Warriors 8 - Ottoman

Warriors Through Time - "Harika" the Ottoman footsoldier

An empire lasting a little over six centuries, the Ottoman empire was one of the few Medieval entities to survive into the Modern Era (its end following WWI). Masters of the deserts of Africa, the Middle East and as far as India the Ottomans adapted well to the harsh climates and were the main opposition to the Crusades under Turkish Islamic rule. The Ottomans were also responsible for destroying the last recesses of the Roman Empire when they conquered Constantinople in 1453. The last theocratic government under Islamic rule, its dissolution would spur cries in the Muslim world for the return of such a spiritual governing of a "home" country.

Harika is a typical Ottoman footsoldier of the Medieval Period. The standard issue weapons of thier infantry would have consisted of a curved bladed sword (shamshir), a curved dagger, and often a small wooden shield (not pictured). Their armor was a mix of chainmail and belted plates covering the stomach area and sometimes the thighs with elaborately decorated clothing underneath. Camels would have been the main mode of transportation but horses were highly valued for military purposes (cavalry charges) as camels could not attain the same high speed. Had this drawing been set a century or two later she would most likely looked very similar but would be carrying a miquelet or flintlock musket.