"Ottoman Peiks and similar Persians & Mughals" Topic

New links for Ottoman Peiks & similar Persians & Mughals

The Ottomans had a bodyguard/messenger called a Peik (Peyk) who would march before the Sultan. They usually carried a small axe as illustrated in a Peyk by Nicolas de Nicolay with bells attached to garters & sash.
Ottoman miniatures:
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent during the Siege of Estolnibelgrad in Hungary, 1543
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent during the campaign on Nachivan in the South Caucasus, 1554
Sultan Selim – riding between Kutahya and Belgrade, en route to join the Imperial Army
Three figures in Departure from the palace of the army for the war, Nusretname, 1578
The Ottoman Army at Tiflis, Nusretname, 1578

This position may have been from a wider cultural tradition. Nicolas de Nicolay also illustrated a Peyk of the Persian nation.
Some Persian miniatures with a similar character:
The Old Woman complaining to Sultan Sanjar, from a 1539-43 Khamsa by Nizami
The Death of Zahhak from the Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp, c. 1522-1540
A royal usher from Dr. Kaempfer's Album of Persian Costumes and Animals Can anyone supply a transliteration of the Persian caption of the Usher?

Mughal miniatures with a similar character:
Prince Riding Prancing Horse
Foray to Kuhat, from the Baburnama
Babur visiting the Urvah valley in Gwalior
Meeting between Babur and Sultan 'Ali Mirza near Samarqand
Babur and his army emerge from the Khwaja Didar Fort, Baburnama
1502, Babur advancing through the mountains to Kabul
Adham Khan pays homage to Akbar at Sarangpur, 1561, Akbarnama (upper left)
Flight of Sultan Bahadur During Humayun's Campaign in Gujarat, 1535, Akbarnama
Prince Akbar Hunting a Nilgae, c.1555 – 1560
Toda Mongke and His Mongol Horde, from a Chingiznama (History of Genghis Khan), painted 1596

What are the names for these Persian and Mughal Peik-like figures?

Are these related to a Mongol practice?:
Hulâgu and his envoy (ilèi) leading his army against the castles of the Assassins includes a footman in front who seems to carry a paiza, a sign that identifies persons on official duty.

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Illustrations of Ottoman Costume & Soldiers
Illustrations of Persian Costume & Soldiers
Illustrations of Moghul Costume & Soldiers
Hulâgu and his envoy (ilèi) leading his army against the castles of the Assassins from the Diez Album.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

Bookmarked, thank you

Truly fascinating. Also bookmarked. Thanks.

I have had a reply from RaiTo at militaryphotos.net forum:

Peyk is persian in origin. Peykis means Messenger or someone who delivers.

In modern Iran we still call delivery workers as "peyk`is". and their service as "Peyk"

in Ancient Persia , Peykis would deliver the Post (Systematic Post Networks is a ancient persian invention, even the word is Persian)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail

"Post is derived from the Persian language or Farsi word "Post" (پست), which refers to sending a message to which an answer is expected, while a one way message was named "payam" in that same language. According to Persian history or mythology, mail was instated and used by people who weren't Hakhai or Hakha Manesh, now better known as Achaemenid."

Druzhina
Persian Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

strange that persians and mughals had troops with similar headgear. where did it originate??? was it a persian hat that the ottomans adopted for their slave infantry? it does look like the hat worn by tadjiks……….

The Mughals, like preceding Muslim dynasties in India, stood under strong Persian cultural influence. Nothing particularly strange about that.

… but definitely strange that ottoman guard troops would be wearing the same hat….

The distinctive thimble-shaped tall cap was called a külâh-i peyk. The Ottoman version was often made of brass. 'Kulah' is also used by Mughals and Persians for hats/helmets and may be a Persian word.

Most of the Persian and Mughal illustrations show Peykis is other types of headgear.

As far as I know the Ottoman Peyks were not Janissaries. Were they?

Druzhina
Moghul Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers