Battle of Chandighat (1771)

Battle of Chandighat (1771)
Part of Afghan-Maratha War and Maratha Invasion of Rohilkhand
Date 23 February 1771 Location Chandighat, Haridwar, Uttarakhand Result Maratha victory [1]
Belligerents
Maratha Empire Supported by: Mughal Empire	Kingdom of Rohilkhand
Commanders and leaders
Tukoji Rao Holkar Mahadji Scindia Visaji Krushna Biniwale Mirza Najaf Khan	Karam Khan Razzar  † Sadat Khan Afridi  † Sadiq Khan  † Ali Muhammed Khan (WIA) (POW) [2] [3]
Casualties and losses
Less	High

Battle of Chandighat was one of the most significant battles in Afghan Maratha conflict, which took place on 23 February 1771. This battle marked a turning point in the Maratha-Afghan Wars, as it resulted in a decisive victory for the Marathas over the Afghan forces led by Karam Khan Razzar.

Background

Shortly after the campaign began, an imperial army led by Mirza Najaf Khan and the Maratha forces under Tukoji Holkar, Mahadji Sindhia, and Visaji Krishna crossed into the Doab. The Mughal emperor, Shah Alam, followed behind the army from Delhi, traveling approximately 10 miles via Loni, Bagpat, and Ghausgarh to Chandpur, which is located near the western bank of the Ganges. ^[4] Meanwhile, Zabita, the Ruhela leader, had his treasures and the families of his fellow chiefs taken to Pathargarh (the stone fort of Najibabad) with a small garrison. Zabita himself positioned himself at Shukartal with approximately 4,000 troops and dispersed the majority of his army along the eastern bank of the Ganges from Pathargarh to Hardwar, which is approximately 38 miles northwards. Zabita hoped to replicate his father's success against Dattaji Sindhia in 1759 while also defending against any potential invasion into the Najibabad district across the uppermost reaches of the Ganges. However, unlike Dattaji's failure in 1759, the Marathas concentrated all their strength on forcing the Ganges in its shallowest and uppermost part during this winter season when the river had reached its lowest level. ^[5]

Battle

During a battle spanning 38 miles, the Ruhela forces were positioned in groups and fortified the eastern bank at every known crossing point. The Marathas dug trenches opposite them on the western bank and then deceived the enemy by falsely announcing their intention to cross further downstream. The invaders successfully executed this plan by first appearing to abandon the crucial location of Chandighat and relocating their camp and belongings elsewhere. This diversion left the Ruhelas completely unprepared for the actual attack, which took place at Chandighat. ^[6] The outnumbered imperialists and Marathas who had already crossed the river faced ten thousand Ruhelas. The Afghans commander Sadat Khan Afridi, who was wounded in both thighs, changed horses and continued fighting until he was struck down by more wounds. His men fled, but his brother Sadiq Khan, also wounded, charged recklessly against Najaf Khan himself. ^[7] The Afghans broke and fled in disarray. The heads of fallen Rohilla generals were sent to the emperor, ^[8] and Ali Muhammad Khan, a wounded colonel of Zabita's army, was captured while hiding in the bushes. This victory, which was the first of the emperor's reign, was attributed entirely to Najaf Khan, who received numerous favors from the emperor as a result. The emperor exclaimed, "You have saved my honor," while stretching his own beard with both hands towards Najaf Khan. ^{[9] [10]}

References

1. Cheema, G. S. (2002). The Forgotten Mughals: A History of the Later Emperors of the House of Babar, 1707-1857. Manohar Publishers & Distributors. ISBN   978-81-7304-416-8.
2. Sarkar Jadunath (1952). Fall Of The Mughal Empire Vol- Iii. M. C. Sarkar and Sons, Ltd., Calcutta. p. 37.
3. Ghosh, D. K. Ed. A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 9. p. 537.
4. Dalrymple, William (2019-09-10). The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 269. ISBN   978-1-4088-6440-1.
5. Sarkar, Jadunath (1991). Fall Of Mughal Empire Vol-3 (hb). Orient Longman. p. 31. ISBN   978-81-250-1761-5.
6. Persian Records of Maratha History. Director of Archives. 1953. p. 356.
7. Varma, Shanti Prasad (1956). A Study in Maratha Diplomacy: Anglo-Maratha Relations, 1772-1783 A.D. Shiva Lal Agrawala. p. 4.
8. Cheema, G.S. "The Forgotten Mughals: A History of the Later Emperors". prsxg39yc761iwd5ibj0yw.on.drv.tw. p. 256. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
9. Husain, Iqbal (1994). The Ruhela Chieftaincies: The Rise and Fall of Ruhela Power in India in the Eighteenth Century. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-563068-8.
10. Sarkar, Jadunath (1991). Fall Of Mughal Empire Vol-3 (hb). Orient Longman. p. 32. ISBN   978-81-250-1761-5.