Medieval Kingdoms Total War: The Abbasid Caliphate

[Dontfearme22]

The Abbasid Caliphate
الخلافة العباسية
[A Note on Iconography]
The Abbasid Caliphate was a empire founded on and imbued with Islam, and unfortunately some of its iconography and symbolism have been insidiously co-opted in modern times by fundamentalist organizations, such as the black standard and references to the mahdi. We strive to be accurate to history in all cases, but please be aware that there might be apparent similarities with modern jihadi iconography. I refuse to disregard history just because bands of modern barbarians have chosen to steal such imagery.

Background:

Since the Abbasid revolution of the 8th century, and the stunning victories of Abu Muslim against the Umayyad Caliphs, the Abbasid Caliphate has remained the center of the Islamic world, the direct successor of the true line of Caliphs. Under the rule of the first Abbasid caliphs, art, culture, and society flourished throughout their realm. Yet, the dynasty fell on dark times in the 10th and 11th centuries as growing regionalism and foreign invasion fractured the Abbasid lands into first multiple independent states and then tributaries under Turkic rulers. Under the Caliph Al-Mustarshid and then Al-Muqtafi, this trend was reversed and the Abbasid reached out for the first time in centuries from the old court at Baghdad to flex their new power. By 1212, the great Caliph Al-Nasir holds the throne, and under his hand the Abbasids are experiencing a brief resurgence, exploding in power and size and throwing off the Seljuks once and for all. Time will only tell where the Caliphate will go next, or how the growing storm clouds over Khwarezm and the Mongol steppe beyond it will affect the fortunes of the empire.

Abbasid armies are comprised of two parts, the powerful slave-warriors of the Ghulam aristocracy, and then the feudal regiments of the iqta land-owners and their militias. Large numbers of ethnic iraqi and syrian arabs provide the core of the 12th century Abbasid armies, headed by smaller cadres of turkicized cavalry with forces of kurdish and turcoman mercenaries. At the front of the army the elite guards of the caliphs march, flying the dreaded black standard, the pitch colored symbol of Muhammad himself when the first arab armies marched forth in the name of Islam.

Early Era:

General:


Khassah Ghulam Bodyguard

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Caliphs Humat

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Melee Infantry:


'Ayyarun

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hajabeh Ghulam

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Futuwwa Jund

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Futuwwa

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Jund Rajelah

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Musa’lahiyyah

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ranged Infantry:


Jund Rumat

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Awam Rumat

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Jund Crossbowmen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Dismounted Dariyyah Ghulam

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Melee Cavalry:


Dariyyah Ghulam Lancers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Fursan Akrad

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bedouin Lancers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Fursan Iqta’iyyah

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ranged Cavalry:


Noble Turkmen Horsemen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Turkmen Horsemen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mounted Crossbowmen

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Dariyyah Ghulam Horse Archers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Artillery:


Counterweight Trebuchet
[coming soon]


Naffatun

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ballista
[coming soon]


Midfa’ Engineers
[coming soon]


Jarkhiyyah
[coming soon]



Credits

A huge thanks to Zsimmortal, Warman, Ltd, and other team members and Druzhina for his excellently researched website

A special thanks to nnnm, without whom this roster would not have turned out as well as it did

[Dontfearme22]

High Era:

General


Khassah Mamluk Bodyguard

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Caliphs Humat (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Melee Infantry:


Dismounted Hajabeh Mamluks (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Futuwwa (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Futuwwa Jund (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Harfush Band

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Syrian Ashir

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ranged Infantry:


Jund Rumat (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Jund Crossbowmen (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Syrian Archers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Handgunners

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Melee Cavalry:


Hajabeh Mamluks (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Iraqi Faris

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bedouin Lancers (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Fursan Akrad (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Khushdashiyya Cavalry

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Humah Fursan

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ashraf Fursan

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ranged Cavalry:


Noble Turkmen Horsemen (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Turkmen Horsemen (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mamluk Horse Archers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mounted Crossbowmen (High)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Artillery:


Counterweight Trebuchet
[coming soon]


Cannon
[coming soon]


Naffatum

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ballista
[coming soon]


Midfa’ Engineers
[coming soon]

[Dontfearme22]

Late Era

General:

Sultaniyah Mamluk Bodyguard

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Caliphs Humat (Late)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Melee Infantry:

Futuwwa (Late)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Futuwwa Jund (Late)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ghazis

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ajlab Foot Mamluks

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ranged Infantry:

Jund Rumat (Late)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Jund Crossbowmen (Late)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Handgunners (Late)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Melee Cavalry:

Qaranis Mamluks

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Julban Mamluk Lancers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bedouin Lancers (Late)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Turcoman Pushandars

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Turcoman Jarida

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Ranged Cavalry:

Cherik Cavalry

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Julban Mamluk Horse Archers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mounted Crossbowmen (Late)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Artillery:

Cannon

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mortar

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Barud Engineers

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Visarion]

Hubba hubba hubba speechless

[tomtucker]

Wow thats a really great job¡¡ i love the arab style of the armours mixing with all the colours.

[Filips Augustus]

Excellent roster dontfearme!

[Commissar Caligula_]

Do you have concept art, or drawings of what the Ballista will look like?
Also, what exactly are Midfa’ Engineers and Jarkhiyyah?

[Dontfearme22]

Do you have concept art, or drawings of what the Ballista will look like?
Also, what exactly are Midfa’ Engineers and Jarkhiyyah?

No, siege engines are the most under-researched part of the roster.

Midfa' is a controversial term. Some think its napalm, other think its gunpowder. A period image shows a man holding a tube-like weapon like a early firearm. Right now, its difficult for me to say, though I know it was a term used in this period thus justifying its inclusion in the roster.

The Jarkhiyyah is a large crossbow weapon, larger than a ordinary crossbow and likely used for sieges but still portable enough for a man to carry and fire it.

[Ghibellino]

Beautiful!!

[nnnm]

Great work [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[You_Guess_Who]

Several things:

Bolt Shooter Ballistae: If you want a light bolt shooter, every Muslim, Byz, Caucasian factions already have one since February. IDK why nobody used it on multiplayer. Its called mk_mus_t1_ballista in the db, using cheiroballista model, you can just put it into the roster's permission and you're done.

Stone Shooter Ballistae: Why, are the Abbasid did not use onagers as medium stone lobber, at all? The main issue is, do you sure whether the engine is tension-powered or torsion-powered? If Torsion-powered, I can just work it using R2's ballista model.

Midfa: If its as early as 1200s, it perhaps works like firelances, hence we can use the same projectile. However, it seems it uses different model to firelance/handgonne, so you'll need to procure one. Animation-wise, its also doesn't seem that it can be used as melee weapon like firelances, so it'll just use sword animation as the melee animation.

Ah, yes. It would be nice if you make 2 sets of standard bearers: armoured and unarmoured.

[Dontfearme22]

Several things:

Bolt Shooter Ballistae: If you want a light bolt shooter, every Muslim, Byz, Caucasian factions already have one since February. IDK why nobody used it on multiplayer. Its called mk_mus_t1_ballista in the db, using cheiroballista model, you can just put it into the roster's permission and you're done.

Stone Shooter Ballistae: Why, are the Abbasid did not use onagers as medium stone lobber, at all? The main issue is, do you sure whether the engine is tension-powered or torsion-powered? If Torsion-powered, I can just work it using R2's ballista model.

Midfa: If its as early as 1200s, it perhaps works like firelances, hence we can use the same projectile. However, it seems it uses different model to firelance/handgonne, so you'll need to procure one. Animation-wise, its also doesn't seem that it can be used as melee weapon like firelances, so it'll just use sword animation as the melee animation.

Ah, yes. It would be nice if you make 2 sets of standard bearers: armoured and unarmoured.

Trebuchets seemed to have been the prime weapon used for sieges not catapults. Like I said, siege weapons are the most underresearched part of the roster. Rest assured though that will be rectified once other priorities are dealt with.

From the images I have seen, I think the Midfa' will need a new model but not one radically different, and it should be able to use the same projectile as the firelance. You are spot on with your assessment of that.

@Caligula We have a very large team for a mod, which means we work in sorta smaller informal groups on a day-to-day basis on related factions, but there is also a defined structure of objectives and deadlines that everyone tries to adhere to. Its basically a small central organizational structure with a large group of individualistic projects occurring underneath. Its actually remarkably efficient.

[Commissar Caligula_]

How does Medieval Kingdoms work? It seems like you're all working independently from each other.
Also, I'm a staunch advocate of the Medieval 2/Age of Empires 2 style of ballista. It'd require custom models and perhaps animations though.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Pretty please

[Monster33333]

Futuwwa Swordsmen do not have swords. Medieval Saracen trickery!

[kamikazee786]

[A Note on Iconography]
The Abbasid Caliphate was a empire founded on and imbued with Islam, and unfortunately some of its iconography and symbolism have been insidiously co-opted in modern times by fundamentalist organizations, such as the black standard and references to the mahdi. We strive to be accurate to history in all cases, but please be aware that there might be apparent similarities with modern jihadi iconography. I refuse to disregard history just because bands of modern barbarians have chosen to steal such imagery.

I love you dude, ya know that, i just thought id let you know, that i love you.

[cloud700]

Correct me if im wrong but didtnt the Abbasids use black war banners?? in the images they are using all kinds of colours. The units are looking awesome great work

[Dontfearme22]

Correct me if im wrong but didtnt the Abbasids use black war banners?? in the images they are using all kinds of colours. The units are looking awesome great work

They did, but period art from the caliphate shows more colors than just black, and in other contexts black was reserved only for certain functions. It was not universal. It was their thematic color, and the one used by officials and the main banners of the caliphate as a whole, but I saw no evidence from either period art or texts that only black was used.

You will notice though, I made sure that the caliphs humat for example, have black banners and turbans to fit with what period texts describe.

[dogukan]

Ugh, I cannot do this anymore...Do you plan to allow potential mount and blade bannerlord modders to use these models?

[Slytacular]

A good portion of the assets is from the Warband community (I'm sure you've noticed Narf's work, and probably CWE). Another good portion of the assets were vanilla Attila stuff retextured. Some Skyrim stuff like Knights of the Garter is introduced. Another large portion are my models textured either by me or my team.

It's going to be a lot of rigging you would have to do.

[Kjertesvein]

Solid work.

​~Wille