Взгляд профессионала.
Storia do Mogor or Mogul India 1653-1708 by Niccolo Manucci. Английское издание 1907 года. Раз, два, три, четыре.
Чудная история, произошедшая при общении Мануччи с Джай Сингхом (совсем кратко - тут). Если не путаю - 1665 год или около того.
The other matter was that one day Rajah Jai Singh asked me whether in Europe there were armies, wars, and squadrons. I replied to him that the bravery with which the Farangls fought, of which I was an example, sufficed to show him that we in Europe knew what war and fighting meant. We were accustomed to fight in two ways, one by sea, the other by land. That upon the sea took place thus :
A number of planks are joined together by nails in the form of a large enclosed house, with many cannon in tiers. Entering into the said house, the soldiers attach huge cloths to masts, and driven by the winds, these serve to put the said house in motion. The course is regulated by a large plank fixed on the house, and capable of movement from one side to another. In this way, with good matchlocks, pistols, and swords, and a sufficient supply of food, of powder, and of ball, they set out in search of their enemies. When they encounter one, the fight begins with the firing of cannon, which breaks the masts or makes holes in the said house, allowing entrance to the water. But those who are within assemble and with skill plug the hole. For this they always have materials ready.
Meanwhile some attend to the vessel, and others fight without intermission. The dead bodies are thrown into the sea, so that they may not hinder the fight. Nor are there wanting surgeons to aid the wounded, who are carried to a room specially set apart. As their courage grows hotter, they bring the vessels nearer, emptying all their matchlocks and pistols, until at length the fight waxing still fiercer, they grapple one with the other; then the sword-blows scatter streams of blood, reddening the sea. There being no mode of flight for the fighters, it is therefore necessary to conquer or die. Sometimes it happens that the captain who is losing, resolving not to be overcome, orders all his cannon and other pieces to be doubleshotted. He then sets fire to the ship's magazine of powder ; thus he destroys himself along with the others. The rajah wondered at such a mode of warfare, and it seemed, to him very hard and very cruel that a man, if he did not want to defend himself, could not even run away.
The other mode of fighting was on land. There the foot soldiers were separated from the squadrons of horse, and all had their matchlocks and swords. Those who were mounted had good carbines, pistols, and swords. When I was giving this account, finding some pikes or spears there, I exhibited how the spearmen stood in front of the companies to hinder the cavalry from getting in and throwing into disorder the well-ordered ranks of the infantry. Thus the battle would commence with great order and discipline, the cavalry helping wherever it was necessary to repress an onslaught of the enemy. Many a thing did we tell him of our fighting in the open country. Upon this he set to laughing, assuming us to have no horses in our country, and thus we could know nothing of fighting on horseback.
For this reason we agreed, I and Luis Beicao, a French surgeon, Guilherme (William), an Englishman, and Domingo de Saa, a Portuguese who had formerly been a cavalry soldier in Portugal, to give the next morning during the march, and in the rajah's presence, a demonstration of our mode of fighting on horseback. We rode out with our carbines, two pistols in our holsters and two in our waist-belts, and carrying our swords. We rode two and two and began to career about, our horses being excellent. Then first of all we skirmished with the carbine, and after some circling and recircling, letting off our pistols, we made pretence of flight and pursuit. Then, turning round and making a half-circle, the fugitive attacked the pursuer and let off his pistol. Thus we went on till all our charges were fired off, of course without bullets. Then, laying hand upon our swords, we made gestures as if giving sword-cuts, which the others parried.
The rajah, who was on his elephant, halted, and when our display was finished, we rode up and made our bow. He asked what meant these excursions and alarms. I replied that purposely we had done this to let him see that we knew how to fight on horseback in the European way. He asked me several times if really they fought like that in Europe. I answered that this was only a small specimen. We would show him sport when it came to reality, observing the same order ; and if there were on the field dead men or horses, we should ride over them as if riding on a carpet, and make no account of them. He praised our way of fighting, saying he thought it a sound mode of warfare, and he should like to form a troop of European cavalry if I could obtain them. I answered that it was not easy to get so many men in Hindustan who had been trained in our wars. He then gave us our leave with a good present, and thenceforth thought more of European nations, who, if it were not for their drinking habits, would be held in high estimation, and could aid our kings to carry out some project there.
Джай Сингх - опытный генерал и воин. Но "европейское упражнение" вызвало у него только смех. И это, насколько понимаю, нормальная реакция человека. "На глазок" достоинства и недостатки той или иной системы определить сложно. Вот когда (если) "смешные люди" на деле показывают свое превосходство - тогда да, будут копировать - начиная с фасона портков.