Spahi

The Spahi or the Sipahi are an Ottoman heavy cavalry unit that is featured in Age of Empires III.

Game Info
The Spahi is a powerful heavy cavalry from the Ottoman Empire and is only avaliable from your Home Cities. The Spahi is effective against enemy light infantry and artillery, but can be countered by normal infantry and some counter cavalry units.

Real Info
The Sipahi was an elite Ottoman Cavalry Corps and was a force within the Six Divisions of Cavalry and resembled the knights of the Medieval Ages.

The Sipahis were originally founded during the reign of Murad I and using the devshirmeh system, were originally recruited like the sultan's Janissaries. The Sipahi's ranks were only chosen from among the ethnic Ottomans who owned land within the imperial borders.

The duties of the Sipahis included riding with the sultan on parades and as a mounted bodyguard. Also in times of peace, they were also responsible for the collection of taxes.