Editing Musketeer (section)

==Musketeers in Asia==

[[File:Ming musketeers.jpg|thumb|Musketeers in China from the [[Ming dynasty]], 1638.]]{{Expand section|date=October 2024}}

===Ottoman Empire===
[[File:Knotel-Janissaries.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|An illustration of Janissaries.]]
The [[Janissary]] corps of the [[Military of the Ottoman Empire|Ottoman army]] were using [[matchlock]] muskets as early as the 1440s.<ref name=Nicolle>{{cite book| last = Nicolle| first = David| author-link = David Nicolle| title = The Janissaries| url = https://archive.org/details/janissaries00nico| url-access = limited| publisher = [[Osprey]]| year = 1995| page = [https://archive.org/details/janissaries00nico/page/n22 22]| isbn = 1-85532-413-X}}</ref> The [[Ottoman Empire]], centering on [[Turkey]] and extending into [[Balkans]], [[Arabia]] and [[North Africa]] used muskets to conquer [[Constantinople]] (modern [[Istanbul]]) and were one of the earliest users of muskets in a military conflict. It also utilized large cannons, including the [[Dardanelles Gun|Great Turkish Bombard]]. The Ottomans, under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520-1566), embraced these weapons to maintain military superiority against European rivals such as the Habsburgs and the Safavids. By the late 17th century, the Ottoman military began to face increasing difficulties in keeping up with the rapid advances in European military technology and tactics, particularly regarding firearms. The stagnation of the Ottoman military was evident during key conflicts such as the Great Turkish War (1683-1699) and the Siege of Vienna in 1683, where the Ottomans were defeated by the combined forces of the Holy Roman Empire and its allies.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ottoman Empire recognized the need to modernize its military, particularly in the face of defeats at the hands of European powers. Several sultans, most notably Sultan Selim III (r. 1789-1807) and later Mahmud II (r. 1808-1839), attempted to reform the army and introduce more modern firearms, including newer versions of muskets with flintlock mechanisms. It wasn't until the reign of Mahmud II that the Janissaries were finally abolished in 1826, during the event known as the "Auspicious Incident." This paved the way for further military reforms, including the widespread adoption of modern muskets and rifles. By the mid-19th century, the Ottomans had restructured their military to be more in line with European standards, though the empire continued to struggle in keeping pace with technological advancements.

===Russia===
{{Main|Streltsy}}

'''Streltsy''' ({{langx|ru|Стрельцы}}, [[Grammatical number|sing.]] {{lang|ru-Latn|strelets}}, {{lang|ru|стрелец}}, literally "shooter"; often translated as "musketeer", but more properly "harquebusier") were the [[Military unit|unit]]s of [[Russia]]n guardsmen l from the 16th to the early 18th centuries, armed with [[firearms]] and [[bardiche]]s. They are also collectively known as ''Strelets Troops'' ({{lang|ru|Стрелецкое Войско}}).

[[File:01 108 Book illustrations of Historical description of the clothes and weapons of Russian troops.jpg|thumb|Streltsy in 1674]]

The first streltsy units were created by [[Ivan the Terrible]] sometime between 1545 and 1550 and armed with the [[arquebus]]. They first saw combat at the [[Siege of Kazan (1552)|Siege of Kazan]] in 1552. [[Military service]] in this unit became lifelong and [[hereditary]]. The bearded strelsty were organized into regiments, each with a long coat (''kaftan'') and pointed cloth hat of a distinctive colour. By 1680, there were 20 regiments of Moscow streltsy totaling 20,048 men and comprising about 12 per cent of the total army<ref>{{cite book|first=V.|last=Shpakovsky|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695/page/n9 8]|title=Armies of Ivan the Terrible|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-925-8|date= 2006|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref> (along with cossacks, militia and an increasing number of regular soldiers). In addition, there were significant numbers of frontier and garrison streltsy serving outside Moscow, although these were less formally drilled and equipped.<ref>{{cite book|first=V.|last=Shpakovsky|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695/page/n10 9]|title=Armies of Ivan the Terrible|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-925-8|date= 2006|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref>

The Muscovite government was chronically short of cash so that the streltsy were often not paid well. While "entitled" to something like four rubles a year in the 1550s, they were often allowed to farm or trade in order to supplement their incomes. Textiles for clothing and foodstuffs were sometimes issued as part of their pay. A commander of one hundred musketeers ({{lang|ru-Latn|sotnik}}) received up to 20 roubles a year and a regimental head ({{lang|ru-Latn|streletski golova}}) between 30 and 60.<ref>{{cite book|first=V.|last=Shpakovsky|pages=[https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695/page/n20 19]& 21|title=Armies of Ivan the Terrible|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-925-8|date=2006|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref>

In the late 17th century, the Streltsy of Moscow began to actively participate in a struggle for power between different government groups, supporting [[dissident]]s and showing hostility towards any foreign [[innovation]]s.<ref>{{cite book|first=Angus|last=Konstam|page=[https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons/page/n9 9]|title=Peter the Great's Army 1: Infantry|url=https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons|url-access=limited|isbn=1-85532-315-X|date= 1993}}</ref>

After the fall of [[Sophia Alekseyevna]] in 1689, the government of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] engaged in a process of gradual limitation of the streltsy's military and political influence. In order to counter their power, Peter began to raise a new regular army, still armed with muskets but disciplined, uniformed and organised along West European lines. In spite of these measures, the streltsy revolted yet again while Peter was on his Great Embassy in Europe. The four regiments involved were disbanded and 1,200 of the mutineers were executed. The remainder were exiled, had their property confiscated and were banned from future military employment.<ref>{{cite book|first=Chris|last=Middleton|page=22|title=Winds of Revolution|isbn=978-0809464586|year=1987}}</ref> The entire corps was technically abolished in 1689; however, after having suffered [[Battle of Narva (1700)|a defeat at Narva in 1700]], the government retained some streltsy units in service.<ref>{{cite book|first=Angus|last=Konstam|pages=[https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons/page/n9 9]|title=Peter the Great's Army 1: Infantry|url=https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons|url-access=limited|isbn=1-85532-315-X|date=1993}}</ref>

Gradually, the streltsy were incorporated into the regular army. At the same time, the Tsarist government started to disband the Municipal Streltsy. Liquidation of the last streltsy units (by then social rather than military groups) was finally completed by 1728.<ref>{{cite book|first=V.|last=Shpakovsky|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695/page/n36 35]|title=Armies of Ivan the Terrible|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesivanterrib00nico_695|url-access=limited|isbn=1-84176-925-8|date=2006|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref>

The [[Preobrazhensky regiment|Preobrazhensky]] and Semenovsky regiments of the [[Russian Imperial Guard|Imperial Guard]] replaced the streltsy as the political and military force closest to the tsar.<ref>{{cite book|first=Angus|last=Konstam|page=[https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons/page/n11 11]&12|title=Peter the Great's Army 1: Infantry|year=1993|url=https://archive.org/details/petergreatsarmyi01kons|url-access=limited|isbn=1-85532-315-X}}</ref>

===China===

[[Arquebus]]<nowiki/>iers and musketeers were employed in the armies of the [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] (1368–1644)<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=esnWJkYRCJ4C&pg=PA141 Chase 2003], p. 141.</ref> and [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] dynasties (1644–1911). Zhao Shizhen's book of 1598 AD, the ''Shenqipu'', contains illustrations of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[Turkish people|Turkish]] and European musketeers together with detailed diagrams of their muskets.<ref name="needham volume 5 part 7 447 454">Needham, Volume 5, Part 7, 447–454.</ref> There was also an illustration and description of how the [[Han Chinese|Han]] people had adopted the Ottoman kneeling position when firing, while favoring the use of European-made muskets.<ref name="needham volume 5 part 7 449 452">Needham, Volume 5, Part 7, 449–452.</ref> The [[Han Chinese|Han]] people also built the first repeating firearm: several barrels behind a small wooden shield. The gunman would turn these barrels lighting each barrel with a slow match one by one. These weapons were most effective when fired from walls or high positions. Needham considered this weapon to be a "primitive machine-gun".<ref>{{cite book |title=Science and civilisation in China, Volume 5, Part 7 |author1=Joseph Needham |author2=Gwei-Djen Lu |author3=Ling Wang |editor=Joseph Needham|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lx-9mS6Aa4wC|edition=reprint |year=1987 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0-521-30358-3 |page=254|quote=makes its appearance, but now alongside all kinds of more modern things, such as mobile armoured shields for field-guns, bullet-moulds and muskets, and even a kind of primitive machine-gun. b The fire-lance was not yet quite dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Chinese ideas about nature and society: studies in honour of Derk Bodde |author=Derk Bodde|editor1=Charles Le Blanc |editor2=Susan Blader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aPQuETESw84C&pg=PA326|year=1987 |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |isbn=962-209-188-1 |page=326|quote=Once again the li hua ch'iang makes its appearance, but now alongside all kinds of more modern things, such as ... for field-guns, bullet moulds, and muskets, and even a kind of primitive machine- gun.96 The fire-lance was not yet quite}}</ref><ref name="DK2006">{{cite book|author=DK|title=Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Px5E3EIF5jQC&pg=PA100|date= 2006|publisher=DK Publishing|isbn=978-0-7566-4219-8|page=100}}</ref>

===Central Asia===
Introduced by the Chinese, muskets were popularised in [[Central Asia|Central-Asia]] under the [[Timurid dynasty]].

===Indian Sub-continent===
[[File:A Mughal Infantryman.jpg|thumb|205x205px|A painting of a [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] infantryman.]] 
[[Matchlock]] Muskets were first introduced by the first [[Mughal emperor]] [[Babur]] in the [[first Battle of Panipat]] 1526 CE. The weapon became an integral part of Indian warfare from the 16th century onward, mainly from the reign of the Mughal emperor [[Akbar]]. It was used as an effective defense against [[war elephant]]s. The [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]], [[Maratha Confederacy|Marathas]], [[Rajputs]], [[Sikh Empire|Sikhs]] and [[Ahom Kingdom|Ahoms]] made use of musketeers, firing from cover, to ambush opposing infantry, cavalry and elephants. Many Indian [[gunsmiths]] created matchlock muskets for the Mughal infantry<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Nicolle|pages=12, 16|title=The French Army 1914–18|date= 1993|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=1-85532-344-3}}</ref> plus some [[combination weapons]].