State administration and military affairs in the Bukhara Khanate

The khanate’s army consisted mainly of cavalry and infantry and was divided into the qalb (centre), right and left wings, advance guard, vanguard and rear guard. The khan was supreme commander; the wings and centre were often led by Shaybanid sultans — at the battle of Ghijduvan in 1512 Ubaydullah Sultan led the centre, Shaybani Khan’s son Muhammad Timur the right wing, and Abu Said Sultan the left. Soldiers were grouped under commanders of ten, fifty, a hundred and a thousand; the tavochi was in charge of assembling troops and supplies, the jevachi of weapons, the yasovul of passing on orders, and the tughchi of the standard. The main weapon was the bow, along with spear, sword, axe, shield, armour and helmet; from the mid-16th century the musket (tufang) came into regular use, while cannon and stone-throwers were used in sieges. Under the Ashtarkhanids the economy declined, so the khanate could not keep a regular army.