Sack of Delhi (1757)

Sack of Delhi
Part of the Indian campaigns of Ahmad Shah Durrani
Date 17 January – 22 February 1757[1] Location Delhi, Mughal Empire 28°36′45″N 77°17′30″E / 28.61250°N 77.29167°E / 28.61250; 77.29167 Result Durrani victory
Belligerents
Durrani Empire	* Mughal Empire Bengal  Maratha Confederacy
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad Shah Durrani Jahan Khan Najib-ud-Daula	Alamgir II  Imad ul-Mulk  Intizam-ud-Daulah
Strength
80,000 men[2]	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Civilians: Thousands killed[3]

The Sack of Delhi occurred from 17 January – 22 February 1757, carried out by the Durrani Empire under the Afghan King Ahmad Shah Durrani. Delhi, the capital of the Mughal Empire, experienced multiple invasions by the Afghans during the 18th century.

The decline of the Mughal Empire began with the death of Emperor Aurangzeb on 3 March 1707. The Mughals faced numerous invasions from the Maratha Confederacy and internal conflicts over succession.^[4] The Mughals continued declining under Muhammad Shah, allowing adventurers such as Nader Shah to invade Mughal territories and sack Delhi.^[5] Following Nader Shah's death, his eastern domains were taken over by Ahmad Shah Durrani, who formed the Durrani Empire and centered his power base in Kandahar, Afghanistan.^[6] After three invasions by the Afghans, the Mughals lost numerous territories including Kashmir, Punjab, and Sindh.

Invited to invade India in 1756, Ahmad Shah assembled his forces and overran the Punjab with an army of 80,000 men. After brushing aside light Maratha resistance, he reached Delhi on 28 January and soon forced the Mughal emperor Alamgir II to submit to him. The subsequent sack of Delhi, which ended on 22 February, yielded immense wealth, with estimates ranging from 30 to as high as 300 million rupees worth of goods. It marked a significant blow to the already weakened Mughal Empire; months later, the Bengal Subah was subjugated by the British in the Battle of Plassey.