A History of Agriculture in India v2.c79.s6: Cows and Buffaloes
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c79.s6
- Language
- English
Contents
- v2.c79.s6.t1 Feed and Fodder — 1 part
- v2.c79.s6.t2 Buffaloes — 2 parts
- v2.c79.s6.t3 Servants Employed in the Cow Stables — 8 parts
Cows and Buffaloes
v2.c79.s6.1
'Throughout the happy regions of Hindustan, the cow is considered auspicious, and held in great veneration; for by means of this animal, tillage is carried on, the sustenance of life is rendered possible, and the table of the inhabitant is filled with milk, butter-milk, and butter,' states Abu-l-Fazl. 'It is capable of carrying burdens and drawing wheeled carriages, and thus becomes an excellent assistant for the three branches of the government.
v2.c79.s6.2
'Though every part of the empire produces cattle of various kinds, those of Gujarat are the best.' The reference is to Kankrej breed (Fig. 41). Sometimes a pair of them are sold at 100 *muhurs*. They will travel 80 *kos* (120 miles) in 24 hours, and surpass even swift horses. Nor do they dung whilst running. The usual price is 20 and 10 *muhurs*. Good cattle are also found in Bengal and the Dakhin. They kneel down at the time of being loaded. The cows give upwards of half a man of milk. In the province of Dehli again, cows are not worth more than 10 rupees. His Majesty once bought a pair of cows for two lacs of dams (5,000 rupees).
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'A cow will live to the age of twenty-five.
v2.c79.s6.4
'From his knowledge of the wonderful properties of the cow, His Majesty pays much attention to the improvement of cattle. He divided them into classes, and committed each to the charge of a merciful keeper. One hundred choice cattle were selected as *khasa* and called *kotal*. They are kept in readiness for any service, and forty of them are taken unladen on hunting expeditions. Fifty-one others nearly as good are called *half-kotal*, and fifty-one more, *quarter-kotal*. Any deficiency in the first class is made up from the second, and that of the middle from the third. But these three form the cow stables for His Majesty's use.
v2.c79.s6.5
'There is also a species of oxen called *gaini*, small, like *gut*-horses, but very beautiful,' states Abu-l-Fazl. *Gaini* cows are shown in a painting illustrating an anecdote from the *Babur-nama* in which Babur on horse-back is receiving tribute in the form of live-stock from the Hazaras (Fig. 42).
Feed and Fodder
v2.c79.s6.t1.1
'Every head of the first *khasa* class was allowed daily 6 *s* of grain, and 1 *d* of grass. The whole stable got daily 1 *man* 19 *s* of molasses, which was distributed by the Darogha. Cattle of the remaining *khasa* classes got daily 6 *s* of gram and grass, but no molasses. The oxen used for travelling carriages got 6 *s* of grain, and grass. First-class *gainis* got 3 *s* of grain, and 1 *d* of grass at court, otherwise only ½ *d*.
Buffaloes
v2.c79.s6.t2.1
'A male buffalo (called *arna*) got 8 *s* of wheat flour boiled, 2 *s* of *ghi*, ½ *s* of molasses, 1½ *s* of grain, and 2 *d* of grass. Abu-l-Fazl mentions, "This animal, when young, fights astonishingly, and will tear a lion to pieces. When this peculiar strength is gone, it reaches the second stage, and is used for carrying water. It then gets 8 *s* of grain, and 2 *d* for grass. Female buffaloes used for carrying water got 6 *s* of grain and 2 *d* for grass.
v2.c79.s6.t2.2
'The milch-cows, and buffaloes were given grain in proportion to the quantity of milk they gave. A cow gave daily from 1 to 15 *sers* of milk, and a buffalo from 2 to 30 *sers*. The buffaloes of the Panjab were the best in this respect. As soon as the quantity of milk given by each cow had been ascertained, there was demanded two dams weight of *ghi* for every *ser* of milk.
Servants Employed in the Cow Stables
v2.c79.s6.t3.1
'In the *khasa* stables, one man was appointed to look after four head of
v2.c79.s6.t3.2
Note: *s* is abbreviation of *ser* or *seer*; *d* is abbreviation of *dam*; *man* is maund in English.
v2.c79.s6.t3.3
FIG. 43. Kankrej bullocks are fast like horses. They were used for hauling supplies in the Mughal army.
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FIG. 44. Sketches of goats and a Markhor. Mughal, 17th century. (Collection of M. Demotte, Paris)
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FIG. 45. A ram of Marwari breed of sheep, possibly by Mansur. Mughal, 17th century. (Courtesy: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
v2.c79.s6.t3.6
cattle. Eighteen such keepers in the first stable got 5 *d* per diem, and the remaining keepers, 4 *d*.
v2.c79.s6.t3.7
'If a horn of an ox was broken, or the animal got blind, the Darogha was fined one-fourth of the price, or even more, according to the extent of the injury.'¹
v2.c79.s6.t3.8
¹ Abu-l-Fazal, *Ain-i-Akbari*, pp. 140-142, 151-161