The army of Abul Mansur Khan Safdar Jang Qaraqoyunlu (Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava, [1933] 1954)

The army of Abul Mansur Khan Safdar Jang Qaraqoyunlu

Although his life was full of strenuous military activity, yet Safdar Jang could hardly be called a successful soldier. In fact, he lacked the courage and zeal of a soldier and the capacity and tact of a general, and hence throughout his official career he could not achieve unaided a single victory to his credit over an enemy possessing even half his financial resources and military strength. And yet strangely enough all his contemporaries ― the Maratha chief, Rajput Rajas, Surajmal Jat and the Muslim nobles and historians ― regarded him as the most powerful Muslim chief and noble of India of their age. His strength lay in his territorial possessions, financial resources and military establishment. He maintained the most martial contingent of troops in the country and kept them satisfied by giving them liberal salaries and rewards and by his personal care for their welfare. Besides the contingents posted in his provinces under his Naibs, Safdar Jang kept a standing army of 20,000 ‘Mughal’ horse of whom six to seven thousands were Qizilbashes, the Iranian Turks, then regarded as the best soldiers in Asia. They had originally belonged to Nadir Shah’s army, but had chosen to stay on in India. He rest were Turanian Turks and Kashmiris, chiefly of the Jadib al district near Srinagar, who pretended to be ‘Mughals’, put on the Mughal dress and spoke the Persian tongue. The Mughal cavalry formed the famous “Sin” regiment, named after the first letter of the name of Saadat Khan. Besides, there was a good number of Hindustani troops of whom the most important element was that of the Naga Sanyasis, popularly known as ‘Gosains’. The troopers rode on sturdy, fleet horses, Persian or indigenous, and the Nawab supplied them with complete equipment, including uniforms and good arms. The Mughal horse-men, who were the wazir’s favourites, were paid at the rate of Rupees fifty per month, while a Hindustani trooper’s salary for the same period was thirty five Rupees only. Foot soldiers were paid at a lesser rate. There were no fixed rules for their increment or promotion, but whenever Safdar Jang reviewed his forces, he would give an increment of rupees ten to a trooper and rupees two to a foot-soldier, if he was pleased with his smartness or efficiency. The Nawab-Wazir was extravagantly liberal to his army and spent huge sums on it. He was always anxious to secure the services of an able commander, captain or soldier, by liberal gifts which he never deducted from their pay. He possessed a large park of artillery, the best in the country, next to the Emperor’s, and many war-elephants with huge amaris having gold and silver plating on them. His chief commanders were Ismail Beg Khan and Rajendra Giri Gosain, His war-camp comprised of everything that could be desired; he even carried boats in order to be able to throw a bridge swiftly over a river, should he have an occasion to cross it.

Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava — The First Two Nawabs Of Awadh [1933] (1954)