Administrative System of the Marathas c27.s10.1

c27.s10.1

Let us now consider in more detail the extent of Shivaji's indebtedness to his Muslim teachers for some of the practices prevailing in his army, for instance, his method of enlistment. Sabhasad says, "Of the forces, the musketeers, the spearsmen, the archers and light armed men should be appointed after the Raja himself had carefully inspected each man individually (and selected) the brave and shrewd. The garrison in the fort, the Havaldar and the Sarnobat should be Marathas of good family. They should be appointed after some one of the royal personal staff had agreed to stand surety (for them)."¹ So the spearsmen, the archers and the light armed men were appointed after a personal inspection by the King himself and a surety was also demanded from them. The Emperor Akbar also appointed ahdis after personal inspection and taking a security. Abul Fazl informs us, "Without partiality or accepting bribes he takes daily several before His Majesty, who examines them. When they have been approved of, they pass through the Yaddasht, the Taliqah, the descriptive roll and accounts. The paymaster then takes a security and introduces the candidate a second time to His Majesty who increases his pay from an eighth to three-fourths, or even to more than six-sevenths."[2] The practice of taking surety from soldiers of all rank was very common when Manucci lived in India. He writes, "All soldiers high and low, generals and captains, are forced to give surety and without it they cannot obtain employment. This practice is so common and so general that even the princes find it necessary to conform to the custom."[3] And again, "All the said soldiers, captains and generals, whatever their birth or position, are obliged to furnish sureties. Without this they will not be taken into the service. This thing is universal and no one can complain. Nor is there any ground for complaint, the same rule being observed in the case of princes of the blood royal."⁴ No wonder, that in those days of treachery and disloyalty a surety should be the inevitable condition of employment and the practice that was universal in the Mughal army, as the Italian writer says, should commend itself to the good sense of the shrewd Maratha leader.