• Babur could not return to Samarkhand so had to invade India. He defeated Rana Sanga in 1527. However, in the 18th century it was Shah Waliullah who asked Ahmadshah Abdali to invade India to counter the growing power of the Marathas (read Hindus).  In 1921, Muhammad Ali wrote a letter to the Amir of Afghanistan inviting him to invade India.

Thanks to the movie Chhava on Chhatrapati Sambaji Maharaj, people are making statements for e.g. Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman claimed that Rana Sanga invited Babur to invade India to defeat Ibrahmim Lodi.

In this India Today article Priyanjali N debunks the claims of Ramji Lal. Excerpts, “In 1518, a significant battle took place at Ghatoli, near the border of Harauti in southern Rajasthan. Rana Sanga's forces overwhelmed the Lodi army, forcing Ibrahim Lodi to retreat.” 

“Lodi's strict centralisation policies had alienated key nobles, including Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of Punjab, who invited Babur to invade India to overthrow Ibrahim.”

In 1527 Rana Sanga and Babur fought the Battle of Khanwa where Rana Sangha was defeated although prior to that Sangha handed over the Mughals their first defeat in India. Read article for more

Read  5 reasons why Babur did not need an invitation to invade India

There was another and important reason why Babur invaded India. It was because he could not return to Samarkhand.

Sanjeev S wrote in the Times of India, “He would taste victory against Lodi only in his fifth attempt at Panipat in 1526. The reason for this is because Babur was left with very few options after being soundly beaten in his bid to recapture Samarkand (1511-12) by the Uzbeks and was lucky to escape from the Fergana Valley (parts of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). He knew his only chance of survival was to take on the weakening Lodi empire and there was no going back once he entered the Indian subcontinent.” 

What the Samajwadi Party MP will not talk about is when in the 18th century Indian Muslims invited Ahmed Shah Abdali to invade India that resulted in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.

Background: Starting with Shivaji Maharaj, the Marathas were a thorn in Aurangzeb’s plans to conquer Deccan. This continued under Sambaji Maharaj and even under Rani Tarabai. Aurangzeb’s death and rise of the Peshwas esp. Bajirao added to weakening the Mughal Empire. Besides capturing large parts of India the Marathas reached Attock i.e. ahead of Peshawar.

Read   How Marathas contributed to decline of the Mughal Empire 1707 to 1753

Increase in Maratha power across India unnerved many including Muslims. There were fears of Hindus (Marathas) ruling Hindustan (India north of the Narmada river) again. In such a situation a Sufi preacher wrote to Abdali.  

Rohit S wrote in Swarajyamag.com, “18^th century Sufi preacher Shah Waliullah’s (1703-1762) letters to Islamic rulers and nobles show that he was very keen on rejuvenating Islamic supremacy in Delhi, which had started to loosen it’s grip over the sub-continent after Aurangzeb’s death.” 

“Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi has authored a book, Shah Waliulah and his times.  The book has the full letter to Ahmadshah Abdali. It is about 13 pages in Nizami’s (Urdu translation of select letters) book.” Excerpts- 

“In the present day, no other Emperor is more powerful and dignified than you and who can defeat opposing forces and has the foresight as well as experience of war. The responsibility of resolving to take over Hindustan, break the domination of Marathas and free poor Muslims from the clutches of non-Muslim (rule) falls on your shoulders O lord.” Read full letter here

According to Panipat.gov.in  Abdali was supported by two Indian Muslim allies-the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab, and Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Oudh.  Both sides tried to get the Nawad of Awadh, Shuja-ud-Daulah, into their camp. By late July, Shuja-ud-Daulah made the decision to join the Afghan-Rohilla coalition, preferring to join what was perceived as the ‘army of Islam.” Rohilla chiefs were Hafiz Rehmat and Dunde Khan.

Writing on the Third Battle of Panipat noted historian and author Solstice at Panipat Dr Uday S Kulkarni said, that “Abdali was invited by Najib Khan and Shah Waliullah D.” But who was Najib Khan or Najibuddaulah (a Yousafzai Afghan)?

Dr Kulkarni wrote, “Abdali’s in 1758, saw the Marathas come to the north and take Delhi evicting Abdali’s nominee Najibuddaulah. Najib was let off and asked to return to the Saharanpur region, even as the Maratha armies with some Mughal and later some Sikhs undertook the invasion of Punjab that Abdali had annexed. The 1758 expedition pushed back Abdali’s son and General from Lahore and the Marathas took charge of Lahore, Multan, Attock and Peshawar placing local officers supported by small number of their own troops. Delhi seemed to be out of reach of Abdali and the Maratha chief Raghunath rao-who was the younger brother of the Maratha Prime Minister Nanasaheb Peshwa – wrote to his brother that he had feelers from the Shah of Iran to attack Abdali from either side and share Qandahar and Kabul between them.”

Noted author J Sai Deepak wrote in India, Bharat and Pakistan, “In his work Tafhimati-i-Illahiyya, addressing Muslim rulers of his time, Shah Dehalwi’s fervent exhortation to them on their duty to preserve Islamic purity in a multi-religious society is as follows:” Pg 12. “He urged Indian Muslims to see them as part of the global ummah.” Pg 13. He also wrote to the Nizam of Hyderabad. “While asking Abdali to invade Bharat, Dehlawi was careful to request the protection of Muslims, Sunni and Shia, from the invading army.” Pg 16.  

Khilafat Movement

During the Khilafat Movement, excerpts from an earlier article, “In 1921, Muhammad Ali wrote a letter to the Amir of Afghanistan inviting him to invade India. The Brits got scent of this and arrested the Ali brothers. Writing in the Young India in May 1921 Gandhi said, “I would, in a sense, certainly assist the Amir of Afghanistan if he waged war against the British govt. It is no part of the duty of a non-violent non-cooperator to assist the govt against war made upon it by others. I would rather see India perish at the hands of the Afghans than purchase freedom from Afghan invasion at the cost of her honour.”

Deeper point

Aggression is the best form of defence. The best way to negate contribution of the Marathas, as shown in the movie Chhava, is to accuse another Hindu (read Rana Sanga) of inviting Babur to invade India.

History is a bit more complex. Examples of Muslims inviting the Afghans to invade Bharat have not been spoken about often. Dhanyavad MP Suman ji.

Also read

1. Know about Rana Sanga