The Book of Akbar 132.2

132.2

His Majesty, the Lord of Conjunction (Timur), at the time of his conquest of Hindustan, gave orders for a muster of his troops in the plain of Samanah, and Maulana Sharafu-d-din 'Ali Yazdi states (Zafarnama II, 83) that the line of the army (tul-i-yesal) occupied a space of six farsakhs in length, and persons experienced in military matters have calculated that a farsakh represents 12,000 horse, consequently, exclusive of the servants of servants (naukar-i-naukar) there were 72,000 horsemen. The servants of servants occupied two kos. His opponent, Mallu Khan, had 10,000 horse and 120 elephants. Yet with all this, many of those in the Lord of Conjunction’s camp were frightened and his Majesty observed the alarm of his soldiers and heard improper remarks from them. And in order to reassure them, he commanded that a palisade should be made of branches of trees, in front of his troops, and that in front of this, a ditch should be dug and that behind that bullocks and buffaloes should be placed opposite each other, and fastened by their necks and feet with leathern thongs. Also many triangular (caltrops) iron prongs were made and it was arranged that foot soldiers should take these and throw them in the way at the time of the onset and when the elephants came on.