Army of the Mughal Empire

Mughal Army
Flag of the Mughal Empire
Founded	Late 15th Century
Disbanded	1805
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Mughal emperor

The Army of the Mughal Empire was the force by which the Mughal emperors established their empire in the 15th century and expanded it to its greatest extent at the beginning of the 18th century. Although its origins, like the Mughals themselves, were in the cavalry-based armies of central Asia, its essential form and structure was established by the empire's third emperor, Akbar.

Great Mogul And His Court Returning From The Great Mosque At Delhi India - Oil Painting by American Artist Edwin Lord Weeks

The army had no regimental structure and the soldiers were not directly recruited by the emperor. Instead, individuals, such as nobles or local leaders, would recruit their own troops, referred to as a mansab, and contribute them to the army.

Recruitment

The soldiers of the Mughal Army were not recruited by the emperor himself but rather by chiefs and other leaders, who were known as Mansabdars. The Mansabdars were ranked based on the number of men that they had raised and the ranking system became known as mansab. The ranking system was first introduced by Akbar.

Artillery

Main article: Mughal artillery

See also

• Mughal weapons
• Tippu Sultan

Further reading

• Edwardes, Stephen Meredyth; Garrett, Herbert Leonard Offley. Mughal Rule In India.
• Sharma, S. R. Mughal Empire in India: A Systematic Study Including Source Material.