TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Army and navy
Also known as: raider
Light cavalry who raided enemy territory along the frontiers.
The akıncıs advanced ahead of the army, scouting and wearing down the enemy. Raider families such as the Malkoçoğulları and the Mihaloğulları were prominent in Rumelia, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries. At the end of the 16th century they numbered about 40,000. Among the Ottomans the akıncı tradition lasted some 250 years, until 1595.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “AKINCI” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.