Yaya (military)

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Yaya
Active1325—?
Country
Battle of Marica[1]
Battle of Kosovo[2]
Battle of Nicopolis[1]
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Yaya or Piyade[3] were infantry military units of the Ottoman Empire and some other medieval Anatolian beyliks. Many of them were of Christian origin.[4]

Name

Ottoman Turkish. It is of Turkic origin word.[5] An alternative name, piyade, is derived from a Persian word with the same meaning.[6] This latter name was also used in the series of dynasties that ruled the neighboring Persian state.[7]

Background

The early Ottoman military forces consisted of

Orhan, accepted his proposal and established yaya.[10]

Yaya were precursors of the

Eastern Romans). However, by 1550s when the Devshirme
was abolished " de facto" , the Janissary Corps would be dominated by Muslim born Ottomans, majority of them being Muslim Albanians.

Organization

The commander of the Yaya unit was referred to as Yayabashi.[12] Members of this units were both Christian and Muslim citizens of the Ottoman Empire who were sometimes granted land estates in the Balkans in exchange for military service.[13] They were most irregular infantry Ottoman units because they usually served as armed laborers whose military skills were limited.[1] Still, before Janissary units were established and expanded in 1380s and afterwards, yaya peasant infantry had important military function.[14] By giving regular salary to yaya Ottomans acquired a standing army.[15]

Engagements

Among notable engagements of yaya military units are battles of

Marica (1371) and Nicopolis (1396) where Ottoman infantry units, including yaya, were used to bait enemy heavy cavalry into an ambush between two flanks of more maneuverable light Ottoman cavalry.[1]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-85109-526-1
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0-275-98876-0
    . The Yaya corps with light armor and problematic combat value was no match against heavily armored Balkan infantry in
  3. ISBN 978-1-86064-856-4
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-85045-511-3. Ottoman-Balkan Yaya, early 15th century: Many Ottoman infantrymen were of Christian origin and this seems to have been reflected in their equipment.[permanent dead link
    ]
  5. ^ "Yaya".
  6. ISBN 978-90-04-09790-2
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-0-275-98876-0
    .
  8. ^ John McGilchrist (1856). A history of the Turks. p. 21. Ala-ed-deen first embodied a corps called Yaya, or Piade. They were all infantry, and were raised and recruited from the body of the Ottoman population.
  9. ISBN 9780404154103
    .
  10. ISBN 978-1-85532-413-8
    .
  11. ^ Konstantin Mihailović (1975). Memoirs of a Janissary. Published under the auspices of the Joint Committee on Eastern Europe, American Council of Learned Societies, by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan. p. 204.
  12. ISBN 978-1-56859-161-2
    . yayabashi (T. yayaba§i): commanders of foot soldiers.
  13. ISBN 978-0-313-35920-0
    .
  14. ISBN 978-90-04-20622-9
    .
  15. ISBN 978-90-04-02104-4
    . Since the infantrymen (yaya or piyade) received regular pay, the Ottoman state may be said to have acquired a standing army at this early date.
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