1. M. Michael Morita Period 5 1/10/08
Tactics and Weapons of Islamic Warfare during the Middle Ages (AD )
M. Michael Morita
Period 5
1/10/08

2. Introduction Islamic rules of war Islamic tactics Islamic weaponry
Islamic armor
How Islamic warfare tied into government

3. Rules of war
“War can only be declared if general call to Islam was issued and ignored”
“Muslim troops forbidden to kill women, children, and old men”
And “trees, crops, and farm animals cannot be destroyed, but could be used for food”

4. Weapons
Muslims used swords, single edged and double edged axes, maces, balls and chains, and bows and arrows
Archers considered light Calvary armed with bows and arrows held in a quiver, a shield, and rode on horses

5. Tactics Surprise and outmaneuver enemy
Avoid charging knights armed with Lances
Lead enemies into ambushes with false retreats
During open battles infantry be placed behind soft sand and rocky ground to slowdown the knights horses in hope that enemy charge into headwind and get sand into eyes

6. Armor
Muslim troops wore light weight armor that allowed them to move freely
One type armor is leather boiled in paraffin and wax and then covered in rectangular metal plates
Another type of armor is a short chain-mail coat, sometimes horses would wear this type of armor

7. Warfare tied into government
Warfare tied into gov. because government run by Islam religion
Gov. created peaceful and prosperous environment for own people by conquering many lands and peoples.
Allowed non-Muslims to live in community but had to pay special taxes

8. Summary
Muslim warfare tactics and weapons during middle ages more advanced than others at the time. This allowed Muslim empire to conquer many lands. The Muslim people lived in prosperity during middle ages

9. Bibliography
“Birth and the spread of Islam”. The world book Encyclopedia of people and places ed. pg.172.
Fregosi, Paul. Jihad. Amherst: New York. Prometheus Books, pg. 275, 276, 278, 288, 296.
Hilliam, Paul. Islamic Weapons, Warfare, and Armies Muslim Military Operations Against the Crusaders. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2004 pg. 9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 40, 41
“Islamic Warfare”. Umich.12/10/07.
Nevins, Allan. Builders of the World. Boston: D.C. Health and Company, pg. 212, 220.
Nicolle, David. Historical Atlas of the Islamic World. New York, NY: Thalamus Publishing, pg. 75, 121, 177.
“The rise of Islam” World Atlas of the past. The Medieval World ed. pg. 25.