Sipahis of the Porte

**L'Impresario** · 06-09-2005, 23:03

Yes, but spahis weren't an elite "household" unit of the Sultan, as the name in question suggests, and furthermore, during the first decades of the 19th century, they didn't function in the same way as their predecessors, as the recruitment policies were being altered, with modernisation making its first weak steps in matters of army and state. AFAIR, the troops mustered in the eve of the 1826 events were prime parts of the "modern army" Mahmud II and the previous sultans wished to form.
In the end, artillery saved the day again, placing the tombstone on the janissaries' grave.

**Magister Pediyum** · 06-10-2005, 16:47

They where equal to feudal knights in the west they had different weapons and fought differently but they where NOOOOT personal guard of the Sultan.
They where the pilers of ''TIMARIOT'' system like the feud in the west timar was land unit in the Ottoman Sultanate by which a spahi-lord horseman would serv and go into war for right to use the land.
For more read about Ottoman culture times from late 14th century to about early 16th century.

**nokhor** · 06-11-2005, 00:49

Magister Pediyum, i think what you wrote applies to sipahis in general, but it was my impression that the original question was asking about a specific designation of sipahis. did the 'sipahis of the porte' have timars all over the empire too? i don't know. am just asking.

**L'Impresario** · 06-11-2005, 02:26

did the 'sipahis of the porte' have timars all over the empire too? i don't know. am just asking.

The answer according to me:

but spahis weren't an elite "household" unit of the Sultan, as the name in question suggests,

while the personal guard of the sultan did come from the Kapıkulu Corps, the well-known institution that provided the Janissaries (through the devşirme). MTW could use the term 'müteferrika' ,them being the elite among the elite, comprised of nobles and individuals of high standing as well.

Therefore if we accept the correctness of the above (yes, it's open to questioning, I'm not even near an expert in this issue - or any that is heh), then it's pretty straighforward that they weren't the unit described in VI and even the name is pretty confusing to people remotely familiar with the "ottoman" counterpart of feudalism.

**Magister Pediyum** · 06-11-2005, 11:44

The Spahis where elite of the ottoman cavalry .Pretty much from times of Emir Orhan in first half of the 14th century yeni çerii corps was and remaind for a long period of time the single most trusted unit whith in the Ottoman system so they where personal guard of rulers.
Spahis where prone to upprisings,they pasted titles to their sons and so on so a new generation of spahis came,we have the tendency to eliminate old spahi houses before they could start rebellion.One example is Celia upprisings in central Anatolia during the rain of Sultan Bayazid,rebellion of sultans brother Djem which was supporteded by spahi timariot system one effecitve way of dealing whith rebellions is to have a 100% relalibal guard which is yeni çerii corps.
As for this

Quote:
did the Spahis of the porte' have timars all over the empire too? i don't know. am just asking.
It possible but the strict rule for timariot system was not to give to much of timars to a single house for it may become to powerfull for sultans taste