Six Divisions of Cavalry

The Six Divisions of Cavalry (Altı Bölük) was a corps of mounted elite soldiers in the Ottoman army. (There were not really six but four divisions. Two of the six were sub-divisions.) The divisions were:

• Spahis (translated roughly as cavarlymen)
• Silahdars (translated roughly as swordbearers)
• Janissaries and played an important part in the Ottoman army. The Six Divisions were probably founded during the reign of sultan Mehmed II (1451-1481), but the Spahis had existed since 1326.

See also the military of the Ottoman Empire.