DBA Armies

IV/6 SYRIAN 1092 AD - 1286 AD

This list covers the Muslim armies of Syria and the shrunken Abbasid Khalifate of Baghdad following the relaxation of Seljuk control after the death of Malik Shah in 1092. The rulers of Syrian cities became semi-independent. The most important were the Turkish rulers of Damascus and Aleppo. Antioch and Jerusalem also had Turkish rulers, but fell during the first Crusade to Crusaders and later to the Fatimids. The smaller Syrian cities of Hama, Homs, Tripoli and Shaizar were ruled until the Zankid conquest by Arab dynasties. The list also covers the armies of Mosul from Zanki’s acquisition of Aleppo in 1128. He took Edessa in 1145, then sent his Kurdish general Shirkuh to conquer Egypt. Shirkuh was succeeded in Egypt in 1171 by his nephew Saladin, who later took over the whole Zankid territory founding the Ayyubid dynasty. The list then covers local Ayyubid dynasties in Syria from Saladin’s death in 1193 until the Mamluks absorbed Kerak in 1286. The Abbasid Khalifate had little access to Turkomans, but could call on large numbers of volunteers. Ghazi were inspired by religion, mutatawwi’a by loot. Syrian armoured cavalry had lance, sword and shield, but no bow. They also had ghulam slave troops armed with bow, sword or mace and shield, and sometimes lance or spear. Reference: Armies and Enemies of the Crusades 1. Heath.

IV/6a — Turkish-ruled and Ayyubid remnant Syrian states 1092 AD - 1286 AD

List: 1 x General with ghulams (Cv), 3 x Syrian or Kurdish cavalry (Cv), 2 x Turkoman horse archers (LH), 2 x Turkoman horse archers or Bedouin (LH), 1 x ghulams (Cv) or ghazis (3WDb), 1 x Ahdath militia (7Hd), 1 x archers (Ps), 1 x archers (Ps) or javelinmen (3Ax) or mutatawwi’a (Hd)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 1
Enemies:
Allies: IV/2 or IV/7 or IV/17 or IV/24b

IV/6b — Abbasid Iraq 1092 AD - 1258 AD

List: 1 x General with ghulams (Cv), 3 x Arab cavalry (Cv), 2 x Bedouin (LH), 3 x ghazis (3WDb), 2 x Ahdath militia (7Hd), 1 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 0
Enemies:

IV/6c — Arab dynasties 1092 AD - 1172 AD

List: 1 x General (Cv), 3 x Syrian cavalry (Cv), 2 x Bedouin (LH), 1 x ghazis (3Wb), 2 x Ahdath militia (7Hd), 1 x archers (Ps), 2 x archers (Ps) or mutatawwi’a (5Hd)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 1
Enemies:
Allies: IV/2o or IV/7 or IV/17
⚠ Unresolved allies: IV/2O