Turcopole
Encyclopedia
In the Crusades
, turcopoles, turcoples, turcopoli or turcopoliers (from the , "sons of Turks") were locally recruited mounted archers
employed by the Christian states of the Eastern Mediterranean.
during the First Crusade
. These auxiliaries were the children of mixed Greek and Turkish parentage, and were at least nominally Christian although some may have been practising Muslims. Some Byzantine turcopole units accompanied the First Crusade and may have provided a model for the employment of indigenous auxiliary light horse in the crusader states.
In the crusader states the turcopoles were not necessarily Turkish or mixed-race mercenaries, but many were probably recruited from Christianized Seljuqs, or from Syrian Eastern Orthodox Christians under crusader rule. In the Holy Land
, turcopoles were more lightly armoured than knights and were armed with lance
s and bow
s to help combat the more mobile Muslim forces. They served as light cavalry: skirmishers, scouts, and mounted archers, and sometimes rode as a second line in a charge, to back up the Frankish
knights and sergeant
s. Turcopoles had lighter and faster horses than the western mounted troops and wore much lighter armour. Usually this comprised only a quilted aketon or jerkin and a conical steel helmet.
There were turcopoles in the secular armies of Outremer
but they were also often found in the ranks of the military orders. In the military orders turcopoles had lower status than the Frankish sergeants, and were subject to various restrictions, including eating at a separate table from the other mounted soldiers.
The turcopoles had their own leaders called Turcopoliers, who were higher in rank than normal sergeants, at least in battle. The senior office-holders of the Knights Templar
included a Turcopolier who commanded both the mercenary cavalry recruited by the Order in the East and the sergeant-Brothers. The personal attendants of the Grand Master of the Temple included a turcopole - possibly as an interpreter or orderly.
Francesco Balbi (1568) reports that the leader of the English 'Langue' of the Knights of St John was the order's Turcopolier. (7).
At the decisive Battle of Hattin
in 1187 the Historia Regni Hierosolymitani records 4,000 turcopoles as being part of the defeated Christian army. However the historian Steven Runciman
considers this number exaggerated, and notes that the Moslem light cavalry present were probably better armed than the turcopoles.
The Mamluk
s considered turcopoles to be traitors and apostates and killed all those whom they captured. The turcopoles who survived the Fall of Acre
followed the military orders out of the Holy Land and were established on Cyprus
with the Knights Templar
and Rhodes
and Malta
with the Knights Hospitaller
. The Teutonic Order also called its own native light cavalry the "Turkopolen".
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
, turcopoles, turcoples, turcopoli or turcopoliers (from the , "sons of Turks") were locally recruited mounted archers
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
employed by the Christian states of the Eastern Mediterranean.
History
The crusaders first encountered turcopoles in the Byzantine armyByzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
during the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
. These auxiliaries were the children of mixed Greek and Turkish parentage, and were at least nominally Christian although some may have been practising Muslims. Some Byzantine turcopole units accompanied the First Crusade and may have provided a model for the employment of indigenous auxiliary light horse in the crusader states.
In the crusader states the turcopoles were not necessarily Turkish or mixed-race mercenaries, but many were probably recruited from Christianized Seljuqs, or from Syrian Eastern Orthodox Christians under crusader rule. In the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, turcopoles were more lightly armoured than knights and were armed with lance
Lance
A Lance is a pole weapon or spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior. The lance is longer, stout and heavier than an infantry spear, and unsuited for throwing, or for rapid thrusting. Lances did not have tips designed to intentionally break off or bend, unlike many throwing weapons of the...
s and bow
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
s to help combat the more mobile Muslim forces. They served as light cavalry: skirmishers, scouts, and mounted archers, and sometimes rode as a second line in a charge, to back up the Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
knights and sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s. Turcopoles had lighter and faster horses than the western mounted troops and wore much lighter armour. Usually this comprised only a quilted aketon or jerkin and a conical steel helmet.
There were turcopoles in the secular armies of Outremer
Outremer
Outremer, French for "overseas", was a general name given to the Crusader states established after the First Crusade: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli and especially the Kingdom of Jerusalem...
but they were also often found in the ranks of the military orders. In the military orders turcopoles had lower status than the Frankish sergeants, and were subject to various restrictions, including eating at a separate table from the other mounted soldiers.
The turcopoles had their own leaders called Turcopoliers, who were higher in rank than normal sergeants, at least in battle. The senior office-holders of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
included a Turcopolier who commanded both the mercenary cavalry recruited by the Order in the East and the sergeant-Brothers. The personal attendants of the Grand Master of the Temple included a turcopole - possibly as an interpreter or orderly.
Francesco Balbi (1568) reports that the leader of the English 'Langue' of the Knights of St John was the order's Turcopolier. (7).
At the decisive Battle of Hattin
Battle of Hattin
The Battle of Hattin took place on Saturday, July 4, 1187, between the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the forces of the Ayyubid dynasty....
in 1187 the Historia Regni Hierosolymitani records 4,000 turcopoles as being part of the defeated Christian army. However the historian Steven Runciman
Steven Runciman
The Hon. Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman CH — known as Steven Runciman — was a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages...
considers this number exaggerated, and notes that the Moslem light cavalry present were probably better armed than the turcopoles.
The Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s considered turcopoles to be traitors and apostates and killed all those whom they captured. The turcopoles who survived the Fall of Acre
Siege of Acre (1291)
The Siege of Acre took place in 1291 and resulted in the loss of the Crusader-controlled city of Acre to the Muslims. It is considered one of the most important battles of the time period. Although the crusading movement continued for several more centuries, the capture of the city marked the end...
followed the military orders out of the Holy Land and were established on Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
with the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
and Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
with the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
. The Teutonic Order also called its own native light cavalry the "Turkopolen".