Administrative System of the Marathas c27.s12: 5. Reward for Military Services

Administrative System of the Marathas c27.s12

Language: English

5. Reward for Military Services

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In rewarding distinguished services in war, the Maratha rulers followed the Muhammadan precedent. Titles were conferred on successful generals, they sometimes obtained the honour of using Sunshades or Aftagirs, Palquis and Nalquis and another distinction which brave officers could expect was the use of Chaughada. And Sabhasad tells us that Shivaji rewarded his soldiers with gold bracelets, earrings, necklaces, crests and medallions,¹¹ after his success against Afzal Khan, while officers of rank got horses and higher ranks. According to Irvine jewelled ornaments, weapons with jewelled hilts, palkis, with fringes of gold lace and pearls, horses with gold mounted and jewelled trappings and elephants were presented by Mughal Emperors to their military officers in acknowledgment of their services to the State.¹² Aftabgir is mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari and Irvine says that in the Mughal army only royal princes were entitled to this high distinction. He writes, "Aftabgir—This sun screen shaped like an open palm leaf fan was also called Suraj-mukhi. By the Moghul rulers it could only be granted to royal princes. In the eighteenth century, however, the Marathas adopted it as one of their commonest ensigns, and even the smallest group of their cavalry was in the habit of carrying one."¹³ Aftagir was conferred by Shivaji on his generals and officers of lesser rank as early as the seventeenth century. Similarly the honour of carrying Jari Patka, the golden standard, conferred on distinguished Maratha generals, was also quite in accord with the Mughal custom. Irvine remarks that in the Mughal army "apart from titles or money rewards, or ordinary gifts, a man might be awarded, among other distinctions (i) "the right to carry a flag or simple standard and (ii) the right to use kettle drums and beat the naubat." 14 The Chaughadas granted by Maratha rulers were nothing but kettle drums 15 and the principal Maratha Sardars had their naubats as well.

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¹¹ Sen, Siva Chhatrapati, p. 25.

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¹² Irvine, Army of the Indian Moghuls, pp. 29-30.

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¹³ Ibid, p. 34.

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Shivaji had conferred upon two of his generals, Kadtaji Gujar and Hansaji Mohite, the titles of Pratap Rao and Hambir Rao respectively. Rajaram also honoured his officers with high-sounding titles, but a mere glance at the list of the titles he conferred will at once convince one that the Chhatrapati was simply following the practice of the Badshah of Delhi. Hukmatpanha, Shamsher Bahadur, Shahjang, Rustamrao, Amir-ul-Umara, Sharfanmulk, Madarulmaham, Saphejang Bahadur, Shahajat-mulk and Fattejang Bahadur 16 were undoubtedly of Muslim origin and not Hindu titles.

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6. Pension :

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Irvine does not say whether the Mughals paid any pension to the minor children and widows of soldiers killed in action as the Marathas did, although Balban had granted to his old veterans a full-pay pension. The principle of helping the children and wives of such men was not unknown to the Muham-madan monarchs. "A rule was established by the Sultan (Mahmud Bigarah) that if an *amir* or any soldier was killed in battle or died a natural death, his *jagir* was confirmed to his son; if there was no son, half of the *jagir* was given to the daughter; and if there was no daughter, a suitable provision was settled upon the dependents, so that there might be no ground of complain."[17] The Emperor Humayun also provided for the widows and orphans of his soldiers, as his step-sister Princess Gulbadan informs us, "To widows and orphans, and kinsfolk of men who had been wounded and killed at Chausa and Kanauj or Bhakkar, or who were in the royal service during those intermissions, he gave pensions, and rations, and water, and land, and servants. In days of His Majesty's good fortune, great tranquillity and happiness befell soldiers and peasants. They lived without care, and put up many an ardent prayer for his long life."[18]

Linked texts (1)

Humāyūnnāma — Gulbadan Bēgam 1587, Persian