Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Shivaji and His Times c17.s3: §3. Strength of his army

Shivaji and His Times c17.s3

Language
English

§3. Strength of his army

c17.s3.1

The growth of his army is thus recorded: at the outset of his career he had 1,200 household cavalry (*paga*) and 2,000 *silahdars* or mercenary horsemen who provided their own arms and mounts. (Sabh. 8.) After the conquest of Javli (1656) their number was increased to 7,000 *paga*, 3,000 *silahdars* and 10,000 Mavle infantry. (Sabh. 11.) He also enlisted 700 Pathans from the disbanded soldiery of Bijapur (*T. S.* 15b.) After the destruction of Afzal Khan (1659) he raised his forces to 7,000 *paga*, 8,000 *silahdars*, and 12,000 infantry (Sabh. 27.) At the time of his death (1680), his army consisted of 45,000 *paga* (under 29 colonels), 60,000 *silahdars* (under 31 colonels) and one *lakh* of Mavle infantry (under 36 colonels.) (Sabh. 96-97.) But *T. S.* states that he left 32,000 horses in his stables, besides 5,000 given to the bargirs.

c17.s3.2

The core of his army was, therefore, formed by 30 to 40 thousand regular and permanently enlisted cavalry in his own service, and about twice that number of infantry militia (hasham), whom he used to withdraw from the cultivation of their fields during the campaigning season only, as in England under King Alfred. The infantry garrisoning his forts were permanently recruited, though they were given fields in their neighbourhood. The number of the silahdars who hired themselves and their horses out to him varied greatly from year to year, according to his need, their expectation of plunder in the impending campaign, and the demand for their services in the neighbouring States at a particular time. In the earlier stages of his career, local chieftains with their retainers used to join him in his raids (e.g., Surat, 1664) and swell his army by the adhesion of a body of irregulars. The same thing happened in his invasion of Madras (1677.)

c17.s3.3

His elephants are numbered 1,260 by Sabhasad (p. 97); but T. S. gives 125 and Chit. 300, which are more likely figures. The camels were 3,000 (T. S.) or 1,500 (Chit.) The number of his artillery-pieces is not mentioned. Chitnis (a doubtful authority) tells us that 200 guns were kept ready for field service and the rest were placed in the forts. Each field gun had some elephants and a battalion of infantry attached to it.

Linked texts (1)