Subject: ناصر nasir 'companion' warrior

Culture: Arab

Setting: early Islamic community, Middle East 7th-early 8thc

Evolution:

Context (Event Photos, Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, Field Notes)

* Nicolle/McBride 1982 p9-10

"It is generally agreed that Muslim armies developed considerably from the time of Muhammad to the Abbasid revolution (750AD), and that the reforms of Marwan II, the last Umayyad Caliph of Damascus, marked a change from primitive Arab tribal armies to more professional forces. Yet a closer investigation suggests that Marwan's reforms reflected military changes rather than stimulating them. The death of the Caliph Ali in 661AD and the consequent establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate as a dynastic state might provide a more appropriate watershed.

"It has recently been suggested that 7th-century Arabia was not poor in weapons, considering its small population and the fact that a high proportion of these were warriors. The merchant bourgeoisie of the Hijaz lived in houses that were veritable arsenals, and these clan or tribal weapons stores ensured domination of vital trade routes across bedouin-controlled territory. Such arsenals were also increased by tribute from subordinate families and by steady imports of arms. Apart from locally made iron weaponry, other equipment such as felt armour and shields of various leathers were produced in and around Arabia.

"Although early Arab verses cannot be regarded as a literal guide to the military situation in 6th- and 7th-century Arabia, statistics based upon poetry suggest that armour was common although helmets were rare. These also indicate that sword and spear dominated the battlefield.

"The first Muslims apparently fought in close ranks for moral support. By this means Muhammad's outnumbered warriors defeated their pagan foes. Such disciplined formations, which almost inevitably led to higher casualties, were normal in the professional armies of Byzantium and Iran, but were contrary to previous Arab practice. Javelins were sometimes used before the opposing forces came into physical contact. Such tactics were almost certainly inspired by the re-organised armies of 6th-century Byzantium, although in Islam the infantry bow may have been preferred to the javelin. According to the earliest surviving biography of the Prophet the rôle of the archers was for such skirmishing, as well as protecting the infantry's flanks against enemy cavalry. Again, the tactical concept is comparable to that evolved in Byzantium."

* Nicolle 2011 p

Sword

* al-Hassan/Hill 1986 p96-97

"The sword (sayf) was the main weapon of Islamic warriors, both infantry and cavalry; it was used for personal defence, hand-to-hand fighting and single combat. Indeed, swords were the most highly esteemed of all weapons and were often given names; we have a record of many of these from the earliest days of Islam and throughout the medieval period. Yet it is not possible to identify a typical Islamic sword, because the construction, length and shape varied from one area to another. In Arabia one of the distinguishing marks of a tribe was the length of the swords used by its members. The curved 'scimitar', often regarded as typical of Islamic weaponry, did not come into use until quite late -- it may have appeared in the eighth century AH (fourteenth century AD), though the actual date of its appearance is still undecided. [....]

"Swords were manufactured at a number of centres, though Indian swords were also in use in Arabia in pre-Islamic times and later. At the Battle of Yamama in 12 AH/AD 633 the Muslims' opponents were armed with Indian swords, and there are frequent references to them in the works of Islamic poets."