<P> The result of the battle was the halting of further Maratha advances in the north, and a destabilisation of their territories, for roughly ten years . This period is marked by the rule of Peshwa Madhavrao, who is credited with the revival of Maratha domination following the defeat at Panipat . In 1771, ten years after Panipat, he sent a large Maratha army into northern India in an expedition that was meant to re-establish Maratha domination in that area and punish refractory powers that had either sided with the Afghans, such as the Rohillas, or had shaken off Maratha domination after Panipat . The success of this campaign can be seen as the last saga of the long story of Panipat . </P> <P> The decline of the Mughal Empire following the 27 - year Mughal - Maratha war (1680--1707) led to rapid territorial gains for the Maratha Empire . Under Peshwa Baji Rao, Gujarat, Malwa and Rajputana came under Maratha control . Finally, in 1737, Baji Rao defeated the Mughals on the outskirts of Delhi and brought much of the former Mughal territories south of Delhi under Maratha control . Baji Rao's son Balaji Baji Rao further increased the territory under Maratha control by invading Punjab in 1758 . This brought the Marathas into direct confrontation with the Durrani empire of Ahmad Shah Abdali (also known as Ahmad Shah Durrani). In 1759 he raised an army from the Pashtun and Baloch tribes and made several gains against the smaller Maratha garrisons in Punjab . He then joined with his Indian allies--the Rohilla Afghans of the Gangetic Doab--forming a broad coalition against the Marathas . The Marathas, under the command of Sadashivrao Bhau, responded by gathering an army of between 45,000--60,000, which was accompanied by roughly 200,000 non-combatants, a number of whom were pilgrims desirous of making pilgrimages to Hindu holy sites in northern India . The Marathas started their northward journey from Patdur on 14 March 1760 . Both sides tried to get the Nawab 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". This was strategically a major loss for the Marathas, since Shuja provided much - needed finances for the long Afghan stay in North India . It is doubtful whether the Afghan - Rohilla coalition would have the means to continue their conflict with the Marathas without Shuja's support . </P> <P> The Marathas had gained control of a considerable part of India in the intervening period (1707--1757). In 1758 they occupied Delhi, captured Lahore and drove out Timur Shah Durrani, the son and viceroy of the Afghan ruler, Ahmad Shah Abdali . This was the high - water mark of the Maratha expansion, where the boundaries of their empire extended in the north to the Indus and the Himalayas, and in the south nearly to the extremity of the peninsula . This territory was ruled through the Peshwa, who talked of placing his son Vishwasrao on the Mughal throne . However, Delhi still remained under the nominal control of Mughals, key Muslim intellectuals including Shah Waliullah and other Muslim clergy in India who were alarmed at these developments . In desperation they appealed to Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan, to halt the threat . </P> <P> In the final phase the Marathas, under Scindia, attacked Najib . Najib successfully fought a defensive action, however, keeping Scindia's forces at bay . By noon it looked as though Bhau would clinch victory for the Marathas once again . The Afghan left flank still held its own, but the centre was cut in two and the right was almost destroyed . Ahmad Shah had watched the fortunes of the battle from his tent, guarded by the still unbroken forces on his left . He sent his bodyguards to call up his 15,000 reserve troops from his camp and arranged them as a column in front of his cavalry of musketeers (Qizilbash) and 2,000 swivel - mounted shutarnaals or Ushtranaal--cannons--on the backs of camels . </P>

Who was the ruler of delhi in the third battle of panipat