TURKISH TRADITIONS OF HORSE BREEDING AND CAVALRY AT THE CROSSROADS OF CIVILIZATIONS AND ERAS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52754/16948823_2025_2(6)_14Keywords:
Turks, horse breeding, cavalry, Seljuks, Byzantium, military art, mounted archers, medieval warfareAbstract
The article examines Turkic traditions of horse breeding and cavalry within the broader context of their formation and development at the crossroads of civilizations and historical epochs. Particular attention is paid to a comparative analysis of horse-breeding systems, cavalry organization, and military strategies of Turkic and European armies, using the Seljuk state and the Byzantine Empire as a case study. Based on written sources, archaeological evidence, and military-historical research, the study analyzes the distinctive features of Turkic horse breeding aimed at producing resilient, mobile horses adapted to steppe and mountainous environments, as well as its decisive role in the formation of highly maneuverable cavalry forces. In contrast, the Byzantine tradition of horse breeding and cavalry is examined as a more institutionalized system rooted in Classical and Late Roman military heritage, with an emphasis on heavy cavalry and regular army structures. The article demonstrates that the confrontation between Seljuk and Byzantine military systems represented not only a military conflict but also an interaction between two fundamentally different military-cultural models doninating the medieval Near East and Anatolia.
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