Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c27.s14.20

v2.c27.s14.20

According to Kashiraj Pandit, Ahmad Shah took a muster of his army one day before the Dasaharā, *i.e.*, on 18th October, 1760, which showed 41,800 horse and 38,000 foot under his banners. He continues, after giving the strength of each contingent in detail, "These made altogether 40,000 horse and 40,000 foot. Out of this total, 30,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry (composed of the heroic tiger-cubs of Kābul) and two thousand camel-swivels belonged to the Shah, and the rest to his Indian allies." This totalling must be considered as a rough one, as it does not quite agree with the detailed numbers he himself has given before; *e.g.*, in the details he has missed out the 10,000 Kabuli infantry whose name occurs also in the account of the battle, while the Indo-Muslim auxiliaries total 51,000 against the 40,000 which would be left to them if in an army of 80,000 the Durranis numbered 40,000. Four thousand infantry, each carrying a zamburak, were mounted on 2,000 camels; these and the gunners serving Abdali's 70 to 80 pieces of cannon are evidently included in the above total of 40,000, though in that age the musketeers were placed under the artillery department and not counted among the cavalry or infantry.