Administrative System of the Marathas c14.s3.1

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.