d not
grasp the sudden break of a new day but continued to oppress and
impoverish the peasants in the traditional way, but the system
established by Akbar succeeded admirably and soon brought all such
transgressions to light. Todar Mal held a firm rein, and by throwing
hundreds of these faithless officers into prison and by making ample
use of bastinado and torture, spread abroad such a wholesome terror
that Akbar's reforms were soon victorious.

How essential it was to exercise the strictest control over men
occupying the highest positions may be seen by the example of the
feudal nobility whose members bore the title "Jagirdar." Such a
Jagirdar had to provide a contingent of men and horses for the
imperial army corresponding to the size of the estate which was given
him in fief. Now it had been a universal custom for the Jagirdars to
provide themselves with fewer soldiers and horses on a military
expedition than at the regular muster. Then too the men and horses
often proved useless for severe service. When the reserves were
mustered the knights dressed up harmless private citizens as soldiers
or hired them for the occasion and after the muster was over, let them
go again. In the same way the horses brought forward for the muster
were taken back into private service immediately afterwards and were
replaced by worthless animals for the imperial service. This evil too
was abolished at one stroke, by taking an exact personal description
of the soldiers presented and by branding the heads of horses,
elephants and camels with certain marks. By this simple expedient it
became impossible to exchange men and animals presented at the muster
for worthless material and also to loan them to other knights during
muster.

The number of men able to bear arms in Akbar's realm has been given as
about four and a half millions but the standing army which was held at
the expense of the state was small in proportion. It contained only
about twenty-five thousand men, one-half of whom comprised the cavalry
and the rest musketry and artillery; Since India does not produce
first class horses, Akbar at once provided for the importation of
noble steeds from other lands of the Orient which were famed for horse
breeding and was accustomed to pay more for such animals than the
price which was demanded. In the same way no expense was too great for
him to spend on the breeding and nurture of elephants, for they were
very valuable animals for the w