Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s3.t1.28

c7.s3.t1.28

We may add here some remarks on the royal establishment for the chase. Every Sultan had very large establishments which included vast numbers of animals trained specially for the chase, and very large areas reserved as royal preserves. Under Firuz Tughluq the Shikar department was considered as one of the ‘pillars of the State’. ² The Shikar department was organized under an *Amir-i-shikar* who was usually noble of rank, together with other officials of similar status. Under these senior officials came minor officers for the care and keeping of royal falcons and other hunting animals and birds, known as *Arizan-i-Shikar*, *Khassa-daran* and *Mihtaran* respectively. Under them came a numerous staff of *Shikra-dars* who carried the animals and birds on the day of the chase. The services of practically all the big game hunters and watchers of the kingdom were secured by this department. All kinds of hunting animals and birds—elephants, hounds, trained ‘cheetahs’, lynxes, falcons, and hawks were collected in large numbers.³ It was an old Persian tradition to build great walled enclosures as royal preserves for wild and domestic animals.⁴ A large piece of land extending to about twelve krhos (about 24 miles) was secured near Delhi to serve as a State preserve.⁵ It may be remembered in this connection that the Shikar regulations were probably very strict and small defaults were severely dealt with.⁶