The Institutes of Akbar 163: THE AHADIS.

163

There are many brave and worthy persons whom His Majesty does not appoint to a Manṣab, but whom he frees from being under the orders of any one. Such persons belong to the immediate servants of His Majesty, and are dignified by their independence. They go through the school of learning their duties, and have their knowledge tested. As it is the aim of His Majesty to confer a spiritual meaning on that which is external, he calls such persons Ahadis (from ahad, one). They are thus reminded of the unity of God.
A new regulation regarding rank was given.
For the sake of the convenience of the Ahadis, a separate Dīwān and a paymaster were appointed, and one of the great Amīrs is their chief. A fit person has also been selected to introduce to His Majesty such as are candidates for Ahadiships. Without partiality or accepting bribes, he takes daily several before His Majesty, who examines them. When they have been approved of, they pass through the Yāddāsht, the Ta’līqah, the descriptive roll, and accounts [vide Ain 10]. The paymaster then takes security, and introduces the candidate a second time to His Majesty, who generally increases his pay from an eighth to three-fourths, or even to more than six-sevenths.’ Many Ahadis have indeed more than 500 Rupees per mensem. He then gets the number nine as his brand [vide Ain 7]. In the beginning, when their rank was first established, some Ahadis mustered eight horses; but now, the limit is five. On his sarkhat [vide Ain 11] each receives a farmanchah (rank and pay certificate), on which year after year the treasurer makes payments.
Ahadis are mustered every four months, when on a certificate signed by the Diwán and the Bakhshí, which is called now-a-days Tuçahíhah, the clerk of the treasury writes out a receipt, to be countersigned by the principal grandees. This the treasurer keeps, and pays the claim. Before the period (of four months) is over, he gets one month’s salary in advance. In the course of the year, he receives cash for ten months, after deducting from it one-twentieth of the sum, the total stoppage being made on account of his horses and other expenses. On joining the service, an Ahadi generally finds his own horse; but afterwards he gets it from the Government; and if the certificate of the inspectors, which is called Saqatnámah, explains the reason why the horse is not forthcoming, he is held indemnified for his dead horse, but does not receive the money for keeping a horse until he gets a new one. But if he has no Saqatnámah to shew, he is not allowed anything from the time of the last muster. Those who are in want of horses, are continually taken before His Majesty, who gives away many horses as presents or as part of the pay, one-half being reckoned as irmás money, and the other half being deducted in four instalments at the subsequent four musters; or if the Ahadi be in debt, in eight instalments.