In late 1747, he began operations against the declining Mughal Empire, taking Kabul, Peshawar, and, on 18 January 1748, Lahore, over which he established a governor.

On 1 March 1748, Ahmad Shah began searching for the Mughal army, making contact with them on 10 March outside the village of Manupur where the fighting began and continued into a war between "Durrani Afghan" frontiersmen and the "Great Mogul" emperor of India.

When the Mughal commander, Qamaruddin Khan, was killed by artillery in an early exchange of fire, his son, Moin-ul-Mulk, also known as Mir Mannu, continued the battle.

Ahmad Shah's Afghan troops swept aside the Rajput flank and raided their baggage train.

A Mogul rocket struck the Durrani artillery store, causing an explosion that led thousands of soldiers to retreat, thus forcing Ahmad Shah Durrani's return to Afghanistan.