Administrative System of the Marathas c14.s4.1

c14.s4.1

The Maratha camp during the Peshwa period presented a disreputable spectacle. "Camp," says Elphinstone, "presents to a European the idea of long lines of white tents in the trimmest order. To a Mahratta it presents an assemblage of covering, of every shape and colour, spreading for miles in all directions, over hill and dale, mixed up with tents, flags, trees, and buildings In Jones's 'History' march means one or more columns of troops and ordnance moving along roads, perhaps, between two hedges; in the Mahratta history horse, foot and dragoons inundating the face of the earth for many miles on every side, here and there a few horse with a flag and a drum mixed with a loose and straggling mass of camels, elephants, bullocks, nautch-girls, fakeers, and buffoons; troops and followers, lancemen and matchlockmen, bunyans and mootasuddies." ³¹ Broughton gives a no less disparaging picture of Sindhia's camp. Wine was publicly sold and public women accompanied the army to the prejudice of discipline and order.³² This was unthinkable in Shivaji's time. No one was allowed to keep in the camp a female slave or dancing girl and any breach of this rule was punished with death. Shivaji, a lover of discipline and method, had drawn up for his army a set of wise regulations. These have been summed up by Sabhasad in the following lines: