Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 4.3.8

4.3.8

Mansebdars are horsemen with manseb pay, which is a peculiar pay, both honourable and considerable ; not equal to that of the Omrahs, but much greater than the common pay. Hence they are looked on as petty Omrahs, and as being of the rank from which the Omrahs are taken. They acknowledge no other chief but the King, and have much the same duties imposed upon them as the Omrahs, to whom they would be equal if they had horsemen under them, as formerly was sometimes the case ; but now they have only two, four, or six service horses, that is, such as bear the King's mark ; and their pay is, in some instances, as low as one hundred and fifty roupies per month, and never exceeds seven hundred. Their number is not fixed, but they are much more numerous than the Omrahs : besides those in the provinces and armies, there are never less than two or three hundred at court.