History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c16.4

c16.4

The army consisted chiefly of cavalry and infantry; elephants were also used in times of war. The Dīvān-i-'Arz (Muster Master) kept a descriptive roll of every soldier. 'Alāūddīn introduced the system of branding horses,¹ so that at the time of review no horse could be presented twice or replaced by a worse one. A strict review of the army of the state was occasionally made and the horses and arms of the soldiers were examined. 'Alāūddīn maintained a large standing army on a permanent basis, and did not disband his troops as soon as a conquest was accomplished or a foreign invasion repulsed. According to Ferishtah the Sultan maintained a standing army of 4,75,000 horsemen well equipped and accoutred. The salary of a soldier was fixed at 234 *tankhas* per year or 19½ *tankhas* per month, and if the soldier had two horses he was given an additional allowance of 78 *tankhas* per year or 6½ *tankhas* per month for the maintenance of the additional horse.