Six Divisions of Cavalry

The Six Divisions of Cavalry (Altı Bölük) was a corps of mounted elite soldiers in the Ottoman army. There were not really six but four divisions. Two of the six were sub-divisions. The divisions were:

• Sipahis (From Persian, translated roughly as armymen)
• Silahdars (From Persian, translated roughly as weaponbearers)
• Ulufejis (translated as stipendiaries), organised in two sub-divisions:
  • Ulufejis of the Left
  • Ulufejis of the Right
• Gurebas (translated roughly as strangers), organised in two sub-divisions:
  • Gurebas of the Left
  • Gurebas of the Right

The elite cavalry was the mounted counterpart to the Janissaries and played an important part in the Ottoman army. The Six Divisions were probably founded during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II (1451-1481), but the Sipahis had existed since 1326.