Capture of Delhi (1771)
| Capture of Delhi (1771) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Kingdom of Rohilkhand |
 Maratha Confederacy | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Zabita Khan |
Mahadji Scindia Visaji Krushna Biniwale | ||||||||
In 1771, the forces of the Maratha Confederacy led by Mahadaji Shinde captured Delhi from the Rohillas and brought back the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II to Delhi from exile in Oudh.[citation needed] The Marathas captured Delhi from Zabita Khan Rohilla who was put in charge by the Afghans.[4][need quotation to verify][5]
After taking control of Delhi, the Marathas sent a large army in 1772 to punish Afghan Rohillas for their involvement in Panipat and slaughtered thousands of Rohillas. They desecrated the grave of Rohilla chieftan Najib ad-Dawla and captured Najibabad.[6] With the fleeing of the Rohillas, the rest of the country was burnt, with the exception of the city of Amroha, which was defended by some thousands of Amrohi Sayyid tribes. The Rohillas who could offer no resistance fled to the Terai region.
In the Third Battle of Panipat, the Maratha Confederacy suffered a serious blow at the hands of the Afghan Empire, the Nawab of Awadh and the Kingdom of Rohilkhand under Najib ad-Dawlah. After the death of Peshwa Balaji Bajirao, Madhavrao I became the Peshwa[7] under the regency of Raghunathrao. Mahadji Shinde's victory over the Jats of Mathura, Rajputs of Rajasthan and Pashtuns-Rohillas of Rohilkhand (in the western part of present-day Uttar Pradesh state) re-established Maratha influence in the region.[8]
Capture
[edit]The Peshwa's instructions ended the passive policy and advocated for a strong stance against the Rohillas. Visaji Krishna demanded nazar from Zabita Khan, who refused and was expelled from the camp. The Maratha army marched to Delhi, where Saif-i-uddin Muhammad Khan secured the peaceful surrender of the city. However, Zabita Khan's troops inside the fort refused to submit, leading to a breach in the ramparts.[9] The Marathas entered Delhi on February 10, 1771, with a force of 3,000 horses and slaughtering the Rohillas.[10] They presented nazar[a] and professed allegiance to the emperor, seizing the surrounding area and removing Najib's appointees. The Maratha chiefs demanded 40 lakhs of rupees for restoring the emperor, the cession of Meerut and neighboring districts and the right to appoint imperial officials below the Wazir and receive half of their nuar. Saif-ud-din Muhammad Khan accepted these terms on behalf of the emperor and forwarded them for ratification.[11][12][13]
References
[edit]- ^ Ghosh, D. K. Ed. A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 9. p. 537.
- ^ Mahajan, V. D. (2007). History of Medieval India. S. Chand. p. 353. ISBN 9788121903646.
- ^ Gipson, Thirlee (17 April 2019). India's Struggle. Lulu Publications, Incorporated. p. 18. ISBN 9780359597321.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Stewart Gordon (2003). New Cambridge History of India: The Marathas (Vol. 2, Part 4) (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139055666.
- ^ Ghosh, D. K. Ed. A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 9. p. 535.
- ^ Rathod, N. G. The Great Maratha: Mahadaji Scindia.
- ^ Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1991). The Maratha Supremacy (2nd ed.). Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhaban. p. 201.
- ^ Gaurav, Sarthak; Ranganathan, Thiagu (2023-01-31). Accidental Gamblers: Risk and Vulnerability in Vidarbha Cotton. Cambridge University Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-009-27659-7.
- ^ Ghosh, D. K. Ed. A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 9. p. 535.
- ^ Rathod, N. G. (1994). The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia. Sarup & Sons. p. 8. ISBN 978-81-85431-52-9.
- ^ Ghosh, D. K. Ed. A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 9. p. 537.
- ^ Board, Pratiyogita Darpan Editorial. Pratiyogita Darpan Extra Issue Series-3 Indian History. Upkar Prakashan.
- ^ Cheema, G.S. "The Forgotten Mughals". prsxg39yc761iwd5ibj0yw.on.drv.tw. p. 353. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
- ^ gifts
