Sipahi

For other uses, see Sipahi (disambiguation).
For the 19th- and 20th century African cavalry regiments of the French army and Libyan mounted police serving the Italian colonial army, see Spahi.
Sipahi
Spahiç (Balkans)
A 16th-century engraving of a sipahi, by Melchior Lorck
Active15th–19th centuries
CountryOttoman Empire
AllegianceOttoman Empire
BranchCavalry
EquipmentKilij, shield, lance, and bow
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Identification
symbol

The sipahi (Ottoman Turkish: سپاهی, , Turkish pronunciation: [sipaːhi]) were professional cavalrymen of the Ottoman Empire. Sipahi units included the land grant–holding (timar) provincial timarli sipahi, which constituted most of the army, and the salaried regular kapikulu sipahi, or palace troops. However, the irregular light cavalry akıncı ("raiders") were not considered to be sipahi. The sipahi formed their own distinctive social classes and were rivals to the Janissaries, the elite infantry corps of the sultans.

The sipahi held a state-owned land tenure known as timar in exchange for tax collection, security, and active military service.

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