ABSTRACT

Infantry had traditionally been an integral component of medieval Muslim armies but it seems that in the twelfth century a shift occurred in military organization which relegated infantry to an inferior position within overall military structures. The primary aim of this paper is to establish how widespread this shift really was, what led to it, and its consequences, especially in the context of campaigns against Franks and Crusaders. It then discusses the logistical problems involved in moving large infantry forces across the desert from Egypt to Palestine and Syria.