Administrative System of the Marathas c14.s3: 4. Infantry and Cavalry
Administrative System of the Marathas c14.s3
- Language
- English
4. Infantry and Cavalry
c14.s3.1
The Peshwa army consisted mainly of cavalry. The infantry was recruited from Hindusthan and made but a poor impression on an Irish soldier, Col. W. H. Tone. Shivaji's military genius, however, had early perceived the necessity of light infantry and light cavalry in a guerrilla war and hill campaign. His Mawalis and Hetkaris have become famous in the military annals of India. Selected after personal examination by Shivaji himself, each man was trained into an excellent soldier, not by drilling in the parade ground but by the surer method of service in an actual war. "Shiva Ji had no idea of allowing his soldiers' swords to rust."²¹ The result was that not only their weapons but the men who wielded them also gained in efficiency.
c14.s3.2
²¹ Manucci ed. Irvine, Vol. II, p. 208
c14.s3.3
Shivaji's infantry was carefully divided into regiments, brigades and divisions. The smallest unit consisted of 9 men and the officer commanding it was called the Naik. The Havaldar of the infantry had five such units under him. Over two or three Havaldars was placed a Jumledar. The officer commanding ten jumlas was styled a Hazari and the Sarnobat of the infantry had seven Hazaris under him. The Jumledar had an annual salary of one hundred Hons and his Sabnis got forty. The Hazari got five hundred Hons per year, and his Sabnis's salary varied from one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five Hons.²¹ Chitnis informs us that at the time of a marriage or any other ceremony of similar importance in the family, the officers could expect financial help.
c14.s3.4
²¹ Sabhasad, p. 30. Sen, Siva Chhatrapati, p. 33.
c14.s3.5
The cavalry was divided into two classes, *vis.*, the bargirs and the shiledars. The bargir was equipped with horse and arms by the state, while the shiledar brought his own horse and sometimes came with a body of troops armed and equipped at his own expense. The bargir belonged to the *paga* proper, while the shiledar held a comparatively inferior position. "The strength of the *paga*," says Sabhasad, "was rendered superior (to that of the shiledar). Shiledars were placed under the jurisdiction of the paga. To none was left independence enough for rebelling. To every horse in the paga was appointed a trooper (bargir); over twenty-five such bargirs was appointed an expert Maratha Havaldar. Five Havaldars formed a jumla. The Jumledar had a salary of five hundred Hons and a palanquin, and his Majumdar a salary of one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five Hons. For every twenty-five horses were appointed a water-carrier and a farrier. A Hazari was a commander of ten such jumlas. To his office was attached a salary of one thousand Hons, a Mazumdar, a Maratha Karbhari and a Prabhu Kayastha Jamenis; for them was allotted a sum of five hundred Hons. Salary and palanquin were given to each officer according to this scale. Accounts of income and expenditure were made up in the presence of all the four. Five such Hazaris were placed under a Panch Hazari. To him was given a salary of two thousand Hons. A Mazumdar, a Karbhari and a Jamenis were likewise attached to his office. These Panch Hazaris were under the command of the Sarnobat. The administration of the paga was of the same kind. Similarly the different brigadiers of the shiledars also were placed under the command of the Sarnobat.²³ Shivaji enlisted in his army not only Hindus but Muhammadans also. A body of seven hundred Pathans offered their services to the Maratha king and Shivaji enlisted them, it is said, in opposition to the majority of his officers. Shivaji pointed out that a king was a king first, and a Hindu or Muhammadan afterwards; and was supported in this wise resolution by an old officer Gomaji Naik Pansambal.²⁴ Shivaji knew quite well that an army, however efficient, could not be expected to operate with success in an enemy country, unless served by an efficient intelligence department. He organised a body of excellent spies, the chief of whom was Bahirji Naik Jadhav. Shivaji was so well served by these intelligent officers that he owed many of his most brilliant successes mainly to the information collected by them. On one occasion his army was saved from utter destruction by Bahirji's knowledge of unfrequented hill tracks.²⁵
c14.s3.6
²³ Sabhasad, pp. 28-29. Sen, Siva Chhatrapati, pp. 30-31.
c14.s3.7
²⁴ Chitnis, p. 33. Sen, Siva Chhatrapati, p. 164.
c14.s3.8
²⁵ Sabhasad, p. 93. Sen, Siva Chhatrapati, p. 130.
c14.s3.9
Shivaji could never expect to reach the numerical strength of his enemies. But he had detected the defects of the heavily armed Muhammadan soldiery and relied on speed for success against them. He, therefore, never allowed his soldiers to be encumbered with heavy arms or costly camp equipage. Dressed in tight-fitting breeches, cotton jackets and turbans,²⁶ armed mainly with swords both long and short, spears and lances, bows and arrows and matchlocks, depending mainly on the spoils of war for their subsistence, Shivaji's soldiers were ready to march at a moment's notice. They were so quick both in mobilising and demobilising, that their enemies could hardly expect to get any information of their projects before their actual execution. Though the ordinary soldier was poorly dressed, Shivaji indulged in great expenditure in arming and equipping his body-guards. This regiment was divided into units of 20, 30, 40, 60, and 100 men. They were equipped at state expense and were given richly embroidered turbans and jackets of broad-cloth, gold and silver ear-rings and wristlets. Their sword-sheaths, guns and spears had silver rings and we may guess what a brilliant sight they offered when marching by the king's palanquin.²⁷
c14.s3.10
²⁶ Grant Duff, Vol. I, pp. 181-182.
c14.s3.11
²⁷ Sabhasad, p. 58. Sen, Siva Chhatrapati, pp. 76-77. Among the weapons in the royal armoury or Jirat Khana Raghunath Pandit not only mentions swords, daggers, and spears of different descriptions but also shields, clubs (gurguza) and battle axes (parashu). The curious reader will find an excellent chapter on arms and armours of the Marathas in "A description of Indian and Oriental Armour." By the Rt. Hon'ble Lord Egerton of Tatton, M.A., London, 1896.
c14.s3.12
Besides the regular forces Shivaji could in times of emergency call the feudal forces of the Maratha watandars. In a kaulnama, published in the Tritiya Sammelan Vritta of the Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, two watandars, Mal Patil and Baji Patil of Birvadi, offered to serve Shivaji, when need arose, like the Mawali Deshmukhs, with ten of their attendants. For their subsistence the watandars expected six Rukas or half an anna per head per diem and they offered to serve in the army as long as the occasion demanded ²⁸ Unlike the later Peshwas, Shivaji never depended much upon these feudal levies, nor did he prefer the mercenary shiledars, who in certain respects resembled the condottiere of medieval Europe, to the bargirs of his paga. It is quite possible that when his power was firmly established, Shivaji did no longer summon these feudal forces.
c14.s3.13
²⁸ B.I.S.M., Tritiya Sammelan Vritts, p. 163.
c14.s3.14
Shivaji paid his soldiers either in cash or by an assignment on the district governments. He was entirely opposed to payment by jagir. But when any of his soldiers happened to be a cultivator as well, the rent payable by him was
c14.s3.15
The following account of Shivaji's camp from the pen of the celebrated French Governor Martin is certainly interesting "His Camp is without any pomp and unembarrassed by baggage or women. There are only two tents in it, but of a thick simple stuff, and very small,—one for himself and the other for his minister. The horsemen of Shivaji ordinarily receive two pagodas per month as pay. All the horses belong to him and he entertains grooms for them.........Ordinarily there are three horses for every two men, which contributes to the speed which he usually makes.........This Chief pays his spies liberally, which has greatly helped his conquests by the correct information which they give him." Indian Historical Records Commission, Proceedings of Meetings, Vol. VI, p. 25.
c14.s3.16
deducted from his salary. Their pay was never allowed to fall in arrears as in the Peshwa days. As Shivaji was strictly punctual in his payment, it was not necessary for him to offer very high salaries. "For the lower officers and men the pay varied from Rs. 9 to 3 for the infantry, and Rs. 20 to 6 in the cavalry, according to the higher or lower rank of the soldier or trooper."¹⁹ Officers and privates of Shivaji's army were liberally rewarded for distinguished service in war. Wounded soldiers got a special allowance according to the nature of their wounds. Widows and orphans of soldiers who fell in active service were liberally pensioned by the state and the latter, if major, were enlisted in the royal army. In any case they could expect to enter Shivaji's army whenever they attained majority and in the mean time they were sure of a suitable maintenance.²⁰ Shivaji assembled all his soldiers after the destruction of Afzal's army and rewarded them in the usual manner. "The sons of the combatants, who had fallen in the action, were taken into his service. He directed that the widows of those who had no sons, should be maintained by (a pension of) half their (husband's) pay. The wounded were given rewards of two hundred, one hundred, fifty or twenty-five Hons per man according to the nature of their wounds. Warriors of renown and commanders of brigades were given horses and elephants in reward. Some were sumptuously rewarded with (ornaments like) bracelets, necklaces, crests, medallions, ear-rings and crests of pearl. Such were the presents conferred on men. Some were rewarded with grants of villages in mokasa." This practice of rewarding soldiers for meritorious services, and maintaining their widows and orphans by adequate pensions, was continued throughout the Peshwa period.
c14.s3.17
¹⁹ Ranade, R.M.P., 123.
c14.s3.18
²⁰ Sabhasad, p 25, Sen, Siva Chattrupati, p. 25.