Sipahi

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Image:Sipahi3.jpg A Sipahi (Turkish, also spelt Spahi, Sepahi, or Spakh) was a member of an elite mounted force within the Six Divisions of Cavalry of the Ottoman Empire. The name derives from Persian سپاهی Sepâhi meaning "soldier", and has the same root as "sepoy". The sipahis' status resembled that of the medieval European knight. The sipahi was holder of a fief (timar, hence the name Timarli sipahi) granted directly by the Ottoman sultan, and was entitled to all of the income from it in return for military service. The peasants on the land were subsequently attached to the land.

The Sipahis were probably founded during the reign of Mehmed II. They were the largest of the six division of the cavalry and were the mounted counterpart of the Janissaries, who fought on foot. (Timarli Sipahis should not be confused with the Timariots, irregular cavalry organised along feudal lines, known colloquially as Sipahis. The two formations had very little in common, in fact.)

The duties of the Sipahis included riding with the sultan on parades and as a mounted bodyguard. In times of peace they were also responsible for collecting taxes. The Sipahis played an important part in The Auspicious Incident, subjugating the last rebellion of Janissaries in 1826. However, two years later sultan Mahmud II revoked their privileges and dismissed them in favour of a more modern army structure.

A timar was the smallest unit of land owned by a sipahi, and would give a yearly revenue of no more than 10,000 akçe, which would be two to four times what a teacher earned. A ziamet yielded up to 100,000 akçe, and was owned by Sipahis of officers rank. A hass gave revenues of more than 100,000 akçe, and was only for the highest ranking in the military. A timar Sipahi was obliged to provide the army with up to five soldiers, a ziamet with up to twenty, and a hass with far more than twenty.

Many of the Sipahis were actual slaves under the sultan, as collected through the devshirmeh system. By this relationship, the sultan could hope for loyalty and cooperation.

From the middle of the 16th century, the Janissaries had started to be the most important part of the army, though the Sipahis were still an important factor in the empire's economy and politics. As late as the 17th century, the Sipahis were, together with their rivals the Janissaries, the actual rulers in the early years of sultan Murad IV's reign.

France's Spahis

In the French army, certain Algerian, Tunisian, and Moroccan cavalry units were also called Spahis. First raised in about 1840, they saw service in the conquest of Algeria, the Franco-Prussian War, the occupation of Morocco and Syria, and both World Wars. Prior to 1914 there were four regiments of Spahis in the French Army, three recruited primarily in Algeria and one in Tunisia. During World War I the number of units increased with the creation of Moroccan Spahi regiments and the expansion of the Algerian arm. In the course of World War II most Spahi regiments were mechanised but several squadrons remained mounted for patrol work in North Africa and ceremonial duties in France itself. At the end of the Algerian War (1962) all but one of the Spahi regiments were disbanded. The modern 1st Spahis is an armoured unit which saw service in the First Gulf War. It also maintains the traditions of the entire corps as it previously existed.

During their period as mounted cavalry the Spahis comprised for the most part Arab and Berber troopers commanded by French officers. This division was not absolute however and there were always a certain number of French volunteers in the ranks. In addition, a fixed number of commissioned positions up to the level of captain were reserved for Muslim officers. NCOs were both French and Muslim. As Spahi units were mechanised the proportion of Frenchmen in the ranks increased.

Throughout most of their history the Algerian and Tunisian Spahis wore a very striking Zouave style uniform. It comprised a high Arab headdress, a red jacket embroidered in black, a wide red sash and voluminous light blue trousers. A white burnous was worn together with a red cloak (blue for the Moroccan Spahis). From 1915 on a more practical khaki uniform was adopted for service but the classic red and blue reappeared for parade and off duty wear in 1927. The mounted squadrons retained for ceremonial duties wore this parade uniform until they were disbanded in 1962 The modern 1st Spahis still wears the burnous and red or blue cloaks for full dress.

The Italian colonial administration of Libya raised squadrons of locally recruited Spahi cavalry between 1912 and 1942. These differed from their French namesakes in that their prime role was that of mounted police, tasked with patrolling rural and desert areas. Although they had Italian officers these spahis were more loosely organised than the regular Libyan cavalry regiments ("Savari"). They wore a picturesque dress modelled on that of the desert tribesmen from whom they were recruited.da:Spahi de:Spahi es:Sipahi fr:Spahis hr:Spahije hu:Szpáhi pl:Spahis sv:Spahi wa:Sipahis