Time check: Medieval India The Mughal camp

Mughal emperors loved to travel and go on expeditions. And as they had a lavish lifestyle in the palace, they observed the same while on expeditions at their royal camp. Therefore, whenever they planned to go hunting, on a military adventure or to spend summer in Kashmir, all the arrangements were made by Mir Manzil, the in charge for managing these affairs. Due to the large number of nobles and attendants who accompanied the king on expeditions, the caravan travelled slowly and stayed at several places. Daily activities such as those related to business affairs and holding the court carried out at the royal palace were not missed while on such expeditions. In fact, everything was done the same way at the royal camp. The emperor looked into all matters and officers along with their staff also remained present to implement his orders. Mir Manzil was responsible for arranging food, drinking water and other necessary equipment, and also for selecting a suitable place to erect the royal and other tents. In front of the royal tent a lamp burnt all night which indicated to everyone that the camp belonged to the king. This lamp was known as 'aakas'. There were separate tents for the ladies of the royal entourage which were guarded by the armed women. To fulfil the daily needs of the camp people, a bazaar was also held where almost everything was available. For example, foreign goods, cloths, medicines, all kinds of grocery items, sweets, food, fruits and flowers. Even small stalls for carpenters, butchers and book sellers, who also accompanied the caravan, were available in the market. The prices of all commodities were controlled by a darogha. For the entertainment of the king and the people in his caravan, fun fairs were also held in which musicians, dancers, story tellers and magicians participated. On such expeditions, if European travellers accompanied the emperor, they were highly impressed by the management and arrangements of the royal camp and also the way the bazaars and fun fairs were held. It looked like a small mobile city with all the liveliness and adventure in it. When the caravan moved from one place to another, Mir Manzil travelled before them to look for a suitable place as the caravan's next stop and erected the royal tent before the arrival of the emperor. This was done to avoid any delay or mishap.