Question

Who led the Maratha armies in the third Panipat war?

Answer 1

The Third Battle of Panipat was fought on 14 January 1761 between the Maratha Empire and the Durrani Empire of Afghanistan. Sadashivrao Bhau led the Maratha armies. Sadashivrao Bhau was the Commander-in-chief of the Maratha Army, and his other members were Vishwasrao, Malharrao Holkar, Ahmad Shah Durrani (also called Ahmad Shah Abdali).

The third battle of Panipat

• The Maratha power was at its peak in the subcontinent after the death of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
• They had many regions under their control in the Deccan which was previously under the Mughals.
• They also had Malwa, Rajputana, and Gujarat under their power.
• In 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani established the Durrani Empire in Afghanistan.
• In 1747 he annexed Lahore. In the next consistent years, he had taken control of Punjab and Sindh as well.
• Timur Shah ( Durrani’s son) was the governor of Lahore.
• The Maratha Peshwa Bajirao was capable of capturing Lahore and driving out Timur Shah.
• During this period, the Maratha Empire stretched from the Indus in the north to the southern regions of India.
• Delhi was only nominally under the Mughals. Many people were alarmed at the rapid increase of the Marathas and they appealed to Durrani to stop the Marathas’ widespread expansion.
• Ahmad Shah Durrani tried to gather support from the Afghan Rohillas of the Gangetic Doab.
• Shuja-ud-daulah, who was the Nawab of Awadh was solicited by both the Afghans and the Marathas for support, but he chose to form an alliance with the Afghans.