The Capture of Delhi took place on 10 March 1753 between the Bharatpur Kingdom and the Mughal Empire.
Date:- 10 May 1753
Location :- Delhi
Result:- Bharatpur Kingdom Victory
Belligerents :- Kingdom of Bharatpur Vs Mughal Empire and Rohilla Afghans.
Commanders and leaders:-
Maharaja Suraj Mal Vs Ahmad Shah Bahadur, Imad-ul-MulkAnd Najib ad-Dawlah
Background:-
The Mughal emperor had taken back the domain of Awadh and Allahabad from Safdar Jang, and to avenge his humiliation, Safdar Jang sought help from Maharaja Suraj Mal and Maharaja Surajmal, playing his friendship with Safdar Jang, attacked on Delhi.
Battle:-
Maharaja Suraj Mal attacked Delhi on 9 May 1753. Imad-ul-Mulk was defeated on 10 May 1753 and Delhi was occupied; many people left Delhi and headed for what is now New Delhi. The Mughal army could not protect them. On 13 May Safdar Jang was dismissed as wazir and appointed in his place Intixam, with Imad as Mir Bakshi. On Suraj’s advice, Safdar Jang reacted by appointing Akbar Ādilshāh as emperor. On 14 May the Jats sacked Chārbāg, Bāg-e-kultāt and Hakīm Munīm Bridge, and the next day Jaisinghpura, burning several areas. On 16 May the Jats attacked Delhi and defeated Sādil Khan and Raja Devidatta in a battle. On 17 May, the Jats captured Feroz Shah Kotla. In the fight against the rohillas, the Jats rode bulls and threw cannonballs with bare hands. Najib Khan was wounded and 400 Rohilla pathans died.
Aftermath:-
Imad-ul-Mulk being the de-facto ruler of Delhi called for help from the Marathas and instigated them to attack Jat territory. The Marathas laid siege over the Kumher fort on 1 January 1754. Suraj Mal fought with bravery and gave strong resistance. The Marathas were unable to capture the Kumher fort.
References :-
- The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal, Volume 114. West of England Press. 1984.
- Chopra, Prabha (1976). Delhi Gazetteer. The Unit. p. 1165.
- Hasan, Prof. M. (2002). HISTORY OF ISLAM (2 Vols. Set). Adam Publishers.
- Hastings, James M. (2002). Poets, Sants, and Warriors: The Dadu Panth, Religious Change and Identity Formation in Jaipur State Circa 1562-1860 Ce. University of Wisconsin–Madison. p. 325.
- Poonam Sagar (1993). Maratha Policy Towards Northern India. Meenakshi Prakashan. p. 380.
- Pratik gupta (2014). Maratha Generals and Personalities: A gist of great personalities of Marathas. Pratik gupta. p. 190.