A town in Haryana state, north India, 70 km (43 miles) north-west of Delhi. It is historically important as the site of three battles which proved decisive for India’s future. On each occasion armies moving out to defend the capital of Delhi clashed here with invaders approaching from the north-west. In the first Battle of Panipat (21 April 1526) the Mogul invader, Babur, defeated the Afghan sultan of Delhi. The second battle (5 November 1556) marked Akbar’s victory over the Sur Afghans who then held Delhi, and initiated the spread of strong Mogul power in India. In the third battle (14 June 1761) an invading Afghan army ended Maratha ambitions to fill the power vacuum at Delhi caused by the decline of the Moguls.