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Rashidun army
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The Rashidun Caliphate Army or Rashidun army was the primary military body of the Rashidun Caliphate's armed forces during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century, serving alongside the Rashidun Navy. The Rashidun army maintained a level of discipline, strategic prowess, and organization.
In its time, the Rashidun army was one of the most powerful and effective military forces in the world. The size of the Rashidun army was initially 13,000 troops in 632, but as the Caliphate expanded, the army gradually grew to 100,000 troops by 657.
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Encyclopedia
The Rashidun Caliphate Army or Rashidun army was the primary military body of the Rashidun Caliphate's armed forces during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century, serving alongside the Rashidun Navy. The Rashidun army maintained a level of discipline, strategic prowess, and organization.
In its time, the Rashidun army was one of the most powerful and effective military forces in the world. The size of the Rashidun army was initially 13,000 troops in 632, but as the Caliphate expanded, the army gradually grew to 100,000 troops by 657. The two most successful generals of the Rashidun army were Khalid ibn al-Walid, who conquered Iraq from the Persian Empire and Roman Syria, and 'Amr ibn al-'As, who conquered Roman Egypt.
Army
Only Muslims were allowed to join the Rashidun army as a regular troops, the army during the Ridda wars in the reign of Caliph Abu Bakr, mainly consisted of the corps from Madinah, Mecca and Taif, later on during the conquest of Iraq in 633 many bedouin corps recruited in the forces as a regular troops. During the Islamic conquest of Sassanid Persian Empire (633-656), some 12,000 elite persian troops converted to Islam and served later on during the wholescale invasion of the empire. During the Muslim conquest Roman Syria (633-638) some 4,000 greek Byzantine soldiers under their commander Joachim (later Abdullah Joachim) converted to Islam and served as regular troops in the conquest of both Anatolia and Egypt. During the conquest of Egypt (641-644), the Copts converts to Islam, recruited and eased the conquest. During the conquest of North Africa, berber converts to Islam were recruited as regular troops, who later made the bulk of Rashidun army and later Ummayad's army in Africa.
Infantry
Rashidun army relied heavily on their infantry. Mubarizun, were the recognized part of the Muslim army. It was comprised of the champions. Their role was to undermine the enemy moral by slaying their champions. Then infantry would then make repeated charges and withdrawals known as karr wa farr, using spears, swords and with arrow volleys to weeken the enemies and worn them out, though the main energy was still had to be conserved for a counter attack supported by cavalry that would charge straight from center or often from flanks, making flanking or encircling movements.
Defensively the Muslim spearman with their two and a half meter long spears would close ranks, forming a close formation (Tabi'a), a protective wall for archers to continue their fire. This close formation was remarkable in first 4 days of defensive battle from Muslims side in Battle of Yarmouk.
Cavalry
The Rashidun cavalry was a one of the most successful light cavalry. It was armed with lances, up to five and a half meter long, and swords. Both short Arabian swords and Sassanid long swords were used by the horsemen. Often they were armed with both of them at a time. The cavalry used to be reserved, with the main role to attack the enemy once they were weakend by the repeated charges of the infantry. Then they would then make flanking or encircling movements against the enemy army, either from the flanks or straight from the center, with main objective of destroying the already disrupted enemy. The cavalry probably used to attack in a wedge-shaped formation.
Some of the best examples of the use of the cavalry force were commanded by Khalid ibn Walid in the Battle of Walaja against the Sassanid Persians and in the Battle of Yarmouk against the Byzantines. In both cases the cavalry regimets were initially stationed behind the flanks and center.
Weaponry
Reconstructing the military equipment of early Muslim armies is problematic. Compared with Roman armies—or, indeed, later mediaeval Muslim armies—the range of visual representation is very small, often imprecise and difficult to date. Physically very little material evidence has survived and again, much of it is difficult to date.
Most of the Pre-Islamic Arabian military equipments came from Syria, Iraq, Armenia and Yeman. A great deal more would then have been captured during the early conquest.
Helmets
The helmets included gilded helmets similar to that of silver helmets of Sassanid empire. Both pointed and rounded helmets were used. The later referred as ‘’Baidah’’ (egg) was of standard two-piece early Byzantine type and the former was of segmented central Asian type called ‘’Tarikah’’. Mail was commonly used to protect the face, neck and cheek either as an aventail from the helmet or as a mail coif like it was used in Romano-Byzantine armies since 5th century. The face was often used to be half covered with a tail of a turban, that also served as a protection against the strong desert winds.
Heavy leather sandals as well as Roman type sandal boots were also typical of the early Muslim soldiers.
Armor
Hardened leather scale or lamellar armour was locally being produced in Yeman, Iraq and along the gulf coast. The mail armors was more preferable and became more common later during the conquest of neighbouring empires and were captured as a booty. It was known as Dir, and was opened part-way down the chest. To avoid rusting it was polished and stored in themixture of Dust, oil and camel dung.
Infantry soldiers were more heavily armored then the horsemen.
There are also references to the practice of wearing two coats of mail (dir’ayn), the second being shorter or even made of fabric or leather.
Shields
Large wooden or wickerwork shields were in use, but most shields were of leather. For this purpose camel's or cow's hide was used and it would be anointed, a practice since ancient Hebrew times. During the invasion of Levant, Byzantine Elephant hide shields were also extensively used, and were probably captured in booty.
Spears
Long-shafted spears were locally made with the reeds of gulf coast. Infantry spears were two and a half meter long and that of cavalry were up to five and a half meters long.
Sword
Sword was the most prestigious weapon of Early Muslims. It was usually a short infantry weapon, similar to the gladius. High quality swords were being made in Yeman from Indian wootz steel.
There are also sometimes references to Indian swords. Inferior swords were being made throughout Arabia. Both short Arab swords and Sassanid long swords were being used. Often horsemen and infantry soldiers are described to have two swords, both a Sassanid long sword and an Arabian short sword.
All swords hanged in a baldric.
Another personal weapon was the dagger in the a last line of defence.
Bows
Bows were locally made in various parts of Arabia, the finest and typical were the hijazi bows. It could be one piece of wood or two pieces joined together back to back. It used to be about two meter long when unbraced, similar to the English longbow. The maximum useful range of the traditional Arabian bow used to be about 150 meters. Early Muslim archers were infantry archers who proved to be very effective against the cavalry.
Siege weaponry
Catapults were used extensively in siege operations. Under Caliph Umar siege towers, called Dababah were also employed. These wooden towers moved on wheels and had several stories. They were driven up to the foot of the besieged fortification and then the walls were pierced with a battering ram. Archers guarded the ram and the soldiers who moved it.
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