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Sipahi (Ottoman Turkish: سپاهی; also transliterated as Spahi, Sepahi, and Spakh) was the name of an Ottoman cavalry corps. In the form of "Spahi" it was the title given to several cavalry units serving in the French and Italian colonial armies during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The name ultimately derives from the Persian سپاه (sepâh, meaning "army") and has the same root as the English term "sepoy".

Contents 1 Ottoman Sipahis 1.1 Rivalry with the Janissary Corps 2 Spahis of France 2.1 World War I 2.2 Between the World Wars 2.3 World War II 2.4 Uniforms 2.5 Spahis Senegalese 2.6 Spahis of Italy 3 Notes 4 References

[edit] Ottoman Sipahis

The Sipahis were an élite mounted force within the Six Divisions of Cavalry of the Ottoman Empire. The Sipahis' status resembled that of the knights of medieval Europe. The Sipahi was the holder of a fief of land (تيمار tîmâr; hence the alternative name Tîmârlı Sipahi) granted directly by the Ottoman sultan, and was entitled to all of the income from that land, in return for military service. The peasants on the land were subsequently attached thereto.

The Sipahis were originally founded during the reign of Murad I. Although the Sipahis were originally recruited, like the Janissaries, using the devshirmeh system<ref>Shaw 26</ref>, by the time of Sultan Mehmed II, their ranks were only chosen from among the ethnic Turks who owned land within imperial borders. The Sipahi eventually became the largest of the six divisions of the Ottoman cavalry, and were the mounted counterpart to the Janissaries, who fought on foot. 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 the collection of taxes. The Sipahis, however, should not be confused with the Timariots, who were irregular cavalry organised along feudal lines and known as "sipahi"s colloquially. In fact, the two formations had very little in common.

A tîmâr was the smallest unit of land owned by a Sipahi, providing a yearly revenue of no more than 10,000 akçe, which was between two and four times what a teacher earned. A ziamet (زعامت) was a larger unit of land, yielding up to 100,000 akçe, and was owned by Sipahis of officer rank. A has (غاص) was the largest unit of land, giving revenues of more than 100,000 akçe, and was only held by the highest-ranking members of the military. A tîmâr Sipahi was obliged to provide the army with up to five soldiers, a ziamet Sipahi with up to twenty, and a has Sipahi with far more than twenty.

[edit] Rivalry with the Janissary Corps

Since they were a cavalry regiment it was well known within the Ottoman military circles that they considered themselves a superior stock of soldiers than janissaries, who were a mixture of both Turkic and devshirmeh non-Turks, whereas the sipahis were almost exclusively chosen amongst ethnic Turkic landowners. Minor quarrels that erupted within two units is made evident with a Turkmen adage, still used today within Turkey,

Atlı er başkaldırmaz.

Which, referring to the unruly janissaries, translates into,

Horsemen don't mutiny.

Towards the middle of the 16th century, the Janissaries had started to be the most important part of the army, though the Sipahis remained an important factor in the empire's economy and politics, and a crucial aspect of disciplined leadership within the army. As late as the 17th century, the Sipahis were, together with their rivals the Janissaries, the de facto rulers in the early years of sultan Murad IV's reign. In 1826, the Sipahis played an important part in the disbandment of the Janissary corps. The Sultan received critical assistance from the loyalist Sipahi cavalry in order to forcefully dismiss the infuriated janissaries.

Two years later, however, their shared a similar fate when Sultan Mahmud II revoked their privileges and dismissed them in favour of a more modern military structure. Unlike the janissaries before them they retired honorably, peacefully, and without bloodshed into new Ottoman cavalry divisions who followed modern military tradition doctrines.

[edit] Spahis of France

Image:Spahi-img 1029.jpg Image:Spahi-img 0990.jpg In the French army, certain autochthonous Maghrebianian (Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan) cavalry regiments were also called Spahis (the form of Sipahi in French). First raised in 1831, they saw extensive service in the conquest of Algeria, the Franco-Prussian War, the occupation of Morocco and Syria and both World Wars. A detachment of Spahis served as the personal escort of Marshal Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud in the Crimean War and were photographed there by Roger Fenton.

Prior to 1914 there were four regiments of Spahis in the French Army, three recruited primarily in Algeria and one in Tunisia. A serious rising against French rule in Algeria during 1871-72 was sparked off by the mutiny of a squadron of Spahis who had been ordered to France to take part in the war against Prussia. 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. The annual Bastille Day parade in Paris always featured Spahi cavalry in their traditional dress on white Arabian horses. At the end of the Algerian War (1962) all but one of the Spahi regiments were disbanded. The modern 1er Spahis is an armoured unit which saw service in the First Allied 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.

[edit] World War I

Spahis were sent to France at the outbreak of war in August 1914. They saw service during the opening period of mobile warfare but inevitably their role diminished with the advent of trench warfare. By 1918 all seven Spahi regiments then in existence had seen service on the Western Front. In addition a detached squadron had served in Palestine against the Turks.

[edit] Between the World Wars

During the 1920s mounted Spahi regiments saw extensive active service in the French mandated territories of Syria and Lebanon, as well as in Morocco. They continued to perform policing and garrison duties in Algeria and were, for the first time during peacetime, based in France itself. Although mechanism began in the 1930s of the Chasseurs d' Afrique and Foreign Legion cavalry, the Spahis remained an entirely mounted force until after 1942.

[edit] World War II

One Spahi regiment (1er Regiment de Marche de Spahis Marocains) distinguished itself in service with the Free French during World War II. Garrisoned in Vichy controlled Syria as part of a mounted cavalry unit (1er Regiment de Spahis Marocains) , some of the regiment crossed the frontier into Jordon in June 1940. After mounted service in Eritrea this detachment was subsequently reorganised and equipped with armoured cars by the British in Egypt. It served in Syria, Egypt, Tunisia and during the liberation of France. The expanded and mechanised regiment served in Egypt, Tunisia and was part of the French forces that liberated Paris in August 1944.

[edit] Uniforms

Throughout most of their history the Algerian and Tunisian Spahis wore a very striking Zouave style uniform. It comprised a high Arab headdress, a short red jacket embroidered in black, sky blue waist coat (sedria) a wide red sash and voluminous light blue trousers. The four regiments were distinguished by the differing colours of their "tombeaus" (circular false pockets on the front of the jacket). A white burnous was worn together with a red cloak (blue for the Moroccan Spahis). French officers wore light blue kepis, red tunics with gold rank braiding and light blue breeches with double red stripes. Muslim officers wore a more elaborate version of the "tenue orientale" of the Arab and Berber troopers. French Spahis were distinguished by wearing fezs instead of the white Arab turban with its brown camel hair cords. Armament was the sabre of the French light cavalry together with the 1892 carbine.

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 a slightly modified version of this parade uniform until they were disbanded in 1962. The modern 1er Spahis still wears the traditional burnous, red sash and red or blue cloaks for full dress.

[edit] Spahis Senegalese

In addition to the North African cavalry described above, two squadrons of Spahis were raised in French West Africa. First established in 1855 these mounted units saw service in Morocco as well as in the various West African campaigns. The troopers were recruited from the inhabitants of Senegal and the French Soudan while their officers were seconded from Algerian Spahi regiments. In 1928 the Spahis Senegalese were converted to a mounted gendarmerie. The modern Gendarmerie Nationale of the Republic of Senegal includes a mounted ceremonial squadron - the gardes rouge (red guard) which traces its history back to the Spahis Senegalese and still wears the burnous, fez and red tunic of the French period.

[edit] Spahis of Italy

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.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

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