As I think we’ve mentioned before, Panipat has seen three major battles since the 16th century. I don’t think I’m doing the other two battles a disservice if I say that this first one was the most significant of the three, because it established the Mughal Empire in northern India. With the exception of a brief interlude … Continue reading Today in South Asian history: the First Battle of Panipat (1526)
Tag: mughal empire
Today in South Asian history: the Siege of Delhi ends (1857)
The 1857 Siege of Delhi is significant for at least two reasons, one more tangible than the other. On the practical level, Britain's victory effectively stifled the 1857-1859 Indian Rebellion, ensuring that it would ultimately fail even though the conflict continued for some time afterward. On the more intangible note, the siege marked the formal … Continue reading Today in South Asian history: the Siege of Delhi ends (1857)
Today in South Asian history: Nader Shah sacks Delhi (1739)
The story of the late middle/early modern Islamic world is dominated by the three so-called “Gunpowder Empires”—the Ottomans with their vast empire circling the Mediterranean; the Safavids in Iran and, at various times, parts of the Caucasus and Central Asia; and the Mughals in South Asia. They're called “gunpowder empires” because two former University of … Continue reading Today in South Asian history: Nader Shah sacks Delhi (1739)
Today in South Asian history: the Battle of Karnal (1739)
Nader Shah (d. 1747) is often considered the last of the great (in the sense of “impressive,” not “good”) Central Asian conquerors, after Genghis Khan and Timur (Tamerlane), and (depending on who’s making the list) assorted other figures like the first Mughal Emperor Babur. He’s also the man who kept Iran more or less intact … Continue reading Today in South Asian history: the Battle of Karnal (1739)
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 