Capture of Delhi (1771)

The Capture of Delhi was a battle in 1771 when the forces of the Maratha Empire led by Mahadaji Shinde captured Delhi along with the Red Fort, and giving Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II the throne back with treaty.[2][3] The Marathas captured Delhi from Najib Khan's son Zabita Khan who was put in charge by the Afghans. With this capture, Marathas regained their lost supremacy in North India after the Third Battle of Panipat and conquered much of the lost territories which they lost after the Third Battle of Panipat.

Capture of Delhi
Date1771
Location
Delhi
Result Maratha Empire Victory[1]
Belligerents
Maratha Empire Rohilla Afghans
Commanders and leaders
Mahadji Shinde
Ramchandra Ganesh Kanade
Visaji Krushna Biniwale
Tukoji Rao Holkar		 Zabita Khan

In the Third Battle of Panipat, the Maratha Empire suffered a serious blow at the hands of the Muslim axis of the Durrani Empire, Nawab of Awadh, and Rohillas under Najib ad-Dawlah. After the death of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao Bhat, Madhavrao I became Peshwa[4][5] under the regency of Raghunathrao Bhat. Mahadji Shinde's victory over Jats of Mathura, Rajputs of Rajasthan and Pashtun-Rohillas of Rohilkhand (in the western part of present-day Uttar Pradesh state) re-established the Marathas in the northern India.[6]

Aftermath

After taking control of Delhi, Marathas sent a large army in 1772 to "punish" Afghan Rohillas for siding with the Durrani Empire at Panipat a decade ago. Maratha army devastated Rohilkhand by looting and plundering and also took the members of royal family as captives. Maratha general Mahadaji was “very much pleased with the revenge taken by his men” for Panipat.[7] Najib Khan's son and Nawab of Rohilkhand Zabita Khan was defeated by the Marathas,[8] led by Mahadaji Sindhia alias Shinde in 1772 and the fort of Pathargarh (Najibabad) was completely looted by the Marathas in the form of horses, elephants, guns and other valuable things, to avenge the deaths of Maratha warriors who fell in the battle of Delhi and Panipat. Marathas also destroyed grave of Najib, scattering his bones all around.[9]

References
  1. Rathod, N. G. (26 June 1994). The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788185431529 – via Google Books.
  2. Kadiyan, Chand Singh (26 June 2019). "Panipat in History: A Study of Inscriptions". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 64: 403–419. JSTOR 44145479.
  3. Rathod, N. G. (26 June 1994). The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788185431529 – via Google Books.
  4. s, deepak (25 October 2016). "Indian civilization". deepak shinde – via Google Books.
  5. History of India.
  6. Mahrattas, Sikhs and Southern Sultans of India: Their Fight Against Foreign (2001)
  7. The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia p.9
  8. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bijnor" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 928.
  9. Rathod, N. G. (1994). The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia. ISBN 9788185431529.
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