Revisiting the First Battle of Panipat: Logistics, Space and Strategy of Warfare

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VI, June 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Revisiting the First Battle of Panipat: Logistics, Space and Strategy of Warfare

Priyam Kumar Roy
Assistant Professor, Department of History, Kalyani Mahavidyalaya, West Bengal, India

Abstract: Knowledge of space helped royal elites to undertake new invasions to obtain and distribute resources among them. Since India was resourceful country as against the Central Asia, being dry and barren in nature, along with other invaders, Babur also invaded India for his political existence depended upon economic solvency and the way Babur followed to capture economic and political heartland was first battle of Panipat which brought forth several lacunas in administrative set up of Delhi Sultanate and downfall. The Mongal tradition of warfare that helped Babur for preparation including various strategy of warfare in medieval era became critical to the Sultanate and came to prove substandard military organisation of indigenous military system. Along with inferiority the prejudice that comatose them in crisis was largely responsible for their downfall. Therefore the style of warfare including role of space, logistics and strategies adopted for “death ground” military operation, to be analysed.

Keywords: Space, Resource, Logistics, Strategy, Warfare.

I. INTRODUCTION

Geographical knowledge plays a crucial role for an intelligent study and understanding of history of a country. It is hardly possible to track the course of events and its cause and effect relationship without accurate information about a location that obviously shades the narrative of the events of the concerned place. Knowledge of space, therefore, is indispensable for historical study. The geographical knowledge that enriched the rulers and scholars from ancient time for both offensive and defensive measure, transportation and building of power centre, came to be studied afresh at the beginning of Italian renaissance that opened a new arena for both geographers and explorers for new voyages and discoveries. Likewise, in Indian context, the indigenous and foreign geographers over a period of times explored the country to the foreigners in different purposes. Thus the knowledge of space accompanied with time motivated the foreigners to be attracted to this subcontinent.

II. METHODS

As our study is related with war logistics and military activities in relation with topography of Panipat, we must consider the nature of the decisive battle, fought in the year of 1526 in Panipat which is similar to Kurukshetra the legendary battle ground in the time of Mahabharata

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