Administrative System of the Marathas c21.s3.41

c21.s3.41

The army was further encumbered by a large number of animals, deemed unnecessary in Shivaji's time. "The number and variety of cattle necessarily attendant on an Asiatic army is astonishing;" writes a European eye-witness, "there were at least two hundred thousand in the Maratha camp of every description; the expense of feeding these animals, as also the difficulty of procuring provender, is very great; and their distress for water in a parched country and sultry climate, often fatal. Exclusive of the Mahratta cavalry trained to war, were many thousand horses belonging to the camp-followers; the bazar alone required twenty thousand bullocks to convey the commodities of the shop-keepers, besides a number of small horses and asses. Some thousand camels were employed to carry the tents and baggage; but the elephants, proud of their distinguished elevation, were appropriated to some honourable service, or covered with caparisons of embroidered velvets and scarlet cloth, decorated with gold and silver fringe, were destined to carry the houdahs of Ragobah and his chief officers with majestic pace to join the princely retinue on state occasions." ³⁴