BACKGROUND

Zahir-ud-din-Babur or Babur (great-great-great-grandson of Timur) was defeated by Uzbeks which made him give up his conquest of Samarkand (Uzbekistan). He as a safe option fled to India which is farther than Badakhshan (present day Afghanistan).

In India, Delhi Sultanate under Ibrahim Lodi was in decline. Ibrahim Lodi was a weak ruler and he had no desire to rule. They were also facing Afghans nobles’ attack led by Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of Punjab and Alam Khan Lodi, Ibrahim Lodi’s uncle. Alam Khan was the one who invited Babur to India.

On the other hand, Ibrahim Lodi reign also suffered economic problem due to trade routes that were shut under Ottoman Rule leading them to have limited military supplies.

Babur accepted the invite and first went to Lahore, Punjab (Pakistan) and defeated the Lodi army who had driven out Daulat Khan. He joined Daulat Khand and Alam Khan, and marched to defeat Ibrahim Lodi.  

BATTLE TACTICS

The battle took place in Panipat on 21 April, 1526. Ibrahim Lodi led 30,000 to 40,000 men to the battle along with at least 1000 war elephants while Babur had 15,000 men and 20-24 field artillery. But despite Ibrahim Lodi having advantage with numbers, Babur had artillery rifles that changed the situation.

Babur had his army secured the carts tied together in the front and artillery riffles were placed in between the gaps of the carts, this tactic was called Araba. He used other tactic known as Tulughma, by which he had his army divided into three section-Centre, Right and Left which were further divided into front and rear.

As a backup he had a reserve force placed behind his army and two groups flank attacked Ibrahim Lodi’s from the both sides, through the forest and from the river bed. The firing of guns created panic in elephants resulting them to run rampant and trampling some people. Babur’s flank forces also caught the Ibrahim army off guard.

RESULT

Ibrahim was defeated and Delhi Sultanate rule ended in India. With Babur Mughal rule began in India which lasted for around 300 years. 20, 000 soldiers of Lodi army were killed and the rest retreated after the defeat.

Citation

Bargoti, R. (July-August 2014). Maxims of War and Selected Battles of Pre-Modern Period. Online International Interdisciplinary Research Journal. 302-313. ISSN2249-9598.

First Battle of Panipat (1526). Government of Haryana.