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85
found itself confronted with another power, which was more than a match for it. This new power that appeared on the Indian horizon shortly afterwards was the British, who taking advantage of the confused situation of India after the death of Ahmad Shah the Great, had taken his place. Some of the historians are of the opinion that the battle of Panipat facilitated indirectly the British conquest of India.
Why Ahmad Shah Durrani did not avail himself of this golden opportunity is a mystery to most of the historians. It is alleged by some that the climate of India did not suit him. Others contend that he did not like to extend the boundaries of his empire too much, for it was not easy to control it from the distant base of Kandahar and Ahmad Shah was too patriotic to shift his capital to Delhi. Another group of historians thinks that Ahmad Shah did not like to pay his attention too much to Indian affairs, as there were more pressing questions to be solved on other fronts, especially in the north and north-west of his kingdom.
The victory was illustrated numismatically by coins struck at Delhi, Bareilly, Muradabad and
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.