Sipahi - Kapikulu Sipahis

Kapikulu Sipahis

Kapikulu Sipahis (Sipahis of the Porte) were household cavalry troops of the Ottoman Palace. They were the cavalry equivalent of Janissary household infantry force. There were six divisions of Kapikulu Sipahis: The Sipahis, Silahtars, Right Ulufecis, Left Ulufecis, Right Garips and Left Garips. All of them were paid quarterly salaries. The Sipahis and Silahtars were élite units within the six divisions.

Silahtars (which means weaponmasters) were chosen from the best warriors in the Ottoman Empire. Any Ottoman soldier who committed a significant deed on the battlefield may have been promoted to the Silahtar division. Although usually members of other mounted units, like Timarli Sipahis or other less prestigious four divisions of Kapikulu Sipahis were promoted this way. Infantry soldiers had to enlist as serdengecti (literally means giver of his head) and survive suicide missions to join Silahtar division. If a janissary ever became a silahtar, other members of the division with cavalry backgrounds despised him and former comrade janissaries considered him a traitor, but because the position and wealth of a silahtar was so attractive, janissaries and other soldiers still enlisted for suicide missions.

The commander of the Silahtar division was the Silahtar Agha. He was official weaponmaster of the palace and close personal aide of the sultan, who helps him to don his armor. He also was liaison officer who supervises the communication between the sultan and the Grand Vizier.

The Sipahi division was the most prestigious of six divisions. Traditionally, sons of Ottoman élite (sons of Vezirs, Pashas and Beys) served in this unit. The Sipahis and Silahtars were granted timar fiefs near Istanbul, alongside their salaries. Ulufeci means salaried ones and members of two Ulufeci divisions weren't granted with timar fiefs. Garip means poor ones because their equipment was lighter compared to other four divisions and were paid salaries.

Six divisions of Sipahis were Kapikulu cavalry as the way Janissaries were Kapikulu infantry. Kapikulu means servant of the Porte. Servant of the Porte (Kapikullari) were legally servants of Ottoman throne. They weren't literally slaves, though their legal status was different than other Ottoman people. The Sultan had power to directly command execution of his servants without any court verdict. On theory, Sultan hadn't this kind of power over other people, even simple peasants. If a freeman was promoted to one of Kapikulu Sipahi divisions, he considered automatically switched to kul (servant) status.

Equipment of Silahtar, Sipahi and Ulufeci divisions was plated mail, chainmail, round shield, sword, composite bow, arrows, lance, bozdogan mace and axe. Their equipment was similar to Rumeli (Balkan) provincial Timarli Sipahis, though they wore brilliant fabrics, prominent hats and bore ornamented polearms. Two Garip divisions was more lightly equipped.

In classical period Ottoman battle formation, Kapikulu Sipahis were positioned back of the army as rearguards. They acted as reserve cavalry and bodyguards of Ottoman sultan and vezirs. Their job included to join and reinforce Ottoman army's flanks which otherwise consisted entirely provincial timariot sipahis.

The Sipahis of the Porte (Kapikulu Sipahis) were originally founded during the reign of Murad I. Although the Sipahis of the Porte were originally recruited, like the Janissaries, using the devşirme system, 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. The duties of the Sipahis included riding with the sultan on parades and as a mounted bodyguard. Earlier times Silahtar division was accompanied sultan on parades, though The Sipahi division took their place because sons of Ottoman "aristocracy" exclusively joined this regiment. 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.