The third battle of Panipat—the final one, the bloodiest of them all. The Marathas and the king of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali, fought to claim the throne of Delhi. While the face-off had stretched on for months on the elevated flat land of Panipat, the actual conflict took place on 14 January 1761. And within a span of twelve hours, 150,000 soldiers lost their lives. About 80,000 horses, bullocks, and elephants were slaughtered. The Maratha warriors―the Peshwa’s cousin Sadashivrao, son Vishwasrao, and step-brother Shamsher Bahadur― and their allies, chieftains Malharrao Holkar, Jankoji Shinde, and Ibrahim Khan Gardi, defied the bitter cold of the north and months of starvation, fighting to the last man. The campaign brought the Maratha empire to its knees, emptying out its coffers and decimating an entire generation.

This battle most horrific has dazzled generations of historians. Its tactics, ingenious battle formations, and fortifications, its reputation as the supreme war of wits has kept the third battle of Panipat alive in public memory. But a war is not only glory and splendour. It is fought by flesh-and-blood people with feelings and motivations big and small, and who come alive in Vishwas Patil’s Panipat. His ability to weave gargantuan research into effortless storytelling truly shines through in this tale.

Among the five highest-selling Marathi novels of all time, Panipat has received thirty-eight awards since its release in 1988, sold more than 250,000 copies, and been translated into several languages. Published in English for the first time, this novel is an essential read for every lover of historical fiction.