At last, I've got to see my books
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For example on Caliph al-Mamun's (786-833) army it's said:
"He bought numerous turks and paid high prices for them. He sometimes paid as much as 200,000 dirhams for one Mamluk.....He ousted Arabs, the prophet's people, with whom god established the muslim religion from the diwan and stopped their pay. And their pay was stopped and ever since they have noe been paid. He introduced Turks in their stead and he took off the dress of the arabs and their attire and put on the dress of ajam, against whom god sent his prohet Mohammed in order to kill them and fight them. Arab rule ceased to exist with him and by means of him. Since his time and his reing the Turks.... became the rulers..."
Al-Maqrizi "Kitab al-Niza wal Takhasum
There are dozens of other citations, all coming to one - since 9th century the armies of Caliphs were filled with mamluks, in particular - turkish mamluks.
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