The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c8.s4.20

c8.s4.20

According to Bernier, the Mughals maintained a large army for the purpose of keeping people in subjection No adequate idea can be conveyed of the sufferings of the people. The cudgel and the whip compel them to incessant labour their revolt or their flight is only prevented by the presence of a military force.¹⁸⁰ There is no need to wonder why cudgel and whip were used to compel people to incessant labour and prevent flight of peasants from the villages. One function of the army of course was to conquer new regions and crush internal rebellions. Another was meant to coerce the recalcitrant land-holders (zor talab) and keep the poor peasants in subjection. For this second purpose there was a separate set of soldiery who could be called to service from regions and districts when so required. In the time of Akbar the number of such soldiers comes to a little more than forty-four lacs.¹⁸¹ This force was organised on the quota system, each *Zamindar* or autonomous ruler being expected to produce on demand a fixed number of troops. Ordinarily they received no stipends from the imperial government and were, therefore, not required to submit to military regulations which governed the regular army.¹⁸² It was mainly this cadre which kept the common people under subjection. In Indias climatic conditions, vagaries of monsoon, and resistance of freedom-loving though poor people¹⁸³ to oppressive foreign rule, made collection of revenue a perennial problem in medieval times. Right from the beginning of Muslim rule, regular military expeditions had to be sent yearly or half-yearly for realization of land-tax or revenue.¹⁸⁴ Under Afghan rulers like Sher Shah (who adopted the Sultanate model in general and Alauddin Khalji model in particular) the *Shiqdars* with armed contingents helped in the collection of revenue. The Mughals followed suit and troops were pressed into service for the collection of revenue. This constabulary carried long sticks mounted with pikes and was unscrupulous and tyrannical as a rule. Its oppressions inpired terror among the poor villagers. Bernier rightly observes that the government of the Mughals was an army rule even in the time of peace.¹⁸⁵ The rural fear of the *darogha saheb* and his men originated neither in ancient nor in modern times. It is a legacy of the medieval period.