Nawab’s role in Battle of Panipat

By: Ravi Bhatt

Famous historian Jadunath Sarkar observes that the Nawabs of Awadh played an important role in the politics of northern India. This was proved in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.

Long before the battle was fought between Ahmad Shah Abdali and Marathas led by Sadashiv Rao Bhau, both the sides started roping in regional rulers to their side. At this juncture, the most important ruler for both the sides was the third Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daulah.

His army consisting of Qizilbash soldiers and European style artillery was one of the best in India. Because of Awadh’s fertile land, Shuja-ud-Daulah had a lot of money to finance any war. Abdali and Marathas both were aware of this, and therefore, both tried to win him over.

The Maratha camp approached the Nawab, reminding him of their long and cordial association and dismissed Abdali as a greedy invader. The Marathas also tempted him by assuring bigger gains.

Abdali first sent Malika Zamani, a widow of Emperor Mohammad Shah. When she failed, a desperate Abdali then sent the founder of Najibabad, Rohilla chieftain Najib-ud-Daulah, who convinced Shuja-ud-Daulah.

Notably, Shuja-ud-Daulah’s father, the second Nawab of Awadh Safadar Jang, had defeated Abdali in 1748 in the Battle of Manupur for king Mohammad Shah Rangeela, but Shuja-ud-Daulah decided to side with Abdali.

Finally, the Third Battle of Panipat was won by Abdali on January 14, 1761.

Immediately after the battle, when Abdali’s forces were killing Martha war survivors, Shuja-ud-Daulah talked to Abdali and saved 8,000 Marathas and their 400 officers. When Abdali’s army tried to dishonour the dead Maratha soldiers, he stopped the soldiers, recovered the body of Maratha chief Sadashiv Rao Bhau and assigned the job of performing last rites according to Hindu rituals to Kashiraj and Anup Giri.

(Writer is a well-known historian and the author of ‘The Life and Times of the Nawabs of Lucknow’)