The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c5.3

c5.3

(2) *Robes of Honour.* — The *khila‘t* was not peculiar to the military department. These robes of honour were given to everyone presented at court. Distinction was, however, made according to the position of the receiver. There were five degrees of *khila‘t*, those of three, five, six, or seven pieces; or they might as a special mark of favour consist of clothes that the emperor had actually worn (*malbūs-i-khāṣ*). A three-piece *khila‘t*, given from the general wardrobe (*khila‘t-khānah*), consisted of a turban (*dastār*), a long coat with very full skirts (*jāmah*), and a scarf for the waist (*kamrband*). A five-piece robe came from the *toshah-khānah* (storehouse for presents), the extra pieces being a turban ornament called a *sarpech* and a band for tying across the turban (*bālāband*). For the next grade a tight-fitting jacket with short sleeves, called a Half-sleeve (*nīmah-astīn*), was added. A European writer, Tavernier (Ball, i, 163), thus details the seven-piece *khila‘t*: (1) a cap, (2) a long gown (*ka‘bah*), (3) a close-fitting coat (*arkalon*), which I take to be *alkhāliq*, a tight coat, (4) two pairs of trousers, (5) two shirts, (6) two girdles, (7) a scarf for the head or neck.