Page:Shivaji and His Times.djvu/435

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CAVALRY ORGANISATION.
415


the fort-gates at sunset and open them at sunrise, carry the keys with himself and sleep with them under his pillow. He had to make frequent tours of inspection in and outside the fort, pay surprise visits to the sentinels, while the sar-i-naubat had to inspect the work of the patrolling parties and the night-watch. Minute written instructions were given by Shivaji for keeping in each fort munition, provisions, building-materials, and other necessary stores adequate to its size, and for keeping proper watch; and these regulations were rigidly enforced.

All soldiers, whether musketeers, spearmen, archers or swordsmen, were recruited only after a careful personal inspection by Shivaji himself and taking security for every new soldier from the men already in his service.

In the State cavalry (paga), the unit was formed by 25 troopers (bargirs); over 25 men was placed one havladar, over 5 havladars one jumladar*[1] and over 10 jumlas or 1,250 men one hazari. Still higher ranks were the 5-hazaris and the supreme commander or sar-i-naubat of cavalry. For every twenty-five troopers there were a water-carrier and a farrier.

The silahdars were organised on a different plan, but were under the orders of the same sar-i-naubat of cavalry, and ranked lower than the paga horsemen.


  1. * Chit., 81, says that there was an intermediate officer called subahdar in command of 5 jumlas, below the hazari. Here I read two (don) for ten (daha) of the printed text.