 The Ayyubids generally employed Kurds , Turks , and people from the Caucasus for the higher @-@ ranking posts of the military and bureaucratic fields . Not much is known about the foot soldiers of the Ayyubid army , but the numbers of cavalrymen are known to have fluctuated between 8 @,@ 500 and 12 @,@ 000 . The cavalry was largely composed of free @-@ born Kurds , Turks , and <unk> whom Ayyubid emirs and sultans purchased as slaves ( mamluks ) . In addition , there existed Arab auxiliaries , former Fatimid units such as the Nubians , and separate Arab contingents — notably from the <unk> tribe , who were largely devoted to the defense of Egypt . Rivalry between Kurdish and Turkish troops occurred occasionally when leading positions were at stake and towards the end of Ayyubid rule , Turks outnumbered Kurds in the army . Despite their Kurdish background , the sultans remained impartial to both groups . 
