The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c3.12

c3.12

On the distribution of rank into *zāt* and *suwār* was founded a classification into first, second, and third class *manṣabs*, by which the scale of *zāt* pay was reduced proportionately. From this classification were exempted officers above 5000 *zāt*; these were all of one class. From 5000 downwards, an officer was First Class, if his rank in *zāt* and *suwār* were equal; Second Class, if his *suwār* was half his *zāt* rank; Third Class, if the *suwār* were less than half the *zāt*, or there were no *suwār* at all (*Dastūr-ul-Inshā*, 222). I think that here Blochmann (*Āīn*, i, 238, lines 5 and foll.) obscures the subject by using “contingent” as the equivalent of *suwār*, instead of leaving the untranslated original word to express a technical meaning.