2402:8100:2160:BAB7:9A5D:6B77:1B79:F75C at 17:05, 6 July 2021

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{{Short description|1526 battle during the Mughal conquest of the Delhi Sultanate}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = First Battle of Panipat
| partof = [[Mughal Empire|Mughal conquests]]
| image = The battle of Panipat and the death of Sultan Ibrāhīm, the last of the Lōdī Sultans of Delhi.jpg
| caption = The battle of Panipat and the death of Sultan Ibrāhīm
| date = 21 April 1526
| place = [[Panipat]] (in present-day [[Haryana]], India)
| coordinates = {{Coord|29.39|N|76.97|E}}
| result = Timurid victory
*Sack of Delhi
*End of the [[Lodi dynasty]]
*Fall of the [[Delhi Sultanate]]
*Establishment of the [[Mughal Empire]]
| territory = [[Delhi Sultanate]] annexed by the Mughals
| combatant1 = [[File:Fictional flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Timurid Dynasty]]
| combatant2 = [[File:Delhi Sultanate Flag.svg|25px]] [[Lodi dynasty]]
| commander1 = [[File:Fictional flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Babur]] [[File:Fictional flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Humayun]] [[File:Fictional flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Chin Timur Khan]] [[File:Fictional flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Ustad Ali Quli]] [[File:Fictional flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Mustafa Rumi]] [[File:Fictional flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Asad Malik Hast]] [[File:Fictional flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Raja Sanghar Ali Khan]]
| commander2 = [[File:Delhi Sultanate Flag.svg|25px]] [[Ibrahim Lodi]]{{KIA}} [[File:Delhi Sultanate Flag.svg|25px]] [[Vikramjit (Tomara dynasty)|Vikramjit]]{{KIA}}
| strength1 = 12,000{{sfn|Watts|2011|p=707}}-25,000 soldiers {{sfn|Chandra|2009|p=30}}<ref name=DO/> 15-20 field guns{{sfn|Watts|2011|p=707}}
| strength2 = 20,000 regular cavalry<ref name=DO>Military history of India pg.50 by Jadunath Sarkar</ref> 20,000 irregular cavalry<ref name=DO/> 30,000 infantry armed with swords, pikes, bows and bamboo rods<ref name=DO/>{{sfn|Chandra|2009|p=30}}
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 = 6,000 killed in battle<ref name=DI>Military history of India pg.52 by Jadunath Sarkar</ref> thousands killed while retreating<ref name=DI/>
}}

{{Campaignbox Babur}}

The '''First Battle of Panipat''', on 21 April 1526, was fought between the invading forces of [[Babur]] and the [[Lodi dynasty]]. It took place in [[North India]] and marked the beginning of the [[Mughal Empire]] and the end of the [[Delhi Sultanate]]. This was one of the earliest battles involving [[gunpowder warfare|gunpowder firearms]] and [[field artillery]] in the [[Indian subcontinent]] which were introduced by [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] in this battle.{{sfn|Butalia|1998|p=16}}

[[File:Vaki'at-i Baburi - The Battle of Panipat (1526) by Deo Gujarati.jpg|thumb|right|The battle of Panipat between the armies of Babur and Ibrahim Lodi (1526). Babur was invited by Daulat Khan Lodi to enter India and defeat Ibrahim Lodi.{{sfn|Chandra|2009|pp=27–31}} An illustration to the Vaqi 'at-i Baburi, by Deo Gujarati, c. 1590.]]

== Background ==
After losing [[Samarkand]] for the second time, [[Babur]] gave attention to conquer [[Hindustan]] as he reached the banks of the [[Chenab river|Chenab]] in 1519.{{sfn|Mahajan|1980|p=429}} Until 1524, his aim was to only expand his rule to [[Panjāb]], mainly to fulfil his ancestor [[Timur]]'s legacy, since it used to be part of his empire.{{sfn|Eraly|2007|pp=27–29}} At that time, most of [[North India]] was under the rule of [[Ibrahim Lodi]] of the [[Lodi dynasty]], but the empire was crumbling and there were many defectors. He received invitations from Daulat Khan Lodi, Governor of Punjab and Ala-ud-Din, uncle of Ibrahim.{{sfn|Chaurasia|2002|pp=89–90}} He sent an ambassador to Ibrahim, claiming himself the rightful heir to the throne of the country, however the ambassador was detained at Lahore and released months later.{{sfn|Mahajan|1980|p=429}}

Babur started for Lahore, Punjab, in 1524 but found that Daulat Khan Lodi had been driven out by forces sent by Ibrahim Lodi.{{sfn|Chandra|2007|p=27}} When Babur arrived at Lahore, the Lodi army marched out and was routed.{{sfn|Chandra|2007|p=27}} In response, Babur burned Lahore for two days, then marched to Dipalpur, placing Alam Khan, another rebel uncle of Lodi's, as governor.{{sfn|Chandra|2007|p=27}} Alam Khan was quickly overthrown and fled to Kabul. In response, Babur supplied Alam Khan with troops who later joined up with Daulat Khan Lodi and together with about 30,000 troops, they besieged Ibrahim Lodi at Delhi.{{sfn|Chandra|2007|p=28}} He defeated them and drove Alam's army off; and Babur realised Lodi would not allow him to occupy the Punjab.{{sfn|Chandra|2007|p=28}}

==Battle==
Hearing of the size of Ibrahim's army, Babur secured his right flank against the city of [[Panipat]], while digging a trench covered with tree branches to secure his left flanks. In the centre, he placed 700 carts tied together with ropes. Between every two carts, there were breastworks for his matchlock men. Babur also ensured that there was enough space for his soldiers to rest their guns and fire. Babur referred to this method as the "Ottoman device" due to its previous use by the [[Ottomans]] during the [[Battle of Chaldiran]].{{sfn|Chandra|2009|p=29}}

When Ibrahim's army arrived, he found the approach to Babur's army too narrow to attack. While Ibrahim redeployed his forces to allow for the narrower front, Babur quickly took advantage of the situation to flank (''tulghuma'') the Lodi army.{{sfn|Chandra|2009|p=30}} Many of Ibrahim's troops were unable to get into action, and fled when the battle turned against them.{{sfn|Watts|2011}p=707}} Ibrahim Lodi was killed while trying to retreat and beheaded. 20,000 Lodi soldiers were killed in battle.{{sfn|Chandra|2009|p=30}}

===Advantage of cannons in the battle===
Babur's guns proved decisive in battle, firstly because Ibrahim lacked any field artillery, but also because the sound of the cannon frightened Ibrahim's elephants, causing them to trample his own men.{{sfn|Watts|2011|p=707}}

===Tactics===
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2014}}
[[File:Babur introduced field guns at panipat, 1526.jpg|thumb|left|Babur introduced field guns at Panipat, 1526]]
Tactics used by Babur were the ''tulguhma'' and the ''araba''. ''Tulguhma'' meant dividing the whole army into various units, viz. the Left, the Right, and the Centre. The Left and Right divisions were further subdivided into Forward and Rear divisions. Through this, a small army could be used to surround the enemy from all sides. The Centre Forward division was then provided with carts (''araba'') which were placed in rows facing the enemy and tied to each other with animal hide ropes. Behind them were placed cannons protected and supported by [[mantlet]]s which could be used to easily manoeuvre the cannons. These two tactics made Babur's artillery lethal. The cannons could be fired without any fear of being hit, as they were shielded by the bullock carts held in place by hide ropes. The heavy cannons could also be easily traversed onto new targets, as they could be manoeuvred by the mantlets which were on wheels.

==Aftermath==
Ibrahim Lodi died on the field of battle along with 20,000 of his troops. The battle of Panipat was militarily a decisive victory for Timurids. Politically it gained Babur new lands, and initiated a new phase of his establishment of the long-lasting [[Mughal Empire]] in the heart of the [[Indian subcontinent]].{{sfn|Chandra|2009|pp=30–31}}

==See also==
* [[Battle of Khanwa]]
* [[Second Battle of Panipat]]
* [[Third Battle of Panipat]]
* [[Battle of Ghaghra]] which was the last battle Babur fought in India and consolidated his empire

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book |last=Butalia |first=Romesh C. |title=The Evolution of the Artillery in India: From the Battle of Plassey to the Revolt of 1857 |publisher=Allied Publishing Limited |year=1998 }}
*{{cite book|title= Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals, Part II| isbn=9788124110669|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Rm9MC4DDrcC|first=Satish |last=Chandra|author-link=Satish Chandra (historian)|publisher=Har-Anand Publications |year=2009 }}
*{{cite book |last=Chaurasia |first=Radhey Shyam |year=2002 |title=History of medieval India : from 1000 A.D. to 1707 A.D. |publisher=Atlantic Publisher }}
*{{cite book|first=Paul K.|last=Davis|year=1999|title=100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=1-57607-075-1 }}
*{{cite book |first=V.D. |last=Mahajan |title=History of medieval India |edition= 10th |publisher=S. Chand. |year=1980 }}
*{{cite encyclopedia |last=Watts |first=Tim J. |title=Battles of Panipat |editor-last=Mikaberidze |editor-first=Alexander |encyclopedia=Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: A Historical Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2011 }}
*{{cite web|url=https://panipat.gov.in/first-battle/|title=First Battle of Panipat (1526) {{!}} Panipat, Haryana|author=Government of Haryana|date=11 June 2010|website=Government of Haryana|access-date=28 November 2018 }}

{{Mughal Empire}}
{{Pashtun nationalism}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Panipat (1526)}}
[[Category:Battles involving the Indian kingdoms|Panipat 1st Battle 1526]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1526]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire|Panipat 1526]]
[[Category:Lodi dynasty]]
[[Category:Panipat|B]]
[[Category:History of Haryana]]
[[Category:1526 in India]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Delhi Sultanate]]
[[Category:16th century in Delhi]]

First Battle of Panipat - Revision history

2402:8100:2160:BAB7:9A5D:6B77:1B79:F75C at 17:05, 6 July 2021