Important Wars and Battles in Indian

History for SSC CGL - GK Notes in PDF

Wars and battles fought in India have long influenced the country's cultural and
linguistic ethos. The main wars and battles were fought between different dynasties,
kingdoms and empires. Questions based on these wars and battles are widely asked in
General Awareness section of exams like SSC CGL, SSC CPO, SSC CHSL & other
exams. It is a section where you can score marks very easily. To help you, here's the
entire list of Wars, Fighting Dynasties/Kingdoms/Kings and winners. Moreover, you
will also find other important wars and battles fought around the globe that affected
India too.

Battles in Indian History - Ancient Indian Wars

War Fought between Won by
Battle of Chola King Karikala & Pandya & Cheraa kings Chola
Venni King
Battle of Chalukya king Someshvara I & Chola kings Chola
Koppam Rajadhiraja Chola& Rajendra Chola II King
Battle of Chalukya empire & Jaysimha II Chalukya
Maski Empire
Kalinga Maurya king Ashoka & Kalinga Maurya
War King

Battles in Indian History - Battle of Tarain

 War Year Fought between Won by
1st battle 1191 Sultan Mohammad Ghori Prithviraj
of Tarain & Prithviraj Chauhan Chauhan
2nd Battle 1192 Sultan Mohammad Ghori Sultan
of Tarain & Prithviraj Chauhan Mohammad
Ghori
3rd Battle 1215 Shamshuddin Iltutmish Shamshuddin
of Tarain & Yaldoz Iltutmish

Battles in Indian History - Wars by Rajput

Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by

Battle of Khanwa 1527 A.D Babur and Rana Babur defeats
Sanga Rana Sanga

Significance: Babur assumed the title of Ghazi after this battle, the alliance of Rana
Sanga although outnumbered that of Babur, still Sanga was defeated and the alliance
dispersed. Rana Sanga escapes to Chittor.

Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by

Battle of Ghaghara 1529 A.D Babur and Sultan Babur defeats
Mahmud Modi Afghans

Significance: This was the third major battle of Babur after which control of Mughal
Empire over India was secured and fully established. Mahmud Lodi who was the
brother of Ibrahim Lodi declared himself the sultan of Delhi with the support of
Nusrat shah of Bengal, Jalaluddin Lohani, Sher Shah Suri , Rajputs and
Afghans. Babur emerged victorious and consolidated his control.
 Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by
Battle of 1576 A.D Maharana Pratap Undecisive battle
Haldighati and Mughal between Raja Man
Emperor Akbar, Singh of Mughal
who was led by Army and Rana
Man Singh Pratap of Mewar.

Significance: Rana Pratap fought gallantly and took refuge in the remote fortress.
This battle is the shortest battle in Indian history and lasted only 4 hours.

War Year Fought between Won by Treaties

Battle of 23 June Siraj-ud-daulah with French British -
Plassey 1757 & British East
East India Company India
Company
Battle of 22 East India Company British Treaty of
Buxar October & Alliance of Mir Qasim, East India Allahabad
1764 Shah Alam II & Shuja-ud- Company
daulla
Battle 1638- Portuguese & Dutch Portuguese -
of Goa 1639
Battle of 26 Jan British East India Company British East -
Wandiwash 1760 & French India
Company
Battle of 26 June Mughal emperor Humayun Sher Shah -
Chausa 1539 & Sher Shah Suri Suri

Battles in Indian History - Battle of Panipat

War Year Fought Between Won Remark
by
1st Battle 21 Ibrahim Babur Earliest battle in Indian
of April Lodi & Babur History.
Panipat 1527 Involved Gunpowder firearms
& field artillery
2nd 5 Nov Forces of Hemu, -
Battle 1556 Chief Minister of
Mughal
of Adil Shah Suri &
Panipat Akbar
3rd Battle 14 Maratha Afghans Treaty of Surat
of Jan Empire & King of
Panipat 1761 Afghanistan,
Ahmad Shah
Abdali

Battles in Indian History - Carnatic Wars

War Year Fought Treaties

between
1st Carnatic 1744-48 English Treaty of
War & French Aix-La-Chapelle
2nd Carnatic 1748-54 English Treaty of
War & French Pondicherry
3rd Carnatic 1756-1763 English Treaty
War & French of Paris

Battles in Indian History - Anglo Maratha Wars

 War Year Fought between Won by Treaties
1st Anglo 1775- British East Marathas Treaty of Salbai
Maratha 1782 India Company &
War Martha empire
2nd Anglo 1803- East India British Treaty of Deogaon, Treaty
Maratha 1805 Company East of Surjianjangaon, Treaty of
War & Maratha empire India Rajghat, Treaty of Bassien
Company
3rd Anglo 1817- East British Treaty of Mandasor
Maratha 1818 India Company & East
War Maratha empire India
Company

Battles in Indian History - Anglo Mysore War

War Year Fought between Treaties

1st Anglo 1734-1766 Mysore & East Treaty of
Mysore War India Company Madras
2nd Anglo 1780-1784 Mysore & East Treaty of
Mysore War India Company Mangalore
3rd Anglo 1790-92 Mysore & East Treaty of
Mysore War India Company Sriranghapatam
4th Anglo 1799 Mysore & East British
Mysore War India Company Subjugated
Mysore

Battles in Indian History - Anglo Sikh Wars

 War Year Fought Won by Treaties
between
1st 1845-46 Sikh Empire & British British East Treaty of
Anglo-Sikh East India Company India Company Bhairowal
War
2nd 1848-1849 Sikh Empire & British British East -
Anglo-Sikh East India Company India Company
War

Battles in Indian History - Anglo Afghan Wars

War Year Fought between Won by Treaties

1st Anglo British East India Afghans Tripartite
Afghan Company Treaty between
1838-
War & Afghans Ranjit Singh, Shah Shuja
1842
&
Lord Auckland
2nd Anglo 1878-80 British East India British Treaty
Afghan Company East of Peshawar,Treaty of
War & Afghans India Gandamak
Company
3rd Anglo 1919 British East India Afghans Treaty of Rawalpindi
Afghan Company
War & Afghans

World Wars
 War Year Fought Won Treaties
between by
First 1914- Alliance of Britain, France, Victory Treaty
World 1918 Russia, Italy & USA of of Versailles,Treaty of
War against Germany, Austria- alliance Saint-Germain-
Hungary, Ottoman Empire Enlaye, Treaty of
& Bulgaria. Lausann,Treaty
of Trianon.
Second 1939- Germany,Italy & Japan Won by -
World 1945 against the alliance of the
War Britain, France, alliance
Australia Canada, New
Zealand, India, Soviet Union,
China
& USA

Battles in Indian History and their Significance

Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by

Battle of 326 B.C Alexander and Alexander
Hydaspass Porus defeated King
Porus

Significance: Impressed by the bravery of Porus, he allowed to retain the kingship

of Porus.
 Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by
Kalinga War 261 B.C Ashoka and Raja Ashoka
Anant
Padmanabhan

Significance: It was one of the deadliest war of Human History and lakhs were killed
from either sides. Ashoka filled with remorse and took a pledge of non-violence and
adopted Buddhism.

Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by

Battle of Chandwar 1194 A.D Mohammad Ghori Ghori defeats
and Jaychandra Jayachandra of
Kannauj

Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by

Battle of Chanderi 1528 A.D Babur and Medini Babur defeat
rai Medini Rai

Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by

Battle of Chausa 1539 A.D Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri
and Humayun defeats Humayun

Significance: Sher Shah became Emperor of India thus breaking the Mughal Rule in
India.

Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by

Battle of Kanauj 1540 A.D Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri
and Humayun defeats Humayun
 Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by
Battle of Talikota 1565 A.D Deccan Sultanates Deccan Sultanates
and Vijayanagara defeated the
Empire glorious glorious
Vijaynagara
Empire.

Significance: Destroyed Hindu Kingdon of the Deccan, sealed the fortunes of

Vijaynagara Empire.

Name of Battle Year Battle between Won by

Battle of Samugarh 1659 A.D Aurangzeb and Aurangzeb
Imperial forces led
by Dara

Significance: Aurangzeb captured the Mughal Throne.

Post Independence Wars

1) India-Pakistan

War Year Result

First Kashmir War 1947 Ceasefire Agreement
India-Pakistan War 1965 Tashkent Declaration
India-Pakistan War 1971 India won
India-Pakistan war 1999 India regain possession of Kargil

2) India & Other Neighbours

War Year Fought Won Result

between by
Sino Indian War 1962 India & China China Aksai Chin in Chinese
control
First Burma War 1824- English British Treaty of Yandabo
26 & Burma
Second 1852- English British -
Burma War 53 & Burma
Third 1885 English British Burma becomes a part of
Burma War & Burma British India