HERITAGE PANIPAT THE CITY HISTORICAL

The roots of the town of Panipat a District Headquarter 34 kilomerters south of Karnal on Sher Shah Suri Marg - goes to antiquity. Excavations of the Panipat Grey Ware a district Kind of pottery at Panipat has revealed the existence of early Aryan settlements at the place. Panipat was one of the five disputed "Prasthas" during the Mahabharata War.

Historically speaking, Paniapt has ever been more importance politically as well as administratively than Karnal. In the days gone by, it was described by the French Traveller Jacquemount, as the largest city except Delhi which he saw in North India.There was originally one Tehsil at Panipat alone. The headquarters of the district has remained at Panipat till as late as 1854, when was shifted to Karnal.

The old fort is in shambles today. The walled city of Panipat, which has 15 gates gently from all sites towards the fort. It strategic location has made Panipat the scene of some of the historical battles in Indian History. The Mughals Babar onwards had always had a soft cornor for the city. Under the Patronage of the Muslim rulers, Panipat emerged as a centre of Sufi saints, Muslim scholars, the ologians and Mughal aries. Most of the Historical Building in date neck to their reign.

First Battle of Panipat (A.D. 1526) The First Battle of Panipat was fought between sultan Ibrahim Lodhi of Delhi and Mughal invader, Zaheeruddin Babur on April21, A.D Ibrahim fought with a big army of one lakh soldiers whereas Babur possessed only 12 thousand soldiers but had cannons in a fair number. The supremacy in the art of fighting, the organization of force and the deadly use of cannons won for Babur a decisive battle over Ibrahim Lodi. Lodi was killed and Delhi and Agra passed on to the hands of Babur who laid the foundation of Mughal rule in India.

Second Battle of Panipat (A.D. 1556) The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on November 5, 1556 between the able Hindu commander and the king Hemu and Akbar who succeeded Humayun to the throne of Delhi. Hemu led a far bigger army than Akbar’s army and in addition it also had 1500 elephants. Initially Hemu succeeded but an arrow hit his eye accidentally which reversed the fate of battle. Hemu was caught and produced before the adolecent Akbar, who beheaded him and became the master of Delhi and Agra. This battle gave the final verdict in favour of the Mughals, and the Afghans were virtually expelled for the next 200 years.

Third Battle of Panipat(A.D. 1761) : The Third Battle of Paniapt was fought on January 14, 1761 between the Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas,the protectors and friends of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. In this battle, the Maratha commander Sadashiv Rao Bhau was defeated by the Afghan commander Abdali by his military tactics.The battle marked the beginning of the downfall of the Mughals. On the other hand, there was confrontation among the Muslim rulers. All these paved the way for the rise of British power in India.

Thanks Still More to Come… Madhavi and friends-Class 10 SDVM,Panipat,India