DBA Armies

III/37 ABBASID ARAB 747 AD - 945 AD

This list covers the armies of the Abbasid Khalifate from the first revolt of Abu Muslim’s Khurasani Arab troops against the Umayyads. Political and religious discontent with Umayyad rule spread the rebellion, but apart from massacre of the ruling family, the rebels had few common motives, so the only result was a change of dynasty to the Abbasids (in whom the Khalifate now became hereditary) and the capital being moved from Damascus to a new city which became Baghdad and then again in 835 to Samarra. The Umayyads retained only their territories in Spain. After 830, Persia was lost to the Tahirids and then to the Saffarids and Samanids, Morocco was taken over by the Idrisids and Tunisia first by the Aghlabids, then the Fatimids. Egypt was taken over by the Tulunids; and eastern Arabia in 897 by the fanatic Qaramita sect, who raided up to Baghdad before being defeated by the Buyids in 976, these having taken over the Abbasid heartlands in 945 and relegated the Baghdad caliphate to a purely spiritual role. Mailed cavalry were initially traditional Arab skirmishing lancers. Caliph al-Mutasim (833-42) largely replaced them with armoured bow and lance cavalry called ghulams “boys” and later mamluks “slaves”. These started as surplus youths from pagan steppe horse archer tribes, bought by entrepreneurs, converted to militant Islam and formed into military units of highly trained and disciplined soldiers that became self- perpetuating corporations. They were widely used by Muslim states that could afford them and prized for their efficiency and loyalty. Foot continued to be spearmen with big shields and archers. Swords were still the straight “saif”, not the Hollywood scimitar. Flags and guardsmen’s uniforms were black. Mutatawwi’a were unpaid religious volunteers. Zanj were East African slave troops with sword, javelins and shield. Faraghina were mercenary Turkic horse archers with a lower status than ghulams. References: Armies of the Dark Ages 1. Heath, The Armies of the Caliphs H. Kennedy In the Shadow of the Sword T. Holland.

III/37a — Abbasid Arab Army 747 AD - 835 AD

List: 1 x General (Cv), 3 x lancers (Cv), 3 x spearmen (Sp), 2 x archers (4Bw or Ps), 1 x Zanj (3Bd) or Bedouin volunteers (LH), 1 x Mutatawwi’a (3Wb) or Bedouin volunteers (LH), 1 x town militia (7Hd) or archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 1
Enemies:

III/37b — Abbasid Arab Army 836 AD - 945 AD

List: 1 x General (Cv), 2 x ghulams (Cv), 1 x lancers (Cv), 1 x Faraghina horse archers (LH), 2 x spearmen (Sp), 2 x archers (4Bw or Ps), 2 x Zanj (3Bd), 1 x Mutatawwi’a (3WDb) or Dailami (4Ax) or rope-pull stone- throwers (Art)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 1
Enemies:
Allies: III/54a