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Warmatrix

War Matrix - Camel cavalry

Iron Age 1100 BCE - 550 BCE, Weapons and technology

Bedouin méhariste 1940 CE
Bedouin méhariste 1940 CE
Horses were the first animals to be used in war, first as draft animals and later ridden by cavalrymen. But in the dry desert camels are often better suited to the role. They have more stamina and can go for two weeks without water.
Dromedaries (one-humped camels) were domesticated around 3000 BCE and bactrians (two-humped) around 2500 BCE. They were not used as steeds until 1200 BCE, when the camel saddle had been developed. The first recorded use of the camel in battle is several centuries later, by the Arab king Gindibu at the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BCE. Camel warfare really took off in the 5th century BCE, when the Arabian saddle was developed, which allowed a stable position for the rider. Soon camels were in use throughout Asia and North Africa. The Arabs made good use of them during the Arab conquests, advancing rapidly through the desert and surprising the enemy many times. Even in modern times, with competition from motorized and mechanized vehicles, camels are still useful.
Like horses, camels are used both as draft animals and as steeds. They are not as fast as horses, charging about 30 kilometers per hour maximum. But at long distance marches they excel. At an easy pace they can do 75 kilometers per day, pushing hard 120, force-marching 180 or more. These speeds are for small groups; camel armies normally travel at 30 - 40 kilometers per day.
The smell of camels can frighten untrained horses, throwing them in disarray. This advantage was first pressed home by the Persians in the battle of Thymbra in 547 BCE. The soft padded feet of camels are an advantage when traveling over loose desert sands, but are vulnerable to sharp obstacles like jagged rocks or caltrops, as demonstrated by the Romans.