Who were the adversaries in the Third Battle of Panipat?

 

          Ahmad Shah Abdali of Afghanistan invaded India many times. He had the support of many nobles as well. But, the Marathas fought a battle with Abdali at Panipat in 1761. However, they could not get the support of any other ruling groups as they all felt threatened by the Marathas. The Maratha chiefs were not united as well. This made it easy for Abdali to defeat them in what came to be known as the Third Battle of Panipat.

          This battle led to a significant reduction in the Maratha power that helped in the rise of the British.

          In 1775, the East India Company intervened in a Peshwa family succession struggle in Pune. This led to the First Anglo-Maratha War. The Marathas emerged victorious in this war and remained a pre-eminent power in India until their defeat in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars. Their defeat resulted in the emergence of the East India Company as a dominant power that controlled most of India.

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