The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c17.7

c17.7

The Chaghatāe origin of the ruling house and many of its officers was shown in the frequent occurrence of military terms from the language used in Central Asia. The emperor and many about the court spoke and understood the Chaghatāe language so late as 1173 H. (1759-60), *Seir*, iii, 142; and Mustapha, id., iii, 400, note 63, tells us that up to the time he wrote (c. 1785), the word *atlān* (Be mounted) was "carried round to the horse guards when the emperor is going to mount his elephant". (P. de C., 5, from اتلانق, *atlānmaq*, to ride on horseback). Another instance of familiarity with Eastern Turkish is found in 1739, when Āghar Khān of the Āghar tribe, whose family had been settled in India over a hundred years, talked to Nādir Shāh in that language, and even composed some verses in it, *Ashob*, fol. 258*a*.