Editing Cavalry (section)

===Arabs===
{{main|Mobile guard|List of battles of Muhammad}}
[[File:Ikhwan.jpg|thumb|left|Arab [[Camel cavalry|camelry]]]]

The Islamic Prophet Muhammad made use of cavalry in many of his military campaigns including the [[Expedition of Dhu Qarad]],<ref>Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar, p. 231. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110728084550/http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/SM_tsn/ch6s1.html online])</ref> and the [[Expedition of Zaid ibn Haritha (Al-Is)|expedition of Zaid ibn Haritha in al-Is]] which took place in September, 627 AD, fifth month of 6 AH of the [[Islamic calendar]].<ref name=hawarey>{{cite book|last=Hawarey|first=Mosab|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vJVqNwAACAAJ&q=9789957051648|isbn=9789957051648|title=The Journey of Prophecy; Days of Peace and War (Arabic)|publisher=Islamic Book Trust |year=2010}}</ref>

Early organized Arab mounted forces under the [[Rashidun]] [[caliphate]] comprised a [[light cavalry]] armed with [[lance]] and [[sword]]. Its main role was to attack the enemy flanks and rear. These relatively lightly armored horsemen formed the most effective element of the Muslim armies during the later stages of the Islamic conquest of the Levant. The best use of this lightly armed fast moving cavalry was revealed at the '''[[Battle of Yarmouk]]''' (636 AD) in which [[Khalid ibn Walid]], knowing the skills of his horsemen, used them to turn the tables at every critical instance of the battle with their ability to engage, disengage, then turn back and attack again from the flank or rear. A strong cavalry regiment was formed by Khalid ibn Walid which included the veterans of the campaign of Iraq and Syria. Early Muslim historians have given it the name ''Tali'a mutaharrikah''(طليعة متحركة), or the [[Mobile guard]]. This was used as an advance guard and a strong striking force to route the opposing armies with its greater mobility that give it an upper hand when maneuvering against any [[Byzantine]] army. With this mobile striking force, the conquest of Syria was made easy.<ref>p. 239, Muir</ref>

The [[Battle of Talas]] in 751 AD was a conflict between the Arab [[Abbasid]] Caliphate and the [[China|Chinese]] [[Tang dynasty]] over the control of [[Central Asia]]. Chinese infantry were routed by [[Arab]] cavalry near the bank of the River Talas.

Until the 11th century the classic cavalry strategy of the Arab Middle East incorporated the ''razzia'' tactics of fast moving raids by mixed bodies of horsemen and infantry. Under the talented leadership of [[Saladin]] and other Islamic commanders the emphasis changed to Mamluk horse-archers backed by bodies of irregular light cavalry. Trained to rapidly disperse, harass and regroup these flexible mounted forces proved capable of withstanding the previously invincible heavy knights of the western crusaders at battles such as Hattin in 1187.<ref>{{cite book |first=David |last=Nicolle |page=30 |title=Hattin 1187. Saladin's greatest victory |date=28 January 1993 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=978-1-85532-284-4}}</ref>