The Mughals observed ceremonies and rules which were laid long ago by Chingiz Khan. For each clan a place was fixed in battle-array. One of their ceremonies was acclamation of nine standards which is thus described by Babur:

“The standards were acclaimed in Mughal fashion. The Khan dismounted and nine standards were set up in front of him. A Mughal tied a long strip of white cloth to the thighbone of a cow and took the other end in his hand. Three other long strips of white cloth were tied to the staves of three of the nine standards, just below the yak-tails, and their other ends were brought for the Khan to stand on one and for me and Si. Muh. Khanika to stand each one of the two others. The Mughal who had hold of the strip of cloth fastened to the cow’s leg, then said something in Mughal while he looked at the standards and made signs towards them. The Khan and those present sprinkled qumiz in the direction of the standards; hautbois and drums were sounded towards them; the army flung the war-cry out three times towards them, mounted, cried it again and rode at the gallop round them.”

This incident relates to 1502 A.D. and took place at Bish-kint on the Khujand-Tashkent road. Babur is standing on a strip of white cloth. In the foreground is an old Mughal soldier holding a piece of cloth which he has tied to the leg of a cow. In the background trumpets are being sounded and drums beaten.