Editing Cavalry (section)

===Ottoman===
{{main|Sipahi|Akinji}}
During its period of greatest expansion, from the 14th to 17th centuries, cavalry formed the powerful core of the Ottoman armies. Registers dated 1475 record 22,000 ''Sipahi''  feudal cavalry levied in Europe, 17,000 ''Sipahis'' recruited from Anatolia, and 3,000 ''Kapikulu'' (regular body-guard cavalry).<ref>{{cite book |first=David |last=Nicolle |page=9 |title=The Janissaries |isbn=1-85532-413-X}}</ref> During the 18th century however the Ottoman mounted troops evolved into light cavalry serving in the thinly populated regions of the Middle East and North Africa.<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Nicolle|page=8 |title=Armies of the Ottoman Empire 1775-1820|date=9 March 1998|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=1-85532-697-3}}</ref> Such frontier horsemen were largely raised by local governors and were separate from the main field armies of the Ottoman Empire. At the beginning of the 19th century modernised ''Nizam-I Credit'' ("New Army") regiments appeared, including full-time cavalry units officered from the horse guards of the Sultan.<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Nicolle|page=37 |title=Armies of the Ottoman Empire 1775-1820|date=9 March 1998|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=1-85532-697-3}}</ref> 
<gallery class="center" heights="180">
File:Sipahi.jpg|Ottoman [[Sipahi]].
File:Mamluke.jpg|An Ottoman [[Mamluk]] cavalryman from 1810, armed with a pistol.
File:Sueleymanname Akinci-Beys.png|[[Akinji|Akinci]] of the [[Balkan]]s.
File:1396-Battle of Nicopolis-Hunername-2.jpg|Ottoman [[Ghazi (warrior)|Ghazi]] cavalrymen during the [[Battle of Nicopolis]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Lokman |url=http://warfare.atwebpages.com/Ottoman/Ottoman.htm |title=Battle of Nicopolis (1396) |year=1588 |work=Hünernâme |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529094441/http://warfare.atwebpages.com/Ottoman/Ottoman.htm |archive-date=2013-05-29 }}</ref>
</gallery>