The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c16.40

c16.40

The *Adabul Harb* gives a description of the battle array; on two sides of the *qalb* or *muqaddam* (vanguard) were drawn up the *maisara* (left wing) and the *maimana* (right wing), while a picked body of troops formed the *khalf* or rear, to be thrown in battle later, and only as a tactical move or as a last resort². A special corps, called *sariya*, (Minhaj seems to refer to it under the name of *tilaya*³) is also mentioned as being composed of four hundred light cavalry, commanded by an *amir*. It was employed for work requiring swift movements and for reconnoissance⁴.