The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c11.s2.20

c11.s2.20

Jazāil or Jazāir. This was the wall-piece or swivel gun, and it is doubtful whether it should come here, under fire arms carried by the combatant, or under artillery. In some respects it partook of the character of both. Steingass, 362, defines jazāil as a large musket, wall-piece, swivel, a rifle used with a prong or rest. Egerton, 124, note to Nº. 585 refers to jazāils in the Codrington collection which are 7 feet and 8 feet long; this would appear to be the usual length. Ashob, fol. 182b, describing the entrenchments of Muḥammad Shāh outside Karnāl (1151 H., Feb. 1739), twice speaks of something he calls a pushtah, which was put up (andakhtah) by the jazāil-men. This is not the tripod, which is separately mentioned; probably it was a field shelter or slight entrenchment.