Question

The first battle of Panipat was fought on ______.

Answer 1

The first battle of Panipat was fought on April 21, 1526. The battle was fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodhi.

First battle of Panipat

• The Delhi Sultanate was ruled by the Afghan Lodi dynasty from 1451.
• Ibrahim Lodi, was the reigning king of the Sultanate from 1517.
• Babur, belonged to a descendant of both Timur and Chengiz Khan, was the ruler of Fergana (in Uzbekistan) and had conquered Kabul in 1504.
• He tried to capture Samarkand but lost it three times. Hence, he turned his attention and focus towards Punjab.
• Daulat Khan, the governor of Punjab, invited Babur to invade the region and destroy Ibrahim Lodi.
• Babur reached Lahore in 1524 but was sent back by Lodi’s group of army members. He tried to defeat Lodi again but it went vain.
• In 1526, Babur prepared well with an improved intelligence network. He had a smaller number of troops compared to Lodi.
• He organised his army into three flanks. He also initiated the use of gunpowder firearms and field artillery into the subcontinent with this war.
• Lodi’s army relied completely on cavalry and especially on elephants, which in earlier times, could shock the enemy and rout them.
• Lodi’s bravery could not match up to the expertise of Babur on the battlefield.