The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c7.s4: Verification (Taṣḥīḥaḥ)
The Army of the Indian Moghuls: Its Organization and Administration c7.s4
- Language
- English
Verification (Taṣḥīḥaḥ)
c7.s4.1
Something on this subject will be found in the Āīn, i, 250, where the reference is confined to the aḥadīs; Dr. Horn, so far as he goes into the matter at all, deals with it on p. 49 of his work. In later times, at all events, the rule of mustering and verification seems to have been of almost universal application. For example, in a work called the Guldastah-i-Bahār, a collection of letters from Chhabīlah Rām, Nāgar, compiled in 1139 H. (1726--7), of which I possess a fragment, I find on fol. 18a an instance of the verification rules being enforced against a manṣabdār in the end of Bahādur Shāh's reign (1118--24 H.). Chhabīlah Rām, who was then faujdār of Karrah Mānikpur (ṣūbah Allāhābād), complains to his patron that the clerks had caused his jāgīr, in parganah Jājmau, bringing in ten lakhs of dāms, to be taken away from him, because he had not produced vouchers of *dāgh-o-taṣḥīḥah*. He sends the papers by a special messenger, and prays his correspondent, some influential man at Court, to obtain the restoration of the *jāgīr* in question.
c7.s4.2
The intervals after which verification was imperative varied according to the nature of the man's pay. If he were paid in *jāgīr*, he had to muster his men for verification once a year, and, in addition, a period of six months' grace was allowed. If the officer were paid in *naqd* (cash), the time allowed depended upon whether he was — (1) present at Court (*ḥāẓir-i-riqāb*), or (2) on duty elsewhere (*taʿīnāt*). In the first case he had to procure his certificate at six-month intervals, or within eight months at the outside. In the second case he was allowed fifteen days after he had reported himself at Court. An *aḥadī* seems to have been allowed, in a similar case, no more than seven days. Where an officer drew his pay partly in *jāgīr* (assignment) and partly in *naqd* (cash), if the former made more than half the total pay, the rule for *jāgīrdārs* was followed; if the *jāgīr* were less than half, the *naqdī* rule was followed. (B.M. 1641, fols. 31*a*, 39*b*).
c7.s4.3
When the interval and the period of grace had elapsed, the man was reported for *tawaqquf-i-taṣḥīḥah* (delay in verification). A *manṣabdār* lost the whole of his pay for the period since the last verification; or, if he were important enough to have been presented to the emperor (*rū-shinās*, known by sight), he might succeed in obtaining his personal pay. An *aḥadī* lost half his pay, and it was only by an order on a special report that he could be excused the penalty. The proportion of horsemen (*tābinān*) that a *manṣabdār* must produce differed when he was at Court and when he was on duty in the provinces. In the first case he was bound to muster one-fourth, and in the second one-third, of his total number or as the case is stated in the *Maʾāsir-ul-umarā*, ii, 444, "In the reign of Shāhjahān it was decided that if an officer held a *jāgīr* within the *ṣūbah* to which he was attached, he should produce one third of his *tābīnān* for Branding. Thus if he were 3000 *zāt*, 3000 *suwār*, he would produce 1000 horsemen. If sent to another *ṣūbah* of Hindustān, then one fourth had to appear. During the campaign in Balkh and Badakhshān, owing to the great distance, one fifth was held to be sufficient.” There were three seasons appointed for verification, from the 26th Shawwāl to the 15th Zūl Qa‘dah (twenty days), the 19th Ṣafar to the 15th Rabī‘ I (twenty-five days), and the 16th Jamādī II to the 15th Rajab (twenty-nine days). (B.M. 1641, fols. 31*a*, 39*b*, 58*b*; B.M. 6599, fol. 148*a*).
c7.s4.4
*Officials and their duties.* — At head quarters officers entitled Amīn, dāroghah, and mushrif were appointed by the emperor to the Verification department, which was under the supervision of the chief bakhshīs. The Bakhshīs made the appointments for the provinces. In addition to his personal rank (*manṣab*), the Amīn received a *manṣab* of 10 horse while in office (*Mirāt-i-Aḥmadī*, ii, 118). The duties are thus described by Hidāyatullah, Bahārī, in his *Hidāyat-ul-quwāid*, fol. 13*a*. The dāroghah should compare the marks and points (*khat-o-khāl*) of the horses with the descriptive roll (*chihrah*), and inspect the horses to see whether they were fit for the service or not. If fit for branding, he should cause the brand to be imposed, signing the descriptive roll, adding the day, month and year, with the words “Two horses such-and-such branded.” If it were a two-horse man, he should certify for two horses and send the original descriptive roll to the office of the Bakhshī, retaining a copy sealed by the Bakhshī among his own records. Two months having passed, he should in the third month inspect and verify according to the copy of the roll, looking to see if the marks correspond. His inspection report was entered on the back of the roll, giving day, month, and year, thus: “So-and-so with his horses and arms was inspected.” If it was a one-horse man, the dāroghah wrote:
c7.s4.5
“Man and one horse inspected.” If it were a foot matchlock-man or an archer, he wrote on the back of the roll: “Man and arms inspected.” For carpet-layers and servants belonging to the court establishment he wrote on the back of the roll. When the paper was full, another sheet was attached. The peshkār (head clerk) of the dāroghah drew up according to rule a present state, giving details of those present and absent and the receipts. He then brought it up for orders. The dāroghah attached his seal to the report and sent it on to the Bakhshī’s office. In accordance therewith an order (barāt) on the Treasury was prepared for each man. The dāroghah ought to see that the horsemen and infantry are present on the march and on guard. He should enjoin on the guard-clerk to make an inspection at midnight of the men posted on guard, and write down the names of those present. According to the Mirāt-i-Aḥmadī, ii, 118, the officials after the mustering and verification made out certificates (daṣtak) bearing the seals of the dāroghah, amīn, and mushrif, which were delivered to the manṣabdār concerned.