Early Iranian Riders and Cavarly

• Authors: Kaveh Farrokh , Katarzyna Maksymiuk , Patryk Skupniewicz

Abstracts

EN

The expansion of the Iranian peoples in first centuries of the 1st millennium BCE coincides with the creation and further development of the cavalry warfare in western Eurasia, as well as with the creation of the pastoral nomadic life-style which dominated the Great Steppe for millennia to come. The mounted warriors replaced the light chariots which dominated the Bronze Age battlefields which required perfect horsemanship however application of the recurved, double reflex. composite bow for mounted combat seemed another important factor in development of the cavalry force. Mounted archery which doubled the fire power of the mobile troops, earlier dominated by the chariots triggered the evolution of the various forms of cavalry, both as a response to a threat of the horse archers and independent forces used by the sedentary societies. Iranian contribution in spreading (and most likely invention) of the new technology is undeniable. Although horse riding and recurved composite bows were known earlier they could not overcome the power of the chariot force separately. Only the combination of the factors allowed fielding large and efficient cavalry troops as was practiced by the Scythians and became the success factor for the Achaemenid Empire. Survival of the chariots as late as the Seleucid times was possible because of changing their tactical function from the highly mobile shooting platform to heavy, at least partially, armored terror and shock weapon.

Keywords

EN

History; Iran; Military History; Scythians; Achaemenid Empire; Iranian Riders; Cavarly

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Przyrodniczo-Humanistyczny w Siedlcach
• Journal: Historia i Świat
• Year: 2023
• Volume: 12
• Pages: 153-166

Dates

published

2023

Contributors

author

Kaveh Farrokh

• Langara College, Vancouver, Canada

• https://orcid.org/0000000157322447

author

Katarzyna Maksymiuk

• Siedlce University, Poland

• https://orcid.org/0000000187090333

author

Patryk Skupniewicz

• Siedlce University, Poland

• https://orcid.org/0000000281195449

Identifiers

DOI

10.34739/his.2023.12.09

Biblioteka Nauki

36163637