Hamdanid, 890 AD – 1008 AD

Draft list by Ulf Olsson

This list covers the Hamdanid states of Aleppo and Mosul that emerged in northern Syria as Abbasid power weakened. The Hamdanids basically engaged in two types of warfare. One was long-distance, very mobile raiding and counter-raiding. Such operations relied heavily on mounted units, although some infantry was used at times. The other type of warfare was defence against full-scale invasion by the Byzantines or other major enemies, such as Buyids, Iqshidids or Fatimids.

A Hamdanid army must either be a Raiding Army or a Full Mobilization Army.

• A Raiding Army can not contain any Ahdath or Khurasanian Divisions. Only one Bedouin Division may include infantry, any other Bedouin Divisions may not include any infantry.

• A Full Mobilization Army must contain at least 1 Ahdath Division.

For a list of sources used to compile this list, please see Early Islamic Sources.

Army List

Terrain: Dry - Plains

0-1 Amir’s Division

1c Ghilman or Hamdanid Heavy Cavalry

0-1 Ghilman or Hamdanid Heavy Cavalry

0-1 Bedouin Light Cavalry

If the Amir’s Division is used, it must be commanded by the C-in-C.

1-2 Hamdanid Bedouin Division

1c Hamdanid Heavy Cavalry or Bedouin Light Cavalry

1-2 Bedouin Light Cavalry

1-2 Ally Bedouin Division

1c Bedouin Ally Medium Cavalry or Bedouin Ally Light Cavalry

1-2 Bedouin Ally Light Cavalry

0-1 Abid Division (Only Aleppo 945 AD – 996 AD)

1c Abid Al-shira

0-1 Abid Al-shira

1-2 Ahdath Division (Only in Full Mobilization Army)

1c Ahdath Cavalry or Ahdath Militia

0-3 Ahdath Militia

0-1 Khurasanian Division (Only in Full Mobilization Army of Aleppo 964 AD – 965 AD)

1c Khurasanian Mutatawwi’ia

0-1 Khurasanian Mutatawwi’ia

0-1 Khurasanian Horse Archers

Additional Units

0-1 Hamdanid Heavy Cavalry (Note 1)

0-2 Kurdish Cavalry (Note 2)

0-3 Dailami Javelinmen (Note 3)

0-1 Dailami Archers (Note 3)

0-1 Abid Al-shira (Note 4)

0-4 Bedouin Tribal Infantry (Note 5)

0-2 Bedouin Tribal Foot Archers (Note 5)

Additional Unit Notes

1. Hamdanid Heavy Cavalry may only be added to a Amir’s or Hamdanid Bedouin Division
2. Kurdish Cavalry may only be added to an Amir's Division or Hamdanid Bedouin Division
3. Dailami may only be added to an Amir’s or Abid Division
4. Abid Al-shira can only be added to an Abid or Amir’s Division.
5. Bedouin may be added to any Bedouin Division or the Amir’s Division (but see army notes for restrictions on Bedouin infantry).

Mounted Units

Ghilman (Only Aleppo 945 AD – 957 AD, or Mosul 890 AD – 991 AD)

Heavy Horse Archers or Medium Horse Archers – Initiative 7, (Wave, Expert)

2 Bases - 52 Pts if Heavy, 44 if Medium

4 Bases - 91 Pts if Heavy, 76 if Medium

1 Ghilman unit may be graded as Heavy if personally commanded by the C-in-C, otherwise Medium.

Comments:

Hamdanid rulers were keen to retain the services of Ghilman, but were often unable to afford it. Ghilman are only available for the army of Aleppo in 945 AD- 957 AD, and for Mosul 890 AD – 991 AD. The Hamdanid states in this period were prosperous enough, and felt threatened enough, to extract the very heavy taxes necessary to employ Ghilman. At other dates they must be replaced by Hamdanid Heavy Cavalry.

Hamdanid Heavy Cavalry

Heavy Cavalry – Initiative 6 or 7 (Wave)

2 Bases - 36 Pts if Initiative 6, 42 Pts if Initiative 7

4 Bases - 60 Pts if Initiative 6, 72 Pts if Initiative 7

Hamdanid Heavy Cavalry are Initiative 7 if in the Amir’s Division, otherwise Initiative 6.

Comments:

These are the well equipped members of the Hamdanid tribal clans along with mercenaries. It might also include any well equipped individual adventurers wishing to spend a season fighting for the faith against the Byzantines.

Kurdish Cavalry

Heavy Cavalry - Initiative 6 (Audacious)

3 Bases - 48 Pts

4 Bases - 60 Pts

Comments:

Kurdish cavalry were a well regarded part of the Hamdanid forces. They reportedly wore heavier armour and rode bigger horses than the bedouin.

Ahdath Cavalry

Irregular Medium Horse - Initiative 6 (Wave)

4 Bases - 48 Pts

6 bases - 66 Pts

Comments:

The Ahdath city militia raised some cavalry units, presumably from city elites not directly associated with any of the dominant tribal clans.

Bedouin Ally Medium Cavalry

Irregular Medium Horse - Initiative 6 (Ally, Wave)

4 Bases - 40 Pts

6 bases - 54 Pts

Comments:

Bedouin Ally Medium Cavalry are the more heavily equipped members of Bedouin clans allied to, or dependent upon the Hamdanids.

Bedouin Light Cavalry

Irregular Light Horse – Initiative 6 (Wave)

4 Bases - 48 Pts, 40 Pts if Allied

6 Bases - 66 Pts, 54 Pts if Allied

Bedouin Light Cavalry in Bedouin Ally Divisions are Allies. Bedouin in other Divisions are not Allies.

Comments:

The Bedouin Light Cavalry consist of the less heavily equipped tribesmen of the Hamdanids and their allied Bedouin clans. It may also include kurdish scouts and lightly equipped individual volunteers wishing to fight for the faith against the Byzantines.

Khurasanian Mutatawwi’ia (Only Aleppo 964 AD – 965 AD)

Medium Horse Archers – Initiative 7 (Wave)

2 Bases - 42 Pts

4 Bases - 72 Pts

Comments:

These units represent the more heavily equipped members of a large contingent of volunteers from Khurasan who attempted to aid the Hamdanids of Aleppo against the Byzantines. There is no information on their equipment or organisation, so the grading as Horse Archers is conjectural. The assumption is that the volunteers would be similar to the dominant troops of their home region of Khurasan.

Khurasanian Horse Archers (Only Aleppo 964 AD – 965 AD)

Light Horse Archers – Initiative 6 (Wave)

4 Bases - 60 Pts

6 Bases - 84 Pts

Comments:

These units represent the more lightly equipped members of the Khurasani volunteer contingent described above.

Foot Units

Bedouin Tribal Infantry

Medium Shieldsmen – Initiative 5

4 Bases - 20 Pts, 16 Pts if Allied

6 Bases - 26 Pts, 20 Pts if Allied

8 Bases - 32 Pts, 24 Pts if Allied

Optional Swordsmen Light Shock Detachment +5 Pts

Comments:

The Bedouin Tribal Infantry represent those members of the Bedouin tribal clans who fought on foot primarily armed with spears or swords. They may appear both in Hamdanid Bedouin Divisions and in Allied Bedouin Divisions.

Bedouin Tribal Archers

Light Archers – Initiative 5

4 Bases - 23 Pts, 19 Pts if Allied

Comments:

The Bedouin Tribal Archers represent those members of the Bedouin tribal clans who fought on foot primarily armed with bows. They may appear both in Hamdanid Bedouin Divisions and in Allied Bedouin Divisions.

'Abid Al-shira (Only Aleppo 945 AD – 996 AD)

Medium Archers – Initiative 6, Expert

4 Bases - 32 Pts

6 Bases - 44 Pts

Naffatun Optional Light Shock Detachment + 4 Pts

Comments:

The 'Abid Al-shira were infantry archers recruited from black African slaves. They were well-regarded professional troops, but apparently less well-equipped for melee. Abid may be supported by detachments of Naffatun with incendiary grenades.

Dailami Mercenaries (Only Aleppo 945 AD – 1008 AD, or Mosul 890 AD – 991 AD)

Medium Shock – Initiative 6

4 Bases -| 32 Pts

6 Bases - 42 Pts

Comments:

Dailami Mercenaries were professional infantry of good quality. They were primarily armed with javelins, swords and some axes.

Dailami Mercenary Archers (Only Aleppo 945 AD – 1008 AD, or Mosul 890 AD – 991 AD)

Light Archers or Medium Archers – Initiative 6

4 Bases - 28 Pts

6 Bases - 38 Pts

Comments:

Dailami Mercenaries were professional infantry of good quality. A proportion of Dailami could be archers instead of javelinmen.

Ahdath Militia

Medium Shieldsmen + Light Archers Detachment – Initiative 5

6 Bases - 32 Pts

8 Bases - 39 Pts

One Ahdath Militia unit in a Division may be regraded to Light Sheildsmen (same points cost).

Comments:

The Ahdath were city militia. Most of them were not well-equipped but willingly fought to defend their homes. Ahdath were used in considerable numbers for defensive operations, but were not suitable for high-mobility raiding.