The Battle of Mani Majra was fought in March 1767 between the forces of Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Sikh misls near Mani Majra, in the Shivalik foothills close to present-day Chandigarh. Battle formed part of Ahmad Shah's seventh invasion of India and his efforts to suppress Sikh power in Punjab.
By the mid-1760s, the Sikhs had become the dominant power in large parts of the Punjab. Despite repeated campaigns, Ahmad Shah Durrani was unable to secure lasting control. In his 1766–1767 invasion, he sought to restore Afghan authority with the assistance of his Indian ally, Najib-ud-Daula. The Sikhs, however, avoided set-piece battles, instead relying on fast cavalry raids and dispersing into difficult terrain when threatened. Contemporary chroniclers described Ahmad Shah as frustrated by a "wild goose chase" against elusive Sikh bands.[1] Ahmad Shah left Ismailabad on March 17. Ahmad Shah marched back through Sirhind and Machhiwara to the northern foothills of the Jalandar Doab, carrying Najib[2]
The battle
In March 1767, intelligence reached Ahmad Shah that Sikh groups, including the followers of their Guru, had taken shelter in the hills of Mani Majra. Afghan detachments, accompanied by Najib ad-Dawlah’s Rohilla contingent under Afzal Khan, launched an attack into the region. The Afghans succeeded in seizing large numbers of local inhabitants, taking men and women captive and plundering property that was later sold in the Durrani camp. However, the principal Sikh leaders evaded capture, retreating further into inaccessible terrain.[1] Some accounts, claim that 5,000 were killed[3] and up to 9,000 Sikhs were killed[4][5] in the wider operations around Mani Majra and adjoining areas like Rupar and Anandpur.[6]
Aftermath
Despite the temporary Afghan success at Mani Majra, Ahmad Shah was unable to achieve his larger objective of subduing the Sikhs. By May 1767, Sikh forces slipped past his camp, crossed the Yamuna, and raided Najib ad-Dawlah's territories in the Doab, sacking towns such as Nanuta and Meerut. By the end of 1767, the Sikhs had regained control of much of Punjab. In the north and northwest, leaders such as Gujjar Singh established authority over the Salt Range and Pothohar, while in the southeast, Sikh horsemen extended their reach across Sirhind and the Sutlej region. Ahmad Shah's inability to crush Sikh resistance marked a turning point in the decline of Afghan influence in India.[1]
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Durrani Empire 
Kingdom of Rohilkhand 
Sikh Confederacy