Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c35.s2.3

v3.c35.s2.3

His military superiority lay in his copious supply of artillery, rockets and smaller fire arms, six battalions of sepoy musketeers,—two of them trained by the English and the others organised and led by commandants who had previously seen service under Europeans,—his assemblage of the remnants of the old Badakhshis (all veterans familiar with Durrāni warfare) and a large body of desperate Ruhela soldiers who had been disbanded after Najib-ud-daulah's death and the downfall of his son. He had, besides, the benefit of the advice of very competent European generals, such as Major Polier, an expert military engineer highly praised by Hastings, in the campaign of January 1774, and René Madec and the Comte de Modave in the war of 1775-1776. Above all shone his own undoubted genius for war and diplomacy and power of controlling men.*