★ Catalogue of Khalsa Darbar Records Vol.1 - Compiled by Sita Ram Kohli

Sikh Digital Library · 1919 · Public domain (mark) · archive.org ↗

2Establishment —

3thaldsi, Rs. 1 per month ; saqqa, Rs. 4 ; gharyali, Rs. 4 ;

4srirban Rs. 4-5 ; jhanda-bardar, Rs. 4-5 ; beldar , Rs. 5-6 ;

5and nristri , Rs. 6-7

6In the artillery branch the rate of pay was much the same

7as in the infantry. In the cavalry it was much higher. A

8sowar was paid between Rs. 20 and Rs. 26 a mouth and a risdl-

9ddr (a rank similar to that of a subaddr of infantry) Rs. 40

10to Rs. 48.

11The scale given above, it should be noted, is that which was

12generally followed during the lifetime of Ranjlt Singh. After

13his death the army became all powerful and forced successive

14rulers to increase their pay.

15It will be instructive to give in a tabular form the

16strength of the regular army at different

17u rCDg '' times during the Sikh rule. The figures

18given below will show how during his own lifetime the Maharaja

19kept the size and expenditure of his army within proper limits,

20and how within seven years after his death, both the strength

21of the army and the amount paid on account of salaries, were

22very considerably increased. The : size of the army was almost

23doubled while the expenditure rose in even greater proportion : —

24Year.

25Strength.

261368 (1811 A. D.)... Infantry 2,8521

27Artillery 1,209 J

281870 (1819 A. D.) ... Infantry 7,816 )

29Cavalry 837 >

30Artillery 804 )

311885 (1828 A.D.)... Infantry 16,8251

32Cavalry 4,345 >

33Artillery 3,778)

341895 (1888 A.D.)... Infantry 29,6171

35Cavalry 4,090 >

36Artillery 4,533 )

371S02 (1845 A.D.)... Infantry 53,9621

38Cavalry 6,235 >

39Artillery 10,524)

40Total monthly ex- Average

41penrliture on pay. per head.

42Rb.

43A.

44p.

454,061

4632,173

470

480

497-8

509,457

5179,494

520

530

548*4

5523,948

562,48,644

570

580

5910-3

6038,301

618,74,101

620

630

6412-4

6570,721

668,62,707

670

680

6912-2

70The regular army of the Maharaja was the best

71organised department of the State. It was

72General remarks. j n f^t the only department that through-

73out his reign claimed his unremitting attention. Having once

74introduced the European methods of drill, Ranjit Singh was

75always anxious to bring his regulars up to the level of

76i