The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c14.78

v4.c14.78

Islām Shāh’s jealousy of his father’s reputation betrayed the meanness of his character. Between each two of the caravanserais which his father had built on the main roads he built another caravanserai, wholly unnecessary, and instead of distributing alms in the imperial camp, as his father had done, he followed the wasteful course of permitting them to be distributed, under inefficient supervision, at all the caravanserais. He remodelled the army, dividing the cavalry into troops and squadrons of 50, 200, 250 and 500. Two other measures angered the old nobles and aroused in them that hostility which drew upon them his suspicion. The first was the special favour shown to his personal troops, a force of 6000 cavalry which had been under his command during his father’s life. After his accession the private soldiers of this force were promoted to the rank of officers, and the officers to that of *amīr* or noble. The second was the arbitrary substitution of cash payments for assignments and of assignments for cash payments among officers holding high command in the army. None of these measures, either civil or military, was necessary; some led to wasteful expenditure of public funds, others aroused discontent, and all were introduced merely with the object of advancing their author’s reputation as an administrator and legislator.