The Institutes of Akbar 102: ÁÍN 55. · REGULATIONS FOR BRANDING HORSES.

102

In order to prevent fraudulent exchanges, and to remove the stamp of doubtful ownership, horses were for sometime marked with the word نظر (nazar, sight), sometimes with the word داغ (dágh, mark), and sometimes with the numeral V (seven). Every horse that was received by government had the mark burnt on the right cheek; and those that were returned, on the left side. Sometimes, in the case of 'Iráqí and Mujannas horses, they branded the price in numerals on the right cheek; and in the case of Turkí and Arab horses, on the left. Now-a-days the horses of every stable are distinguished by their price in numerals. Thus, a horse of ten muhurs, is marked with the numeral ten; those of twenty muhurs, have a twenty, and so on. When horses, at the time of the musters, are put into a higher or a lower grade, the old brand is removed.