Question map
Which of the following did not constitute part of the army reforms of Sher Shah ?
Explanation
Sher Shah Suri's military reforms were largely inspired by the systems of Alauddin Khilji. He maintained a large standing army at the centre, consisting of approximately 150,000 cavalry and 25,000 infantry. To ensure discipline and prevent corruption, he reintroduced the practice of 'Dagh' (branding of horses) and 'Huliya' (descriptive rolls of soldiers) [1]. Furthermore, he shifted away from the jagirdari system for the military, preferring to pay his soldiers in cash to ensure their direct loyalty to the state [2]. While Sher Shah utilized artillery and even died due to a gunpowder explosion during the siege of Kalinjar [3], the introduction of 'swiftly moving artillery' (mobile artillery) is historically attributed to the Mughal Emperor Babur and later perfected by Akbar. Sher Shah's artillery was generally heavy and less mobile compared to the innovations brought by the Mughals.
Sources
- [1] https://scert.cg.gov.in/pdf/textbook-EM-2024-25/Reduced_Class-7-Social%20Science-Part-I-2024-25.pdf
- [2] https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/SrSec315NEW/History_Module2.pdf
- [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 14: The Mughal Empire > 14.3 Sher Shah and Sur Dynasty > p. 202