The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c17.6

c17.6

As for uniform, the only sign of it originally was a red turban worn by all in the imperial employ. For the great mass of the army there was usually no uniformity of dress; but in a general way each class of troops dressed in a similar style, Persians in one way, Mughals in another, Hindustānī Mahomedans could be distinguished from Rājputs, and so forth (Horn, 25). But such distinctions, though obvious at once to a practised eye, would take long to record, even if we knew sufficiently what they were. One Sābit Khān, at one time *faujdār* of ʿAlīgaṛh, was famed as the introducer of a kind of attire for soldiers, which was called after him the *sābit-khānī* dress. There were, however, some few regiments clothed in uniform. For example, as early as Farrukhsīyar's reign the " *Surkh-poshān* " (the Red Regiment) is spoken of. (Ījād's *Farrukh-shāh nāmah*, fol. 27, line 3). And it would seem from a passage in the *Sharāif-i-ʿusmānī*, p. 207, line 4, that in Muḥammad Shāh's time there were some regiments of body-guards clad alike, and known as the *surkhposh*, *zardposh* and *siyāhposh*, from the colour of their coats, red, yellow or black. These men carried gold or silver clubs (*gathak*).