Draft:Battle of Samalkha

The Battle of Samalkha was a skirmish that took place between two rival forces in the Samalkha district of Haryana. It occurred in 1760 A.D. and involved the Afghan army, led by Ahmed Shah Durrani, and the Maratha army, led by Govind Pant Bundele. This fierce battle was part of the Third Battle of Panipat, and resulted in severe destruction for the Maratha forces.

Background
The Maratha forces were unable to prevent Ahmed Shah Durrani from crossing the Yamuna River. Durrani successfully crossed the river and set up a defensive camp near Panipat. The Marathas had planned to block Durrani's access back to Afghanistan. They sent Govind Pant Bundele with five thousand cavalry to halt Durrani's further advances.

The Battle
However, on the afternoon of October 26, Ahmad Shah Abdali's advance guard reached Samalkha, about halfway between Sonepat and Panipat, where they encountered the vanguard of the Marathas. A fierce skirmish ensued, in which the Afghans lost 1000 men but forced the Marathas back to their main body, resulting in the slaughter of no fewer than 2000 Marathas, who continued to retreat slowly for several days.

Aftermath
After the skirmish, the Marathas had to continue their retreat. They soon faced a disaster due to a shortage of resources and a lack of food. Abdali marched to Meerut, where Govind Pant Bundele had to face him.He was killed battlefield at Meerut.