Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c58.s2.4

v4.c58.s2.4

To secure this self-sufficiency, General Wellesley required a fortified depot for his food, munitions, and replacements of transport,—and even cattle fodder,—not far from his marching army, so as to avoid dependence on the base at Haidarabad, 500 miles away, or the one at Bombay, the path from which was most difficult and insecure. The providing of escorts for such long lines of transport would have greatly reduced his fighting strength and the speed of his movements. He solved this problem by capturing Ahmadnagar. With such an impregnable base close behind and his famous Mysore bullocks well fed, he could march 23 miles a day in excellent fighting condition, and thus counter the noted mobility of the Maratha horse. His practically-designed basket-boats (coracles) and pontoons of copper-sheet barrels carried on bullock-carts, enabled him to ferry his army over the rivers and overtake the enemy at will.