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 warfare of that day. His stables
contained from five to six thousand well-trained elephants. The
breeding of camels and mules he also advanced with a practical
foresight and understood how to overcome the widespread prejudice in
India against the use of mules.

Untiringly did Akbar inspect stables, arsenals, military armories, and
shipyards, and insisted on perfect order in all departments. He called
the encouragement of seamanship an act of worship[13] but was not able
to make India, a maritime power.

[Footnote 13: Noer, II, 378.]