What kind of resources do you think were needed to maintain an army and wage war in those days? Discuss in groups the various types of expenditure involved, from weapons or food for soldiers to animals used in warfare, road construction, etc.
Maintaining an army and waging war in medieval times required extensive resources across multiple categories.
Weapons and armour included swords, spears, bows and arrows, shields, and later gunpowder weapons like cannons and matchlock guns introduced by Babur.
Animals were crucial—horses for cavalry (imported from Arabia and Central Asia), elephants for battle and transport, and camels for carrying supplies.
Food and provisions for soldiers had to be organised for long campaigns, including grain, salt, and fodder for animals.
Military infrastructure included building and maintaining forts, constructing roads for army movement, and establishing supply lines.
Soldiers needed regular payment, either in cash or through land grants. The Delhi Sultanate's iqta system and the Mughal mansabdari system were designed to meet these military expenses.
Plunder from conquered territories often helped finance military campaigns, as seen with Malik Kafur's southern expeditions.
The chapter notes that maintaining large armies for Aurangzeb's Deccan campaigns depleted the empire's treasury and strained the administration.
Explanation
The chapter provides several references to military resources. The mansabdari system under Akbar required officers to maintain precise numbers of elephants, horses, camels, and troops. The iqta system under the Delhi Sultanate was designed to collect taxes to maintain the army. The chapter mentions that plundered wealth from Malik Kafur's campaigns helped finance the Sultanate's enormous military apparatus. Babur's victory at Panipat relied on gunpowder, field artillery, and matchlock guns. The chapter also notes that maintaining large armies for Aurangzeb's campaigns depleted the treasury.
Solution Steps
Weapons and armour included swords, spears, bows, shields, and gunpowder weapons like cannons introduced by Babur
Animals were essential—horses for cavalry, elephants for battle and transport, camels for carrying supplies
Food and provisions had to be organised for long campaigns, including grain, salt, and fodder
Military infrastructure included forts, roads for army movement, and supply lines
Soldiers required regular payment in cash or through land grants
The iqta system and mansabdari system were designed to meet military expenses
Plunder from conquered territories helped finance campaigns, like Malik Kafur's expeditions
Large armies for Aurangzeb's Deccan campaigns depleted the treasury and strained administration