The Institutes of Akbar 160.2.1

160.2.1

“The paid army of the present reign consists of 200,000 cavalry, according to the rule of branding the fourth part, as has been mentioned above. This is exclusive of the soldiers that are allowed to the Faujdárs, Krorís, and tax-collectors, for the administration of the Parganahs. These 200,000 cavalry are made up as follows—
8000 Mançabdárs
7000 mounted Ahadís and mounted Barqandázes.
185,000 Cavalry, consisting of the contingents (tábínán) of the Princes, the Chief grandees, and the other Mançabdárs.
Besides these 200,000 cavalry, there are 40,000 foot, musketeers, artillery, and rocket-bearers. Of these 40,000, 10,000 accompany the emperor, and the remaining 30,000 are in the Çúbahs and the forts.”
The ‘Rule of branding the fourth part’ is described among the events of the year 1056, as follows (II, p. 506):—
“The following law was made during the present reign (Sháhjahán). If a Mançabdár holds a jágír in the same çúbah, in which he holds his mançab, he has to muster one-third of the force indicated by his rank. Accordingly a Sih Hazárí çát sih hazár suwár (a Commander of 3000, personal rank; contingent, 3000 cavalry) has to muster (bring to the brand) 1000 cavalry. But if he holds an appointment in another çúbah, he has only to muster a fourth part. Accordingly, a Chahárhazárí chahárhazár suwár (a Commander of 4000; contingent, 4000) has only to muster 1000 cavalry. At the time when the Imperial army was ordered to take Balkh and Samarqand [1055], His Majesty, on account of the distance of those countries, gave the order that as long as the expedition should last, each Mançabdár should only muster one-fifth. Accordingly a Panjhazárí panjhazár suwár (a commander of 5000; contingent, 5000) mustered only 1000, viz., 300 Sihaspah troopers, 600 Duaspah troopers, 100 yakaspah troopers [i. e., 1000 men with 2200 horses], provided the income (háçil) of his jágír was fixed at 12 months; or 250 Sihaspah troopers, 500 duaspah troopers, and 250 yakaspah troopers [i. e., 1000 men with 2000 horses], provided the income of his jágír was fixed at 11 months; or 800 duaspah troopers, and 200 yakaspah troopers [i. e., 1000 men and 1800 horses], if the income of his jágír was fixed at 10 months; or 600 duaspah troopers and 400 yakaspah, if at 9 months; or 450 duaspah and 550 yakaspah troopers, if at 8 months; or 250 duaspah and 750 yakaspah troopers, if at 7 months; or 100 duaspah and 900 yakaspah troopers, if at 6 months; or 1000 yakaspah, if at 5 months. But if the troopers to a mancab had all been fixed as sihaspah duaspah [in other words, if the Commander was not a Panj hazárí, panj hazár suwár, but a Panj hazárí panj hazár suwár i duaspah siaspah] he musters, as his proportion of duaspah and sihaspah troopers, double the number which he would have to muster, if his mançab had been as in the preceding. Accordingly, a Panj hazárí panj hazár tamám duaspah sihaspah (a Commander of 5000; contingent, only duaspah and sihaspah), would muster 600 troopers with three horses, 1200 troopers with two horses, and 200 troopers with one horse each [i. e., 2000 men with 4400 horses], provided the income of his jagír be fixed at 12 months, and so on.”
From this important passage, it is clear that one-fourth of that number of troopers, which is indicated by the title of a Mançabdár, was the average strength of the contingents at the time of Sháhjahán. Thus if a Commander of 1000 troopers had the title of Hazárí hazár suwár, the strength of his contingent was 1000/4 = 250 men with 650 horses, viz. 75 sihaspah, 150 duaspah, and 25 yakaspah; and if his title was Hazárí hazár suwár i duaspah siaspah, the strength of his contingent was 500 men with 1300 horses, viz. 150 sihaspah, 300 duaspah, and 50 yakaspah, if the income of his jágír was drawn by him for every month of the year. The above passage also indicates that the proportions of sihaspah, and duaspah, and yakaspah troopers was for all mançabs as 300: 600: 100, or as 3: 6: 1.