Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c27.s30.1

v2.c27.s30.1

The cause of the Durrani victory is thus convincingly given by the French captain Jean Law, who visited Delhi in 1758:—“Nothing like it [viz., the disorderly condition of Indian troops] is to be seen in the army of Abdali; everything there is real, the men as much as the horses and the arms. His army is divided into squadrons of a thousand horsemen. Each squadron is distinguished by a cap of a different colour and under the command of a chief, who invariably makes his report to Abdali himself twice a day. The chief has subaltern officers for whose conduct he is held responsible. The review of the troops is made rigorously all the months, and—what merits attention,—they are punished at least as often as they are rewarded. Although the troops of Abdali are generally good, there are among them some corps that surpass the others. They are the men whose bravery has been more frequently put to the proof. Every time this prince enters on a campaign he keeps apart 12 or 15 of these squadrons. It is his reserve corps, destined for the decisive strokes, and of which the Marathas have felt the weight so often." (*Mémoire*, 194-195.)