The First Battle of Panipat, on 21 April 1526[1] was fought between the invading forces of Babur against Ibrahim Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi, in North India.

In 1504, Babur succeeded his late uncle Ulugh Beg II by force of arms, taking control of the latter's kingdom based around Kabul and Ghazni.

Opposed by Muhammad Shaybani to the northwest, Babur sought to expand his kingdom to the southeast, into Punjab, the land of the five rivers.

[7] Ibrahim's army is reported to have had an effective strength of between 50,000 and 70,000 with 1,000 war elephants but lacked gunpowder arms.

[12] When Ibrahim attacked, the frontage presented by Babur was too narrow for him to effectively employ his force.

Musket and cannon pinned Ibrahim's centre while horse archers harried the flanks and rear.

However, to secure his position, Babur was still to fight the Mewar ruler Rana Sanga at Khanwa in 1527 and, the eastern Afghans at the Ghaghra River in 1529.