Mamelukes

A ’mamiuk’ was a white slave, purchased or captured, and employed as a soldier. There had been Mamelukes in Moslem Spain, but by our period they existed under this name only in Egypt and Syria, where they had become a ruling caste. They were probably the finest exponents of the lance and bow tactics of the Eastern mailed cavalryman, though they had an aristocratic preference for the shock weapon, and their armies were even more cavalry-orientated than those of Persia and Turkey. The Mamelukes were armed and equipped like the Turkish and Persian heavy cavalry, though,

A Tartar wearing sheepskin cap and another sheepskin tucked through his sash, plus sheepskin boots. The horse's tail seems to be pushed through a sort of 'woggle' but may simply be knotted, b Mameluke, based on a later drawing but probably giving a fair indication of what they looked like in our period. He is dressed in white with a red cap in his turban and red stripes on the cloth trapper on the horse's hindquarters. The lance pennon is blue with a white crescent. He carries a Turkish-style shield of near rectangular shape, and is likely to have worn mail under this outer clothing, c High officer or Voivode, Moldavia or fl/allachia, around 1600. Carries a cavalry sabre, and would be according to Oman, given to wearing very large turbans (decorated with ostrich plumes in the case of the leaders) in place of helmets. Their mail was often converted into a sort of brigantine by the addition of rich cloth coverings inside and out.

They were commanded by ‘Amirs of a Thousand’, which probably gives an idea of their organisation. If this followed that of the mamiuks of Moorish Spain, ‘Regiments’ of 1,000 would be divided into five companies, each of five 40 man troops. An elite was provided by the ‘Royal Mamelukes’ of the Sultan’s guard, as also by those of the previous Sultan, who would remain together as a separate unit.

The Mamelukes themselves were supported by ‘Koreans’ — Abyssinian and other mercenaries, similarly equipped but presumably of lesser quality — and by Arab light cavalry. The latter, if equipped like their compatriots across the Red Sea, would have a 15 foot cane lance, a small round hide shield, a javelin, and a sling, kept folded turban-wise about the head when not in use.

Mounted in battle. Dress generally very like a Russian Boyar, but his lopsided fur hat with bunch of eagle feathers is characteristic of this area, d Hungarian medium cavalryman, late 15th or early 16th Century. He has a mall coif with 'saucer' on top, like Poles, Russians and others, a mail shirt, reinforced by a sort of mail cape tucked into his belt, and plate and mall leg protection. Other weapons would be likely to include bow and spear, e Moorish foot archer in loose white shirt, shorts and red leather hat, which seem to have been characteristic, f Moorish gunner and light gun. He wears a turban but also seems to have shorts, in this case worn over hose, g Moorish arquebusier in coloured

The Mamelukes actually had artillery before the Turks did, in the 14th Century, but, like European chivalry, regarded firearms as a challenge to their traditional military skills and the social order based on them, so reserved cannon for the attack and defence of forts. However, in their wars with the Turks in the early 16th Century, they brought numerous immobile cannon into the field at al-Raydaniya (1517); these being used to defend a field-work, which the Turks easily turned. By this time, smaller firearms had also appeared, but were confined to low status infantry, particularly black slaves. In 1510, the first complete arquebus-armed unit, (at-tabaga al-Khamisia), was formed, but this ‘patched-up army’ was a badly-paid mixed bag of Turkomans, Persians and others, used mainly for garrison and marine duties.

Under the last Sultan, Tumanbey, a last attempt to get some mobile firepower was the mounting of arquebusiers and light artillery in ox-carts, and the use of camel-guns (heavy arquebusses fired from the unfortunate beasts’ humps).

Robe with wide sleeves. Under-sleeves white. Cap red with white edge (this could represent a very narrow turban), h, i and j Three Moorish light horsemen, 'i' has a bow and wears a brown hat with tuft on top. 'h' has a 12-foot lance, hood of cloak worn up, and carries a shield, 'j' wears a turban with a sort of top-knot in it. k Moorish standard bearer in Spain in the late 15th Century. Note typical heart-shaped shield, here ornamented with tassels. He wears full mail including coif under a surcoat, cloak and turban.

I Another Mameluke, also based on a later drawing, wearing blue and white clothing, yellow shoes and a red and white sash. His brown beehive-cum-coconut hat may be rawhide, and ivas also worn by Moors and Stradiots. Plumes white, m Transylvanian /Roumanian peasant infantryman, early 17th Century. Cap is probably sheepskin, cloak could be fur. Note sandals and binding round ankles, n A ‘haiduk’ of the first half of the 17th Century. This one is a light cavalryman and holds a horseman’s axe. His hat is red with fur trim, outer coat red, lined buff and trimmed in yellow, jacket light blue with red piping, lining and buttons. Under sleeves are brown, baggy trousers dark blue and boots red. He could serve in Transylvanian or Polish forces. oArab light horseman from a 17th Century picture, but could equally be 16th Century as costume did not change as quickly in the east as in the west. The rather peculiar headdress or hood is black, robe black and white. Horse harness and breast strap would be brown leather, fringe on lance red. p andqMore Tartars, ‘p’ is probably a chief (note long plaits) and wears a fur-trimmed hat. His long caftan has its skirts tucked back, showing tight hose and boots. He has a horseman's war hammer and Turkish-type shield (note ring and cord for slinging it on his back.) ‘q’ wears a turban, probably white, and carries a spear and broad sabre (note suspension cords, usual for easterners). The flag is from a contemporary print, though Tartars normally carried horsetails.

Shah Abbas' own helmet — typical of Persian 16th Century and later helmets. Note spike, two plume holders, adjustable nasal and mail aventail cut in points (British Museum).

The Mamelukes were defeated by the Turks in 1516-17, and did not regain their independence from the Ottoman Empire till after the close of our period.

Tartars

These descendants of the dreaded Mongol hordes retained theirforebears’ methods of warfare, with much of their organisation and ferocity, but their lack of unity, and the improved organisation and weaponry of their settled neighbours, made them no

Early 16th Century Persians. The tall pointed helmets were later supplanted by the type shown on drawing 'I'page 93.

Tartar tactics. 1 Main Orda at rear, four Czawuls out in front. 2 Enemy attack and Czawuls give way, wheeling to flanks. 3 Enemy penetrates, centre gives ground, wings encircle enemy and advance Czawuls return to attack enemy flanks and rear.

Longer the terror they had once been. Nonetheless, they were still given to slaveraiding forays against their Russian and Polish neighbours, and, though most often allied to their Turkish co-religionists, they could also be found allied with Cossacks, Muscovites and Poles, and fought against all of these and the Turks too.

The Tartar armies, at least in Western Asia, were entirely cavalry, except that the largest Khanate, that of the Grim Tartars in the Crimea, could call upon 800 musketeers from the Volga Germans when required.

Tartar dress was most often of black sheepskin (wool outwards), with hats of the same, or shirts and ankle-length kaftans like the Russians, but buttoned on the left instead of the right, with linen breeches and half calf length red or yellow boots. However, they were anything but uniform in dress (save in general grubbiness, if European witnesses are to be believed). Fur-trimmed hats were common, but many wore white cotton turbans, and indeed officers and leaders usually imitated Turkish dress, often including helmet and mail of Turkish, Persian or Indian make. They were also distinguished by long hair, sometimes plaited, from their followers, who usually shaved their heads. Armour was not usual among the Tartar rank and file, whose only protection was normally a round or semi-rectangular shield.

Tartars were horse archers first and foremost, all carrying the. composite bow, and many had no other weapon. However, sabres, spears similar to European boar-spears, and lassoes were also employed, and a very few had pistols, though in general they lacked firearms, even in the 17th Century.

In tactics, they were irregulars, using deep but loose formations, and relying entirely on mobility and envelopment, their superb horsemanship allowing them to fire accurately when fleeing, or when galloping in circles, a tactic often adopted. Their tricks even included the use of mounted dummies to add to their apparent numbers! Like Red Indians, they would sometimes evade return fire by hanging down the side of their mounts by one arm and one leg.

However, their armies were far from disorganised mobs. The full army or ‘orda’ was divided into groups of several thousand, known as ‘czawul’, which in turn were subdivided into units of ‘20 Standards’, 800 men strong. An Aga commanded the czawul, a Bey the smaller group, and the different sections of the army were kept in communication by despatch riders, and directed by pipe and horn signals, each officer being accompanied by a piper. The traditional horsetail standards were also used for signalling orders, and the Tartars are said to have kept very good order so long as their unit commanders survived.