Shifting Hegemonies: Regional Power Dynamics in Post-Panipat India (1761-1800)

Abstract

The 1761 Third Battle of Panipat represented a watershed moment in South Asian political history, precipitating the dissolution of Maratha hegemony and generating a political vacuum that fundamentally reshaped regional power structures. This research offers a comparative examination of key political actors, the British East India Company, Mysore, Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh, and the Sikh Confederacy, analysing their strategic adaptations to the transformed post-Panipat landscape. Utilising Persian and English historical records, administrative archives, and contemporary historiography, the study evaluates critical parameters including territorial aggrandizement, military modernization, revenue administration, diplomatic engagement, and institutional resilience. The analysis reveals disparate trajectories: while Mysore and the Sikh polities achieved territorial gains, they failed to establish enduring state structures; Awadh and Hyderabad maintained regional significance but progressively fell under British suzerainty; Bengal transitioned to Company governance following the Diwani grant of 1765. The British East India Company's ascendancy stemmed from its sophisticated military apparatus and efficient fiscal extraction mechanisms. Ultimately, this study establishes that the aftermath of Panipat catalyzed political disintegration across the subcontinent, thereby enabling the systematic expansion of British colonial authority in South Asia.