Page:History of Aurangzib (based on original sources) Vol 1.djvu/225

CHAP. IX.] proved ability were selected by the Prince, and to them all situations of trust and importance were given. This change of personnel was naturally accompanied by a reshuffling of jagirs. As we have already seen, able officers were left in undisturbed possession of their old jagirs if these were good, or given better ones if they were unproductive. The loss of the change fell only on the undeserving or minor officers.

After thus securing for himself and his leading officers the income necessary for maintaining their contingents, he fought and won for them another battle with the Imperial accounts department. In order to reduce ex- penditure, Shah Jahan ordered that every military officer serving in the Deccan should bring his force to the muster, and the troop horses should be branded, so that commanders who had been keeping less than their proper contingents while drawing full pay, might be asked to refund the sums they had thus taken in excess from the State. Aurangzib pleaded for them by pointing out the real state of affairs in the Deccan: no officer could realise the full amount of his nominal from his jagir; many had pay failed even to take possession of the lands