The army was administered by ariz-ul-mumalik. He was not the commander-in-chief but the controller-general. He exercised great influence over the state. His duties were to keep up the strength and the efficiency of the army and provide equipment, horses and ration. His office maintained the descriptive roll of each solider. He distributed salaries to the troops. Even the officers of the court who held military ranks received their salaries from his office. Cavalry was the most important part of army. Elephants also served in the army. To tackle with the Mongol army, a large standing army was concentrated in the centre. There were also paik (foot solders) but they were not as significant as cavalry. Gun powder was also used at the end of this period. A corps of engineers was maintained to act as sappers and miners. Every army had a corps of well-trained scouts and a unit of surgeons and ambulances. A large number of forts were built to make the defense strong.
This article was last updated on Monday, Jan 03, 2005
