Which Afghan commander invaded India?

The story of Ahmad Shah Abdali and his invasions

India’s long and complex history has witnessed several foreign invasions. Among the most formidable invaders from Afghanistan was Ahmad Shah Abdali, later known as Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan. His repeated invasions of India in the 18th century had far-reaching consequences, shaping the political landscape of the Indian subcontinent.

Who was Ahmad Shah Abdali?

Ahmad Shah Abdali (1722–1772) was born in Herat (now in Afghanistan) into the Abdali Pashtun tribe. Rising from the ranks of Nadir Shah’s army in Persia, he became a trusted general. After Nadir Shah’s assassination in 1747, Abdali returned to Kandahar and was chosen by a council of tribal chiefs (loya jirga) as the king, founding the Durrani Empire (his tribe thereafter took the name "Durrani"). He quickly consolidated his rule over Afghanistan and began looking eastward towards the riches of India.

Why did he invade India?

Ahmad Shah Abdali’s invasions of India were motivated by several factors:

1. Economic reasons: India was immensely wealthy compared to Afghanistan. Abdali sought to finance his empire’s needs and pay his restless tribal forces through plunder.

2. Political opportunity: The Mughal Empire was in steep decline after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, creating a vacuum. Powerful regional states like the Marathas, the Sikhs, the Rohillas, and the Nawabs competed for power.

3. Strategic concerns: Abdali wanted to secure his eastern frontiers against rising powers like the Marathas and Sikhs who could threaten Kabul and Punjab.

The major invasions

Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India nine times between 1748 and 1767, but a few invasions stand out due to their dramatic impact.

First invasion (1748)

Shortly after taking power, Abdali crossed the Indus with around 12,000 horsemen and advanced into Punjab. However, Mughal forces under Prince Ahmad Shah and Safdar Jang defeated him at the Battle of Manupur near Sirhind. Abdali withdrew, but he returned soon after, more prepared.

Invasion and capture of Lahore & Punjab (1751–52)

Abdali capitalized on the weakening Mughal hold over Punjab. In 1751, he again invaded, easily defeating local Mughal governors. The Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur ceded Punjab to Abdali, making it a part of the Afghan Durrani Empire.

The sack of Delhi (1756–57)

In 1756, Abdali launched another large-scale invasion. This time he captured Delhi and Mathura, looted immense wealth, and carried off thousands of Indian prisoners, including women and artisans, back to Afghanistan. This devastating raid severely weakened the Mughal capital.

The Third Battle of Panipat (1761)

This was the climax of Abdali’s campaigns in India and a turning point in Indian history.

• The Marathas had emerged as the most powerful force in India, expanding northwards and threatening Afghan interests in Punjab.

• Abdali, allied with the Rohillas and Shuja-ud-Daula of Oudh, faced the massive Maratha army led by Sadashivrao Bhau and Vishwasrao.

• On 14 January 1761, at Panipat (north of Delhi), one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the 18th century was fought. It is estimated that over 100,000 soldiers and civilians died.

Though Ahmad Shah Abdali emerged victorious, his army was exhausted and he could not establish a permanent Afghan rule in India. The enormous loss of life and the vacuum of power also paved the way for British expansion in India.

Aftermath of Abdali’s invasions

For India

• The Marathas were temporarily checked, but they quickly recovered under Madhavrao I and resumed their influence in northern India.

• The Sikhs, who had been growing in power in Punjab, soon filled the vacuum left by Abdali’s withdrawal and eventually established their own empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

• The Mughal Empire, already hollow, was left as a nominal authority, opening the door further for British dominance.

For Afghanistan

Ahmad Shah Abdali returned to Kabul with enormous loot, but constant campaigns weakened his resources and after his death in 1772, his empire began to fragment.

Legacy of Ahmad Shah Abdali

Ahmad Shah Abdali is regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, he is celebrated as Ahmad Shah Baba ("Father Ahmad Shah"). His invasions of India are remembered with mixed views—seen in Afghanistan as glorious campaigns, but in India largely as episodes of immense suffering and upheaval.

His repeated invasions highlight the geopolitical reality of the northwestern frontier, which for centuries served as a corridor for invasions into India. The legacy of Panipat in particular looms large in the Indian historical consciousness, often evoked as a cautionary tale of political disunity.

Other Afghan invasions of India

While Ahmad Shah Abdali is the most famous Afghan commander to invade India, he was not the first. Earlier in medieval times, the Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud of Ghazni (971–1030) and the Ghurid sultans from Afghanistan (notably Muhammad Ghori) also invaded India. These earlier invasions in the 11th-12th centuries laid the foundation for later Muslim rule in India, culminating in the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire.

Conclusion

So, when we ask “Which Afghan commander invaded India?”, the clearest and most influential answer in the 18th century is Ahmad Shah Abdali (Ahmad Shah Durrani). His multiple invasions reshaped the balance of power in India, accelerated the decline of Mughal authority, weakened the Marathas, and indirectly created the conditions that allowed the British East India Company to emerge as the dominant power in the subcontinent.

His story is not just one of conquests and plunder but also of how interconnected the destinies of South Asia and Afghanistan have been—linked by geography, culture, and centuries of shared history.