Administrative System of the Marathas c21.s3.33

c21.s3.33

Lt. Moor was of opinion that the park of artillery was more of a source of weakness than strength to a Maratha army on march. The following account of the park of artillery from the pen of Major Dirom is of very great interest : "The park of artillery, where all their guns are collected, made an extraordinary appearance. The gun-carriages, in which they trust to the solidity of the timber, and use but little iron in their construction, are clumsy beyond belief; particularly the wheels, which are low, and formed of large solid pieces of wood united. The guns are of all sorts and dimensions; and having the names of their gods given to them, are painted in the most fantastic manner; and many of them, held in esteem for the services they are said to have already performed for the state, cannot now be dispensed with, although in every respect unfit for use. Were the guns even serviceable, the small supply of ammunition with which they are provided has always effectually prevented the Maratha artillery from being formidable to there enemies. * * On a marching day, the guns......move off soon after daylight......the guns and tumbrels, sufficiently unwieldy without further burden, are so heaped with stores and baggage that there does not seem to be any idea of its ever being necessary to unlimber, and prepare for action on the march. As there are no pioneers attached to the Maratha artillery to repair the roads, this deficiency is compensated by an additional number of cattle, there being sometimes a hundred or a hundred and fifty bullocks, in a string of pairs to one gun.³⁰ The European officers who saw the Maratha artillery in operation had all of them a very poor opinion of the men who served it.