A History of the Mahrattas v1.c30.81

v1.c30.81

The army which crossed the Nerbuddah in 1769, under Visajee Kishen as chief in command, consisted, when the whole were united in Malwa, of nearly fifty thousand horse. Visajee Kishen and Ramchundur Gunnesh, besides Pindharees, had twenty thousand horse, of which fifteen thousand belonged to the Peishwa. With Mahadajee Sindia there were fifteen thousand, and with Tookajee Holkar about the same number.³ There was also a large body of infantry with a numerous artillery,⁴ chiefly natives of Hindoostan and Malwa, including men of all casts. The Arabs, Abyssinians, and Sindians, of whom there was a small proportion, were accounted the best soldiers of the army, and were mostly obtained from the seaports of Cambay and Surat.