Who invited Ahmad Shah Abdali?

Ahmad Shah Abdali, the founder of the Durrani Empire, launched several invasions into India during the 18th century, significantly altering the political landscape. These invasions were often prompted by internal Indian political dynamics.

• Shah Wali Ullah, a highly influential Islamic scholar and reformer from Delhi, is accurately identified as the individual who invited Abdali. Concerned by the decline of Muslim power and the rise of Maratha and Sikh influence, he sought Abdali's intervention to restore Islamic supremacy and order in India. This invitation culminated in the decisive Third Battle of Panipat.
• Inayatullah Mashriqi was a 20th-century figure, the founder of the Khaksar movement, and thus chronologically irrelevant to Abdali's era.
• Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore, was a contemporary but did not invite Abdali; his focus was on resisting British expansion in the south.

Therefore, Shah Wali Ullah's appeal was the catalyst for Abdali's intervention.