Early Islamic Armies

[Goodridge]

Hey all,

I am doing some research on the earliest Islamic armies and conquests (the first few hundred years, around 600-1000). Does anyone know of any good online resources for this era?

I want to look at how the armies evolved and what they were like. This is largely before the Mamluk/Ghulam/Jannissary armies rose up, which makes it difficult to find much info.

Anyone have any information?

Thanks!

------------------
Kyle Goodridge

[Sjakihata]

check this, it maybe helps http://lexicorient.com/e.o/index.htm

[Dawood]

From what I know it was really nothing special, light cavalery, camels, and infrantry, just like all arabic armys since the dawn of the arabs. The more professional, and famous arab armys came later.

[Stephen Hummell]

yeah, nothin special just some light stuff

[chilliwilli]

Yes, Early Islamic armies mostly consisted of bedouin nomads and later Turkomani horseman from Central Asia were added too. Throughout the dark and middle ages the main advantage of Muslim armies was their mobility and they used common hit and run tactics by the 1300s though Infantry began to appear in Ottoman armies as they began to push into the balkans.

[Dawood]

Quote[/b] (chilliwilli @ Nov. 09 2002,11:28)]Yes, Early Islamic armies mostly consisted of bedouin nomads and later Turkomani horseman from Central Asia were added too. Throughout the dark and middle ages the main advantage of Muslim armies was their mobility and they used common hit and run tactics by the 1300s though Infantry began to appear in Ottoman armies as they began to push into the balkans.

We are talking EARLY here, as in the first 300-400 years after the Birth of Al-nabi Muhammad (Peace be upon him), right?
'Couse around the year 1000 (christian timeline of course) the mamluks started to appear, I don't remember when, but it was a couple of hundrad years after the initial expansion of the khilafah.
But the heat still kept the armys quite "light".

[chilliwilli]

I was talking about early. The Prophet's first army was comprised entirely of bedouin nomads from Arabia.

[DojoRat]

Not all arabs were nomads. Southern arabia, now Yemen, was a settled area of villages and towns and boasted one of the greatest irrigation works of the acient era. It was also a major link in the spice trade. While the book I was reading didn't specify the nature of the troops it did say that many of them came from this settled region. I would assume that in mtw game terms they were light spears and militia units. I'll post the book info when I can get to it.

[Dawood]

Quote[/b] (DojoRat @ Nov. 13 2002,12:24)]Not all arabs were nomads. Southern arabia, now Yemen, was a settled area of villages and towns and boasted one of the greatest irrigation works of the acient era. It was also a major link in the spice trade. While the book I was reading didn't specify the nature of the troops it did say that many of them came from this settled region. I would assume that in mtw game terms they were light spears and militia units. I'll post the book info when I can get to it.

Not to mention the North, modern Iraq for example, was a settled area, IIRC Baghdad was one of the larger cities in the world at the time.

And far from all of Muhammed's (Peace be with him) was beduins, the Meccans and the people of Yatrub (or Medina as it is known nowadays) also fought with him, and as DojoRat said, many of them came from the south of Arabia.
The steriotype of the nomad arab is false.

[chilliwilli]

Quote[/b] (DojoRat @ Nov. 13 2002,11:24)]Not all arabs were nomads. Southern arabia, now Yemen, was a settled area of villages and towns and boasted one of the greatest irrigation works of the acient era. It was also a major link in the spice trade. While the book I was reading didn't specify the nature of the troops it did say that many of them came from this settled region. I would assume that in mtw game terms they were light spears and militia units. I'll post the book info when I can get to it.

I didn't say that all Arabians at the time were nomads. I just mentioned that the nomads in the Prophet's army were from Arabia.

[Dawood]

There was several large cities in arabia too, just not as many.

[G0THIC-Lobster]

dunno, lot sa camels light infantry armed with curved blade and small shield,spearman,medium cavalry unit, desert archer etc. Not really special except for the camel bit.