The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c3.11

c3.11

As an additional distinction, it was the custom to tack on to a *manṣab* a number of extra horsemen. To distinguish between the two kinds of rank, the original *manṣab*, which governed the personal allowances, was known as the *zāt* rank (*zāt* = body, person, self), and the additional men were designated by the word *suwār* (= horseman). Thus a man would be styled “2500 *zāt*, 1000 *suwār*.” It is said (*Mirāt*, fol. 35) that men below 500 never had *suwār* added to their rank; but this is not borne out by what we find in actual practice. For instance, Mirzā Muḥammad (*Tazkirah*, I.O.L. N°. 50, fol. 96a) was in Rabīʿ II, 1119 H., made 400, 50 horse, and his younger brother 300, 30 horse. There are also instances in Dānishmand Khān of 150, 50 horse; 300, 10 horse; 300, 20 horse; 300, 80 horse; 400, 40 horse; and so on. In fact, unless this had been the case, it would be impossible to divide the ranks below 500 into first, second, and third grade, as was actually done. This division into grades we now proceed to describe.