The third battle of panipat

[Kambojaric]

Great posts ashdoc, Can you give some more detailed info on the different units taking part in the battle on both sides. On the Afghan side i gathered the Qizilbash (They exist in Pakistan as well today e.g. the President Yahya Khan) and the Zamburaks. However what kind of equipment would the average Afghan infantryman have had? Were they also armed with Pistols?

As for the Marathas, the Gardis are definitely very interesting. Were they trained by French officers? They sound like an earlier version of the sepoys (though used by a native kingdom of course). And also how was their infantry armed? Other than the Gardis did the Marathas have any other technological advantage over the Afghans?

I know these are a lot of questions but you seem knowledgeable on the topic and that is rare to find amongst South Asians. For some reasons we dont like to read about our history. So im making the most of the opportunity to learn

 

[ashdoc]

Great posts ashdoc, Can you give some more detailed info on the different units taking part in the battle on both sides. On the Afghan side i gathered the Qizilbash (They exist in Pakistan as well today e.g. the President Yahya Khan) and the Zamburaks. However what kind of equipment would the average Afghan infantryman have had? Were they also armed with Pistols?

As for the Marathas, the Gardis are definitely very interesting. Were they trained by French officers? They sound like an earlier version of the sepoys (though used by a native kingdom of course). And also how was their infantry armed? Other than the Gardis did the Marathas have any other technological advantage over the Afghans?

I know these are a lot of questions but you seem knowledgeable on the topic and that is rare to find amongst South Asians. For some reasons we dont like to read about our history. So im making the most of the opportunity to learn

the afghan infantryman was armed with traditional swords and shields . it was the afghan cavalry that was armed with muskets , a legacy of nadir shah of iran's tactics , whose personal slave abdally had been , before his murder and abdali's inheritance of the eastern part of his empire .

the gardis were not marathas , but telgus from andhra pradesh--at that time part of the nizam of hyderabad's dominions . ibrahim khan gardi was first commander of the nizam's forces before he defected to the marathas , and he had recruited these troops from the nizam's dominions .

ibrahim khan gardi had got training from the french officers in the nizam's pay , but he gave the training to his troops himself , along with his brother , son and nephews . the gardis were armed with muskets of the early 18th century pattern , already outdated by the mid18th century , when the battle was fought .but by indian and afghan standards , they were still effective .

the marathas were better than the afghans in the art of spear-throwing . the maratha artillery was heavy , while the afghans had no heavy artillery . the heavy artillery could be used to destroy large fortifications , but was not suitable for pitched battle .