Second Battle of Panipat
The Second battle of Panipat was fought on 5th November, 1556, between Hindu King Hemu and Akbar’s trusted general Bairam Khan. The Mughal Army of Bairam Khan won the battle.
When Humayun died, his 13 year-old eldest son, Akbar, was the ruler of Punjab, with Bairam Khan as his guardian. Soon, Bairam Khan declared Akbar the Emperor of Delhi from Punjab on 14 February 1556 A.D.
At this time, the Mughal Empire was restricted to Delhi, Agra and small parts of Punjab. The Afghans were still strong in vast areas of north India. Sher Shah’s descendant, Muhammad Adil Shah, reorganized himself in the east.
Himu, a Hindu general of Adil Shah, just after the sudden demise of Humayun, led a large army and captured Delhi and Agra, declaring himself ‘Vikramaditya’, an independent Hindu king. But he lost out to Akbar and Bairam Khan at The Second Battle of Panipat (1556 A.D).
It ended Himu’s dreams of Hindu domination, Afghan aspirations to return to the Delhi throne and the three-decade-long Afghan-Mughal conflict. The Mughals were finally the rulers, about to expand their control over the country.
