Huzur Paga The Royal Stables

Huzur Paga

The Royal Stables

When I look at the statue of Bajirao Peshwa1 at Shaniwarwada, I am awestruck by the sight of him resplendent on his magnificent steed.

 The thought of Battles and Campaigns has made me wonder at the massive horse strength which would have been required to carry the warriors.

So where did the horses come from? Which breeds were used? How were they maintained? 

I was lucky to have attended a lecture by Mr. Sandeep Tikhe, a researcher in History and an expert in deciphering the Modi Script, on just this subject. He spoke about the Paga's or stables of the Peshwa Era.

The Maratha Empire was known for its victories due to its style of warfare. Popularly known as 'Ganimi Kawa" or Guerrilla warfare.. This was conceptualised by none other than Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and was extensively used in all the campaigns of Bajirao and later his descendants except during the Battle of Panipat.

The main force for this warfare are horses. They had to be healthy, strong and sturdy enough to sustain long and difficult rides and terrain, sometimes go on without sufficient food and water and yet be swift and agile.

Naturally such a large horse population needed  shelters and training grounds.These then, were Paga's or stables specially built all around Maharashtra. 

There were two kinds of stables.

1) Those belonging to the Royals...Huzur Paga

2) Those belonging to the Generals.

The horses used in the campaigns were mostly procured from auctions and were gifted or looted from the losers of the battles. These were thoroughbreds. The Arabian Horse, The Neela (pure white), and the Panchakalyan (one with White hoofs). 

The other horses were used for purposes such as, pulling carriages, or carts or short rides to nearby destinations for personal reasons. These were mostly indigenous.

Some of the Peshwa's had their own favourite horse and had even named them.

Nanasaheb Peshwa had a horse called 'Varu', and Madhavrao Peshwa had 'Matvali'.

The Huzur cavalry, at any given time housed about 2000 horses these were kept in 'Paga's'  in and around Pune, Chas (Close to Chakan), Kavadi and Pimpalwandi villages.

Today Huzur Paga in Pune, is a Girls School in the midst of the very busy Laxmi Road. 

At Chas the Paga is a farm and Pimpalwandi Paga is a school.

Other villages were Wadi, Phursungi, Alandi, Theur etc.

Old building of Huzur Paga Girls High School

Besides these the Generals too had their 'Paga's' in their individual constituency.

It was no small feat to manage the upkeep of the stables and their occupants.

Precise rules and norms were laid down by the Peshwa, right from their diet to their maintenance and their general well being.

Of course, every such huge establishment require a lot of funds. These were collected in the forms of taxes, as rent from the villages, some part of the loot from the battles, and from gifts (nazrana) from visitors. Also certain villages were solely given the charge of planting grasslands for the horses.

The life of the horses was affluent, (if I may use that word!).

There diet consisted of wheat, jagery, ghee, butter, all cereals and grain and special grass.

They were given a rub down with milk,oil and water.

Special medication and tonics were administered to them.

The war horses had a special bag called 'Mazal Masala' which accompanied them on their campaigns. These typically consisted of Butter, Jagery and a couple of drugs such as Cannabis to take them through the long and arduous journeys.

Each 'Paga' had a storeroom 'Pagechi Kothi'. This was where all the medication, grain, cereals, utensils, Iron hoof boxes, tents etc. were kept. The Kothi also housed the Ambari and the Royal Carriage. 

As was the custom, all medication administered was Ayurvedic and the marathi names for some of them were..."bibba, ambehalad, dink,oil, triphala, kirmani, nagar motha, kala jeera etc.

Well, horses were not the sole occupants of the Paga. Along with them were Camels, Rams, Goats, Cows and Bulls. 

It is on record in the Peshwe Daptar that to look after the Huzur Paga in Pune a work force of about a 1000 people were employed. They were the trainers, the iron smiths, the cleaners, the cooks, to name a few.

Each and every aspect of the horses and the people were looked into by the Peshwa. All expenses were paid by the royal administration. Ceremonies, births, deaths and accidents were duly compensated.

Listening to the talk given by Mr. Tikhe, what caught my attention was that there are thousands of 'Rumals' or Folders in the 'Peshwa Daptar'. Each 'Rumal'  has about 5000 records. Most of these records are in the Modi script. At present a very minuscule percentage has been deciphered and translated.

It is now clear that every minute detail in the life and governance of the Peshwa has been painstakingly recorded. Unfortunately to bring it out may take years of persistent hard work by the few researchers who have taken on this mammoth but thankless task. 

Reference: Mr. Sandeep Tikhe. History Researcher, Expert on the Modi Script.

                 'Peshwekalin Maharashtra'. Author: Vasudev Krishna Bhat, Published 24th Oct. 1976