Question

Describe the Mughal Administration with reference to the following:

The Army and the Navy

Answer 1

The armed forces were composed of

1. Infantry
2. Cavalry
3. Artillery
4. Navy and
5. War elephants.

The artillery consisted of two sections: heavy guns, and light artillery. The heavy guns were used for assaulting forts. The functions of the Admiralty Department were

1. 1. To build boats
   2. To recruit professional seamen, and
   3. To collect river duties and tolls. The Navy was used for the suppression of piracy as well as for war. With the development of the flint-gun, the infantry had also become a powerful fighting force during the 17th century. An important factor that harmed the efficiency of the Mughal army was that the soldiers did not owe direct allegiance to the Emperor. They were more attached to their immediate officers. The Army looked like a “moving city”, with a portion of the ‘harem’ (wives of the nobles and chief officers), their offices the attendants, musicians and the soldiers moving from place to place during a war. This sort of affairs naturally brought in luxury and “indiscipline” in the army.