The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c12.s1.9

c12.s1.9

The clearest account of the way in which they mounted their heavy artillery in the field is to be found in Orme, "Mil. Trans.", ii, 173, when describing Sirāj-ud-daulah's guns at the battle of Palāsī (Plassey) in 1757: "The cannon were mostly of the largest calibres, 24 and 32 pounders; and these were mounted on the middle of a large stage, raised six feet from the ground, carrying besides the cannon, all the ammunition belonging to it, and the gunners themselves who managed the cannon, on the stage itself. These machines were drawn by 40 or 50 yoke of white oxen, of the largest size, bred in the country of Purnea; and behind each cannon walked an elephant, trained to assist at difficult tugs, by shoving with his forehead against the hinder part of the carriage”. Sir Eyre Coote, “Minutes of Select Committee H. C.”, 30th April 1772, says that the Nawāb’s cannon were “mounted on bundles of bamboos tied together and each piece drawn by 20 or 30 pairs of oxen”. On the other hand, Major Munro, “Minutes”, 14th May 1772, deposed that the 133 pieces of different sizes taken from Shujāʿ-ud-daulah at Baksar (23rd Oct. 1764) were all on carriages and most of them on English carriages.