The Marathas faced a very serious defeat at Panipat. They lost their best leaders. Bhau and Vishwas Rao along with many others who lost their lives in the battle. Peshwa Balaji Rao could not tolerate the shock of the defeat of Panipat and died on June 23, 1761.
The debacle at Panipat reduced the power and prestige of the Peshwa. This ultimately, resulted in the disruption of the unity of the Marathas and led to the creation of the confederacy of the rival Maratha chiefs.
The Marathas lost their hold on the politics of the North and took time to recover from the reverses of this battle which made way for the capture of Bengal and Mysore by the English and Haidar Ali respectively.
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Apart from the Marathas the battle exercised tremendous influence on the fortunes the Mughal Empire which further weakened both politically as well as economically.
Moreover, the prestige of the Mughal ruler further dwindled. Abdali annexed Punjab and Sindh to his dominions.
Before his departure he recognized Shah Alain as the Emperor, Imad as the Wazir and Najib-ud-Daulah as the Mir Bakshi.
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After Abdali’s departure, Najib-ud-Daulah held authority at Delhi and denied Shah Alam the right of admission into the capital.
Rajputs and Jats became completely independent and the provincial governors became more defiant and disrespectful.
Therefore, it is generally accepted that third Battle of Panipat was a turning point in the history of India in general and that of the Marathas in particular.
Though the Maratha power was not destroyed by this battle, it was weakened permanently.