Editing Turcopole (section)

== Byzantine origins ==
The crusaders first encountered Turcopoles in the [[Byzantine army]] during the [[First Crusade]]. Reference is made to 30 Turcoples being lent by the [[Alexios I Komnenos|Emperor Alexius I]] to act as guides for one division of the Franks. These auxiliaries were of mixed [[Byzantine Greeks|Byzantine]] and [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]]<ref>The term "Turkic" refers to populations such as the [[Pechenegs]], [[Oghuz Turks]], [[Uzes (people)|Uzes]], [[Cumans]] and [[Bulgars]].</ref> origins.<ref>{{cite book|first=Ian|last=Health|pages=23 & 39|title=Byzantine Armies 886-1118|date=5 July 1979|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=0-85045-306-2}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Halfond |first=Gregory I. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yIC1CwAAQBAJ&dq=Turcopole+ethnic+background&pg=PA181 |title=The Medieval Way of War: Studies in Medieval Military History in Honor of Bernard S. Bachrach |date=2016-03-09 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-02419-4 |pages=181 |language=en}}</ref>
 
[[Raymond of Aguilers]] writes that they were called Turcopoles because they were either reared with Turks or because their fathers were Turks and their mothers Christians. [[Albert of Aix]] writes that their fathers were Turks and their mothers Greeks. From the 12th century, evidence suggest that non-Turks fighting in the Turkish fashion were also included in the Turcopoles, for example, in the 14th century Turcopoles who were employed by the Catalan company included Greeks who shaved their heads like the Turks in order to be employed in this capacity.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Ian Heath  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7VOSDwAAQBAJ |title=Armies and Enemies of the Crusades |date=2019-03-03 |isbn= 9780244474881 |pages=15 | publisher=Lulu.com |language=en}}</ref>

The term underwent a semantic evolution, extending to [[light cavalry]]man, mainly equipped with bows, regardless of ethnic origins.<ref name=":0" />

Some Byzantine Turcopole units under the command of General [[Tatikios]] accompanied the First Crusade and may have provided a model for the subsequent employment of indigenous auxiliary light horse in the [[crusader state]]s.