him over to the grand vizir to be confined, but he died of his wounds within a week. The body of Wiswas Rao was found, and a headless trunk, supposed to be that of the Bhao. The whole number of the slain is said to have amounted to near 200,000. Almost all the great Mahratta chiefs were killed or wounded, eicept those who had been left with a force at Dehli,and Mulhar Rao Holkar, who was accused of having early left the field. Madhaji Sindia was peirnanently lamed, and Nana Farnavis narrowly escaped by flight. The battle was fought on`ks 6th January 1761 (Jamadi-us-Sani, A.H. 1174') Grief and despondency fell on all the Mahratta nation. The wreck of the army retired south of the Nerbadda, evacuating almost all their acquisitions in Hindustan. The Peshwa Balaji Rao retreated slowly to Poona, where he died in a temple that he had erected. From that time the power of the Brahman pesliwas never rallied, but was re-transferred to the Mahratta chiefs of the houses of Sindia of Gwalior, Holkar of Indore, the Gaekwar of Baroda, and the Bhons]a rajas of Nagpur.—Elphinstone's (list of India ; Cal. Rev. Jan. 1871 ; Malcolm's Cen. India ; Wheeler's Ilist. of India; Rennell's Memoir; Asiatic Researches.