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75
with great speed in face of the surging waves of
the Afghans, and on reaching Panipat they dug
trenches and took shelter behind them.
The THIRD BATTLE OF PANIPAT (7th
January 1761). Ahmad Shah following at the heels
of the enemy caught them in the vicinity of
Panipat. Here he found the Marhattas strongly
entrenched. They had thrown up works round
their camps, encompassed by a broad and deep
ditch, and protected on all sides by a fine artillery.
The total strength of the Marhatta force is
estimated between 300,000 and 500,000. Besides,
they had 200 guns, with numerous wall pieces,
and a great supply of rockets, (a favourable
Marhatta weapon). A deserted Muslim officer
from the French army, Ibrahim Gardi by name,
had also with 9,000 disciplined sepoys come to
their aid. Against this formidable force, Ahmad
Shah had no more than 40,000 Afghans, mostly
horsemen. A force of Indian Muslims, estimated
at 38,000 foot and some 13,000, horse had also
come to his help. Of these the Rohilla Afghans
were efficient to some extent, while the rest was a
rabble of Indian foot soldiers, who had come to
loot either side that lost the war. The Afghans
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.