The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c18.7

c18.7

*Banjāra* or *Birinjārā*. The supplies of grain were brought in on the backs of bullocks by the wandering dealers known as Banjārahs or Brinjārahs. There are two derivations alleged for this word, 1) H. *banij*, trade, plus the affix *ārah*, denoting a doer or agent (Steingass, 201), and 2) P. *birinj*, rice, *ār*, *ārā*, the root of *āwardan*, to bring (Steingass, 179). Fitzclarence, 93, says “It is by these people that the Indian armies in the field are fed, and they are never injured by either army. The grain is taken from them, but invariably paid for. They encamp for safety every evening in a regular square formed of the bags of grain, of which they construct a breastwork. They and their families are in the centre and the oxen are made fast outside. Guards with matchlocks and spears are placed at the corners, and their dogs do duty as advanced posts. I have seen them with droves of 50,000 bullocks. They do not move above two miles an hour, as the cattle are allowed to graze as they proceed on the march”. On these men, see also Thorn, 85, E. Moor, 131, and M. Wilks, iii, 209.