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Revision as of 23:54, 27 February 2003 by Ixfd64 (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Battle of Panipat, which took place on January 14, 1761 at Panipat (meaning waterloo) was one of the bloodiest battles ever recorded. It is estimated over that 100,000 people were killed in just twelve hours.
No study of battles and warfare would be complete without studying and analyzing events that took place in this battle, which occured about 80 miles north of Delhi, Haryana State, India.
Prelude to Panipat -
about 1756, Raghoba dada, Minister & general of Maratha confederacy, persues Najib Ud Doulah & Afgans of Ahmedshah Abdali till Attock (Pakhtoonistan), foothills of afganistan.
Mistake No.1 : Najib(Indian Rohilla muslim) was arrested and released subsequently by Marathas. Najib invites Abdali back in 1761. Promising him Indian empire.
Abdali gives call of Jihad to fellow tribes of Afganistan & invades India.
Mistake 2 : This time, Sadashivrao Bhau, the younger brother of Nanasaheb Peshwe, takes up the challenge & due to internal politics Raghoba dada (experienced & seasoned general) do not join him.
Wives of both Nanasaheb & Raghoba plays their part in inflating egos of their generals in this politics resulting in ommission of Raghoba dada. (Gopikabai & Anandibai)
Sadashivrao Bhau (younger brother of priminister gets the army of about 70-90,000 however he did not get what he wants. He is accompanied by Vishwasrao, son of priminister.
Mistake 3 :He wanted sizable & more seasoned cavalry which is on 12 months payroll. He did not get infantry regiment of masketeers. He was made to carry passengers & tourist civilians men, women & children numbering 30,000 on war. (Perhaps to ensure his failure) This limits in speed, mobility & manouverability considerable.
However he gets 150 fine pieces of french rifled long range artillery. Larger battle hardened infantry with famed maratha pikemen.
As abdali comes in India, muslims, mostly rohillas, Navab of Ayodhya (Shuja ud dowlah) joins him thus making him more powerful.
Mistake 4 : Where as north indian hindu kingdoms either refuses to join war on terror or ditches him (Sadashivrao bhau) on the way, notable among them was Jat king Surajmal when he was not permitted to loot Delhi.
In october 1761 armies of maratha confederacy and afgans with his indian muslims comes to face to face.
Marathas dugs in trenches around panipat town block Abdalis way to Afganistan & Abdali theirs to Deccan.
However it was 2 months siege for marathas where as abdali manages to get his logistic supplies on time from indian muslims. Whereas Maraths get dwindling supplies like germans in harsh winter in stalingrad.
On January 14, 1761 Sadashiv Bhau decided to break the siege by attacking first.
His plan was to pulverise evemy position & formation with cannonade and not to engage cavalry till enemy is totally soften. Simulteniously move the formation towards Delhi with protective ring of infantry, cavalry & artillery around maratha civilians numbering 30,000.
He comes out of trench warfare on open on early morning of 14th January 1761, manages to push 150 fine artillery pieces beyond trenches arranges across circular 12 kms frontline and opens fire early in the morning before dawn on afgan positions.
As per plan they were to adopt european strategy of softenning the target with cannonade & bombardment.
Artillery was to be defended by infantry, pikemen, musketeers, and bowmen. The cavalry waits behind artillery for better control of battlefield. Behing this defensive circular mass is another ring of 30,000 young maratha soldiers who were not battle tested. And inside were about 30,000/- maratha civilians, many middle class men women & children on their piligrimage to north indian hindu holy places & shrines (for them it was once in a lifetime opportunity to see 'Aryavarta (Aryan Land, India). Who were supreme in their confidence on Maratha army who were one of the best in the world and definitely one of the most powerful in Asia. Behind encircled civilians, another protective infantry line of young inexperienced soldiers.
Abdali arranges 60 smoothbore shortrange connons & tries responds. However they can't reach maratha lines.
Abdali launches cavalry attack. The first salvo of marathas goes over heads of afgans & inflicts very little damage.
Afgan attack is broken down by maratha pikemen & bowmen along with some masketeers almost near to artillery positions.
The french trained disciplined artillery responds with Second & subsequent salvo from maratha artillery is fired at point blank range & resulting carnage sends back afgans back to their original lines.
The european plan works as envisaged.
Marathas also tries to gain mileage by pushing ahead artillery pieces in between.
Afgans responds by repeated cavalry attacks & fails. About 17,000 afgan cavalry & infantry men looses their lives in a process. Gaping holes are openned in afgan ranks at some places afgans & indian muslims starts running away.
Biggest Mistake (5):
It looks like Bhausaheb will clinch victory for marathas once again. Some of the Maratha colonels & leutanants jealous of their artillery chiefs exploits now decides to exploit these gaps in enemy lines despite strict instructions of not to charge & engage afgan cavalry, and thus they jump the cavalry line over the maratha artillery lines and charge towards afgans to halve off their disarrayed army in to two. Many of the maratha horses were too weak to charge 2 kms towards afgans & collapses.
The suffocating odour & dead men & animals in prevoius months due to wind & sunlight in face posses difficulty & falters their charge.
At these very moment afgan army offices prevent their infantry & cavalry from running away by hitting them & shooting at them.
Running Afgan army has no choice but to attack again. Abdali calls reserves & cavalry of musketeers who now opens with extensive salvo on marathas whose charging cavalry can not withstand this rifled musket attack.
And maratha artillery can not respond as their own men are in their firing line.
about 7000 maratha cavalry & infantry perishes in this process before hand to hand battle begins at around 2.00 p.m.
However by 4.00 marathas tired infantry & cavalry ranks starts succumbing to fresh afgan reserves onslaughts with their protective leather armoured jackets.
Mistake 6 : Again the muslim logistics infantrymen (Rohillas) (whose loyalty was suspect or their only loyalty is with koran & mecca or fellow muslim and not to country they stay, they succumbed to shouts & call for jihad) within maratha army revolted and started looting & pillaging maratha civilians within encirclement. This caused confusion & consternation in Maratha Army personnel who thought that the enemy has attacked from behind.
Mistake 7 ? : 29 year old Sadashivrao bhau seeing his forwards lines thinning, dwindelling & civilians behind with no other possible choice in his mind comes down from elephant & rides horse to the front to participate in battle himself. At the time of leaving he leaves instructions to his loyal bodyguards behind to kill his wife Parvati bai if they loose battle as he would not think of she being dishonoured by afgans.
Some maratha armymen seeing disappeared general panicks & starts running away.
Vishwasrao, son of priminister Nanasaheb earlier falls down to afgan sniper fire, bullet in his head.
Sadashivrao Bhau fights to the end with his three horses dead with his loyal maratha body guards.
Afgans then pursues running maratha soldiers & their civilians. Some Maratha artillery points fights till sun down. Some Maratha units on vast battlefield who do not or could not engage enemy and after the day battle do not tries to launch night attack & thus escapes.
Many running Maratha women jumps in to well in panipat town rather than risk rape & dishonour. Many women hides in streets of panipat where north indian hindus do not give them any refuge.
Afgans cavalry pikemen go on masscre spree of maratha soldiers & civilians hiding in panipat who tries to offer some resistance.
About 6000 women & children seek shelter with Shuja (allies of Abdali) whose hindu officers convinces him to protect the.
Abdali's souldiers arrests about 10,000 women & another 10,000 young children & men & brings them to their camps.
Womens are raped in afgan rape camp. Many of them committs suicide because of constant rape perpetrated on the.
All of them are exchanged or sold are sex slaves (harem) to afganistan & north india on carts, camels & elephants in bamboo cages.
Parvati bai escapes this armageddon with her body guards & in few months time reaches maratha capital of Pune in Maratha empire in Deccan.
Afgan officers who had lost their kins in battle were permitted to carry out masscres next day also in panipat and around. who do their sacred duty by saying alound their duty as referred in Koran & other islamic scriptures and the holy points they are credited by severing heads of enemy & non cobatants. About 10,000/- maratha civilians & soldiers alike were slayed this way on 15th January 1761.
They arrange victory mounds of severed heads outside their camps.
The very Delhi mughals to save their kingdom maratha's tried to save by just gaving their 50,000 lives welcomes afgans & abdali. In this battle abdali's army looses about 30,000 men.
Thus biggest & bloodiest battle on terror was lost to Islamic zealots in 1761. However news come to him that Marathas in south have organised another 1,00,000 men to avenge & recues prisoners. He leave Delhi in 2 months time for afganistan with his loot of 500 elephants, 1500 camels, 50,000 horses & about 22,000 slaved maratha women & children.
The coservative estimates of Maratha losses were 35,000 on panipat battlefield itself & another 10,000 atleast in surrounding areas.
Two armies do not meet again atleast for two years when marathas partially avenge their defeat by routing afgans & rohillas near Farukkabad.