Original sentence: After the defeat in the Third battle of Panipat against Afghans, Marathas retreated from Delhi and Punjab region for a while, this left a power vacuum in Punjab that was eventually filled by the Sikhs in the late 18th century, after fighting off Afghans, and occasionally hostile Punjabi Muslims who sided with other Muslim forces.This was caused by the overall decline of the Mughal Empire, mostly due to the successes of the the Maratha Empire, who conquered much of north India, including Punjab
Edited sentence: This was caused by the overall decline of the Mughal Empire this left a power vacuum in Punjab that was eventually filled by the Sikhs in the late 18th century, after fighting off Afghans, and occasionally hostile Punjabi Muslims who sided with other Muslim forces