Sack of Delhi (1757)

The Sack of Delhi occurred from 17 January to 22 February 1757, carried out by the Durrani Empire under the Afghan king Ahmad Shah Durrani. Delhi, the capital of the Mughal Empire, experienced multiple invasions by the Afghans during the 18th century.

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Sack of Delhi
Part of the Indian campaigns of Ahmad Shah Durrani
Date 17 January – 22 February 1757[1] Location Delhi, Mughal Empire 28°39′24″N 77°13′22″E / 28.65667; 77.22278][[Category:Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas]]"},"html":"Coordinates: </templatestyles>\"}' data-mw='{\"name\":\"templatestyles\",\"attrs\":{\"src\":\"Module:Coordinates/styles.css\"},\"body\":{\"extsrc\":\"\"}}'/>28°39′24″N 77°13′22″E / 28.65667°N 77.22278°E / 28.65667; 77.22278"}"> Result Durrani victory
Belligerents
Durrani Empire	* Mughal Empire Bengal  Maratha Confederacy
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad Shah Durrani Jahan Khan Najib-ud-Daula	Alamgir II  Imad ul-Mulk  Intizam-ud-Daulah
Strength
80,000 men[2]	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Civilians: Thousands killed[3]

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The decline of the Mughal Empire began with the death of Emperor Aurangzeb on 3 March 1707. The Mughals faced numerous invasions from the Maratha Confederacy and internal conflicts over succession.^[4] The Mughals continued declining under Muhammad Shah, allowing adventurers such as Nader Shah to invade Mughal territories and sack Delhi.^[5] Following Nader Shah's death, his eastern domains were taken over by Ahmad Shah Durrani, who formed the Durrani Empire and centered his power base in Kandahar, Afghanistan.^[6] After three invasions by the Afghans, the Mughals lost numerous territories including Kashmir, Punjab, and Sindh.

Invited to invade India in 1756, Ahmad Shah assembled his forces and overran the Punjab with an army of 80,000 men. After brushing aside light Maratha resistance, he reached Delhi on 28 January and soon forced the Mughal emperor Alamgir II to submit to him. The subsequent sack of Delhi, which ended on 22 February, yielded immense wealth, with estimates ranging from 30 million to as high as 300 million rupees worth of goods. It marked a significant blow to the already weakened Mughal Empire; months later, the Bengal Subah was subjugated by the British in the Battle of Plassey.

Ahmad Shah Durrani, the ruler of the Durrani Empire, embarked on numerous campaigns into India during his reign. In 1747, he launched his first invasion, seizing Kabul and Peshawar from the Mughals before advancing into the Punjab. After defeating the Mughals at Lahore, Ahmad Shah met the Mughals at Manupur, where he was defeated.^[7][8]

Seeking to avenge his defeat, Ahmad Shah launched his second invasion in 1749, crossing the Indus River. Moin-ul-Mulk, the governor of the Punjab, urgently requested aid from the Mughals in Delhi. Opening peace negotiations, Ahmad Shah demanded the revenues of Chahar Mahal, Gujrat, Aurangabad, Pasrur, and Sialkot.^[8] Moin-ul-Mulk forwarded the demands to the Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur. Instead of receiving reinforcements, Ahmad Shah Bahadur authorized the concessions to be given to the Afghans. Helpless, Moin-ul-Mulk had no choice but to accept the demands.^[9][10]

In November 1751, Ahmad Shah launched a third invasion after tribute was withheld.^[8][11] He initially demanded the revenues of Chahar Mahal, and Moin-ul-Mulk, unable to pay the full sum, gave a tribute of 900,000 rupees and promised more if the Afghans withdrew. Ahmad Shah took the tribute and continued advancing.^[12] Moin-ul-Mulk mobilized 50,000 men in response and entrenched himself at Shahdara, near Lahore.^[13] The Afghans bypassed his forces, prompting a Mughal retreat to Lahore, which was then besieged for four months.^[8] In March 1752, while attempting to relocate his camp, Moin-ul-Mulk's forces were defeated, and he was captured. Lahore was sacked, and its population massacred.^[14][11] Ahmad Shah confirmed Moin-ul-Mulk as the governor of Punjab under him, and annexed the region, along with Kashmir, in April 1752.^[8][11] Moin-ul-Mulk governed the Punjab until his death in November 1753, and was succeeded by Mughlani Begum. In March 1756, Mughal vizier Imad ul-Mulk imprisoned and replaced her with Adina Beg. Mughlani Begum pleaded the Afghans to lead another invasion, promising wealth.^[15][16]

Due to the tyrannies of Imad ul-Mulk, other nobles such as Najib ud-Daula, a chief of Rohilkand, and the new Mughal emperor Alamgir II, also requested Ahmad Shah to invade. Ahmad Shah accepted the invitations and began his fourth invasion in November 1756, leaving Peshawar on the 15th, and crossing Attock on the 26th with an army of 80,000 men.^[2][17][1] He reached Lahore on 20 December, seizing the city with little resistance.^[3] Ahmad Shah garnered tribute from the city before continuing his march, crossing the Sutlej on 10 January at Ludhiana, while the advance guard under his general, Jahan Khan, had seized Sirhind, Karnal, and Panipat.^[18][19]

The Marathas, who had signed a treaty to protect the Mughals from foreign invasions in 1752,^[20] assembled a contingent of 3,400 men under Antaji Mankeshwar, who skirmished with the Afghans at Narela. The Marathas were however, defeated and forced to withdraw with losses of 100 men.^[21][22] With this, Najib ud-Daula officially defected to the Afghans, and Imad ul-Mulk surrendered not long after. Jahan Khan advanced to Luni and besieged Shahdara following this on 17 January, and the Jama Masjid in Delhi saw Ahmad Shah's name read in the Khutbah as a sign of sovereignty. The Afghan forces continued advancing on Delhi, arriving before the city on 28 January.^[23][24]

After the sacking, Ahmad Shah campaigned against the Marathas and Jats until March 1757 when he began preparing to return to Afghanistan. Upon his return to Delhi in March, the city was sacked again.^[31] The Afghan invasion had dire consequences for the Mughal Empire, as most of their troops, along with those from the Bengal Subah, were forcibly deployed against the Afghans. Mere months later, the army of the Bengal Subah, weakened due to the Afghan invasion, were utterly defeated at the Battle of Plassey, beginning the rise of British power in India.^[32]

The total loot Ahmad Shah carried back to Afghanistan is disputed. Its been estimated from contemporary writers that the Afghans seized 30 to 300 million rupees worth of goods.^[33][34] Over 28,000 elephants, camels, and mules carried Ahmad Shah's loot, alongside his 80,000 men, who carried whatever they took, with many of the Afghan cavalry returning on foot, while they loaded loot unto their horses.^[33][34] The massacres done by the Afghans throughout the campaign made the Yamuna River flow red with blood for two weeks.^[22]