Important Animals (Continued)
B. Horses
Another important animal during the Middle Ages was the horse. It was used for transportation, for sport, and for war.
The Arabian horse is thought to be the most beautiful and the fastest of all the horses. (All thoroughbred race horses are from Arabian horses.)
The nomads of Central Asia also raised horses, huge herds of horses. These small but strong horses were the basis for the conquests of both the Mongols and the Turks. They carried warriors into battle and changed the history of the world.
1. War
Horses were often the most important factor in war! The army with the most horses had the advantage. They could attack and retreat quickly. They could cover great distances. Turkish and Mongol warriors on horseback were very skilled in warfare and raised horses for their armies. Archers on horseback could even shoot while pretending to retreat. When the enemy got tired, they turned back around and charged! (See the picture below.) Because of their horses and their skills in warfare, the Mongols and Turks took over large parts of the Islamic world.
Combat (fighting) between armies often took place on horseback. In battle the horses were protected by armor, either metal, cloth, or leather.
2. In Recreation
Horse racing was popular in medieval times, as it is today.
Horses were also used in the game of polo. Polo is a game played on horseback in which two teams compete to knock a wooden ball with a long mallet into a goal.
Polo probably originated in Central Asia more than 2,500 years ago and became very popular in medieval Persia. Some scholars believe that polo originated among the Iranian tribes sometime before the 6th century BC. But some scholars believe that the Chinese (the Mongols) were the first to play the game.
Persian literature and art give us rich accounts of polo. Firdawsi, the famous Persian poet-historian, tells of royal polo tournaments in his 9th century and of a king of the 4th Century A.D. who learned to play polo when he was only seven years old. Another 9th century historian, Dinvari, describes polo and its general rules and gives some instructions and warnings to players.
Many of the Persian manuscripts that tell about polo are beautifully illustrated with miniature paintings showing royalty and their best horsemen playing polo. The 13th century poet Nizami weaves the love story of a king and his beautiful consort (girlfriend, lover), around her ability on the polo field. He describes matches between the king and his courtiers (people of the court) vs. his consort and her ladies-in-waiting (female servants). [See picture to the right.] The wife of a 19th century Mughal Emperor was also skilled at polo. So even women were polo players! (That is, women of the royal court could play polo. It would not be a game for "common" people who couldn't afford a horse nor the time for sports. Polo was called "the sport of kings".)
Cavalry in
Topkapi Palace (in Istanbul, Turkey), 15th century.
3. In Farming
Horses were also used on farms to plow the fields and to pull wagons and carts.
4. For Transportation
Horses were also ridden on trips. However, horses couldn't travel well in the desert. They couldn't go very long without water so the camel was the most prized animal for long distance transportation.
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Learn more about horses: See Horse Racing (UAE) for a good introduction to the beautiful Arabian horses. See the full screen version of a Polo Game showing women playing polo (shown in part, above right). [From the Sarai Albums. Tabriz, middle of 16th century. Hazine 2161, folio 4a] See a modern Persian Miniature painting of polo.
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C. Donkeys
The donkey is a humble "beast of burden" - one that works throughout its life. In Middle Eastern poetry the donkey is praised for his suffering to help man, and is often associated with Jesus who was also a beloved Muslim Prophet. (See Poems of Rumi.)
Donkeys were used for carrying heavy loads a short distance, as shown in the marketplace scenes, below.
In Morocco donkeys were used for "threshing grain" by racing back and forth on the grass-like stalks and for carrying things.
Donkeys still carry goods in the streets of Cairo, Egypt. [Tony B. Lee photo, 1998 ]
Donkey at a
well in Morocco. (GeoImages, UCB, Prof. Powell)
Deliveryboys in
Aleppo, Syria Azar's
Middle Eastern Journeys
Go to Page One: Camels
You are here at Page Two: Horses and Donkeys
Go to Page Three: Herding Animals such as Sheep and Goats
Go to Page Four: Other Animals to learn about pigeons, falcons, and locusts.
Go to Page Five: Animals in the Middle Ages to learn about zoos, the study of animals, and endangered animals.
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