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ATTACK
ON SOMNATH TEMPLE
Date: January 8, 1026 Weather: Cold
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TERRAIN:
Flanked on one side by sea and a lightly wooded forest on
the other. Desert less than 50 miles northwest (direction
taken by the attacking force).
STRATEGY: Mahmud of Ghazni marched
from Multan with 30,000 cavalry and a multitude of
volunteers eager for plunder. Mahmud employed a
combination of swordsmen and archers on horseback in an
arc with a deep defensive force in the middle. The
surprise attack resulted in a shower of arrows from
archers and was followed by a ladder-borne mounting of the
temple ramparts. The king of Somnath fled with his
entourage while the temple was protected by 50,000 poorly
armed faithful with little military training. Mahmud
scored with surprise, cavalry charge, better logics and
motivation of jihad.
SIGNIFICANCE: The temple's ruthless plunder
was a psychological setback to Hindustan. It set an
example of India as a very rich but very poorly defended
place-ripe for loot.
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THE
SECOND BATTLE OF TARAIN
Date: 1192 Weather: Moderate
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TERRAIN:
Flat. Western extremity of the Gangetic plains.
STRATEGY: 
Prithviraj Chauhan, the king of Delhi was complacent after
his success in the First Battle of Tarain in 1191 where he
had defeated Mohammed Ghauri. This time Prithviraj was
hamstrung as his two chief generals were unavailable.
Ghauri attacked the rear lines of Prithviraj which were
completely outflanked. Though Prithviraj's cavalry
launched a very effective counter-attack, forcing Ghauri's
retreat, the Rajput ruler didn't press home the advantage.
The flanks of Prithviraj's forces were attacked by
Ghauri's light cavalry. The sideways disruption caused a
sudden halt and hesitation in Prithviraj's advance, and
chaos in the rear which was moving forward. Tactically it
was brilliant-it resulted in denial of space to Prithviraj
which neutralised his numerical superiority. Once boxed in
his troops were massacred.
SIGNIFICANCE: The battle established the
sultanate in Delhi.
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ATTACK
OF TAIMUR THE LAME
Date: 1398 Weather: Cold
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TERRAIN:
River-crossing a Attock-the same place where Alexander had
crossed the Indus 1,700 years earlier. Slightly hilly.
STRATEGY: 
The attack was in line with the Turkish-Mongol style of
massed waves of attacks. Estimates vary but with 92
squadrons of cavalry the number could have been as high as
60-80,000. The Mongols who attacked Delhi were cavalrymen
of a different order who could virtually live on
horseback. This force, drawn by news of weak sultans in
Delhi (the Taghlaq dynasty had ended and Delhi was ruled
by Nusrat Shah), simply steamrolled all opposition till
its destination. Nusrat Shah fled after weak resistance.
The victory was followed by the sacking of Delhi and a
general massacre of the population.
SIGNIFICANCE: Taimur's raid ended the
supremacy of the sultanate in India. In the aftermath of
the attack the influence of the sultanate remained only
for 200 miles around Delhi. It also marked a power shift
form Afghans to Turks and Mongols.
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First
Battle of Panipat
Date: April 21,1526 Weather: Hot
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TERRAIN:
Flat alluvial plain near the city of Panipat.
Strategy: 
Babar, the invader from Samarqand, had 25,000 infantry and
cavalry while Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi had a massive army of
1,00,000. For the first few days neither army moved. Then
Babar sent 5,000 men swung in night attack. Although they
were beaten, the momentum of battle swung in favour of
Babar-Lodhi's armies moved the next day. Babar employed
his cannons with great effect and induced terror in
Lodhi's ranks. The well-defended middle of Babar's army
pressed forward in flanking 'flying column' attacks with
his cavalry. The attack from the left showered Lodhi's
forces with accurate musket fire while the right absorbed
the brunt of Lodhi's counter-attack and pounded his
defences with artillery fire. The battle ended by late
after with at least 20,000 of Lodhi's troops dead
including Lodhi himself.
Significance: First major battle to be won by
artillery and against such superior numbers. The battle
led to the establishment of the Mughal Empire in India.
"Not for us the poverty of Kabul again," Babur
records in his diary.
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Second
Battle of Panipat
Date: November 5, 1556 Weather: Cold and windy
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Terrain:
Flat alluvial plain.
Strategy: 
Hemu(Hemchandra), the King of Delhi had lost most of his
artillery in an earlier battle where his advance guard had
been defeated. However, his 50,000 soldiers struck rapidly
at Akbar's force at 25,000 and were turning the battle
into an easy victory for Hemu. Suddenly, Hemu was struck
in the eye by an arrow which also pierced his brain. As in
many medieval battles the loss of the leader caused panic
among the troops and the tide turned the other way. At his
point a concentrated artillery attack by Akbar's
general-and mentor-Bairam Khan turned the tide of the
battle. Later, Akbar beheaded Hemu and exhibited his head
on a spike outside the gates of his fort in Agra.
Significance: The battle gave the Mughal
Empire a firm base. This was the first empire which ruled
with the capability to aggregate as many as 5,00,000
troops aat short notice and, therefore, had a
qualitatively firmer grip on its empire than the preceding
sultanate.
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Battle
of Tellikota
Date: January 26, 1565 Weather: Mild
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Terrain:
Rocky and arid
Strategy: The Muslim kingdom ofAhmadnagar,
Berar, Bidar, Bijapur and Golconda combined forces against
Vijaynagar. It was one of the few medieval wars fought
using a joing strategy. The attack also had material help
from some Hindu kingdoms. The Battle was hard fought; the
Vijayanagar empire had 10,000 horsemen and 1,40,000 foot
soldiers. However, the critical strength of attack was in
its superior supply line as it was being fed critical
strength of attack was in its superior supply line as it
was being fed from five sources. The combined invading
Muslim force of 80,000 infantry and 30,000 cavalry
launched a classic offensive with a massive frontal
attack. This was made possible by an initial artillery
barrage that softened up the Vijaynagar army's offensive
capability. The attack was brief and concentrated; the
aftermath was the pillage of Vijaynagar.
Significance: Politically it sounded the end
of significant Hindu kingdoms in India, and the last great
southern empire. This battle signalled the beginning of
chaotic fights among the Deccan kings who ultimately
played into the hands of European invaders.
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Battle
of Plassey
Date: June 23,1756 Weather: Hot and humid
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Terrain:
Rocky plain
Strategy: 
The battle won even before it was fought. Robert Clive,
the plucky representative of the East India Company
employed persuasive diplomacy and offered Mir Jafar, a
general of Bengal's Nawab Siraj-ud-daullah, the Nawabship
after the war, in return for staying away from combat.
Clive also bought over the chief financier of the Nawab
called Jagat Seth. Clive had 3,000 troops and
Siraj-ud-daullah 50,000. But this seemingly
disproportionate array of forces was neutralised by the
fact that Mir Jafar's forces of about 1,60,000-which
included cavalry and heavy guns-did not participate.
Moreover, the reliance on heavy guns by the Nawab
backfired-some of his ammunitions burst, causing panic
among the elephants and oxen which were dragging the heavy
guns. The end of the battle came quickly with Company
forces playing on intrigue, chaos and their own
quick-footedness.
Significance: The British Raj was firmly
established after this battle. With this victory the 24
Parganas in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa came under East India
Company Control.
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Battle
of Buxar
Date: October 24,1764 Weather: Moderate
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Terrain:
Open field with marshy grassland nearby.
Strategy: 
The armies of Mir Kasim and his allies Emperor Shah Alam
II and Shuja-ud-daula, Nawab of Avadh, out-matched the
British in number. To Mir Kasim's force of 40,000 Robert
Clive's army commanded by Major Hector Munro had about
18,000 men. Early on, East India Company forces had to
retreat across the river. But they were allowed to get
away; the forces retreat across the river. But they were
allowed to get away; the forces regrouped and through a
naval force attacked through the river route. Mir Jafar
also had trained Afghan cavalry and modern cannon manned
by European mercenaries and led a charge on the Company's
forces. However, the Company relied on its strength of
sequenced shooting-its musketeers put up volley of
gunfire. This coordinated gun shooting became very much a
trademark of the British way of war over the next few
decades. The sheer power of gunfire ensured that attacking
cavalry scattered.
Significance: The establishment of British
paramountcy along with the diwani(revenue administration)
of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
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Battle
of Chillianwallan
Date: January 4,1849 Weather: Cold
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Terrain:
The flat plains of Punjab
Strategy: 
The second Anglo-Sikh war culminated at Chillianwalan in a
classic battle. Sikh forces numbered 60,000 and British,
30,000. The British made a headlong charge at the massed
Sikh artillery which lead
to massive losses for the British although they eventually
overran some of the Sikh lines. The two-hour artillery
barrage 'softened up' the Sikhs offensive capability. A
rapid assault by the British across the Sikh lines
neutralised the Sikhs' heavier artillery. Within two hours
the Sikh lines were unable to provide cover to their
cavalry. At this point the British launched a bold cavalry
attack across the Sikh lines. This was followed by pitched
battles and an eventual British Victory.
Significance: British became masters of the
Indian subcontinental. Kashmir was separated from Punjab
and handed over to a Hindu regent. This was important in
determining the future political boundaries of the empire
and independent India.
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