11. Marathas – The Protectors of the Nation

• (1) They came from Afghanistan and settled at the foothills of the Himalayas — Rohillas
• (2) The brother of Nanasaheb Peshwa — Raghunathrao
• (3) The chief of Jats at Mathura — Surajmal Jat
• (4) Defeated the Nizam at Rakshasbhuvan near Paithan — Peshwa Madhavrao

Najibkhan, a Rohilla chief, found it hard to tolerate the Maratha supremacy in the North, so he requested Ahmadshah Abdali to invade India again. After Abdali captured Delhi and returned to Afghanistan with a huge booty, Raghunathrao and Malharrao Holkar marched to the North and recaptured Delhi. They then drove out Abdali's officers, captured the Punjab, and pursued his soldiers right up to Attock in 1758 CE, successfully raising the Maratha standard there.

Ahmadshah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan, was attracted by the riches of India and invaded the Punjab in 1751 CE. The Mughal Emperor entered into a treaty with the Marathas to protect Delhi from the Afghan threat. However, Abdali wanted to bring the entire region up to the Punjab under his own Afghan control, making a major conflict between the Marathas and the Afghans imminent and inevitable. This clash of interests eventually led to fierce battles, including the battle at Buradi Ghat and the Third Battle of Panipat.

In the Third Battle of Panipat on 14 January 1761, the Marathas were defeated, resulting in the death of a whole generation of young men and many brave Sardars in Maharashtra. Because the Maratha prestige in the North suffered a severe setback, enemies like the Nizam and Hyder Ali took advantage and resumed their attacks on Maratha territories. However, Abdali's army also suffered heavy financial and human losses in the battle, and neither he nor his descendants ever mustered enough courage to invade India again.

The correct chronological order of the events is:

1. (5) The battle of Buradi Ghat
2. (4) The battle of Panipat
3. (1) The battle of Rakshasbhuvan
4. (3) The death of Madhavrao Peshwa
5. (2) The death of Tipu Sultan

• (1) N… — Nanasaheb
• (2) D… — Dattaji
• (3) N… — Najibkhan