After the death of Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1772 CE, his son Timur Shah Durrani made several attempts to reassert Afghan control over Punjab. His failure to maintain control was primarily and immediately due to which of the following? |ForumIAS

[A] A major civil war erupting within the Durrani empire over succession in Kabul.

[B] The effective resistance and consolidation of territories by the emerging Sikh Misls.

[C] Direct military intervention by the Marathas in Lahore in support of the Sikh chiefs.

[D] The British EIC securing a defensive treaty with the Sikh Misls of the cis-Sutlej region.

Answer: B

Notes:

Explanation:

(b) Correct. The period between 1772 and 1799 CE (Ranjit Singh’s capture of Lahore) was marked by the apex of Misl power. The decentralized but powerful Misls used the vacuum created by Abdali’s death to aggressively assert control over various regions of Punjab, repeatedly frustrating the less resolute campaigns of Timur Shah Durrani and his successors.