Sipahis were organized around 1326 along feudal lines. Sultan granted officers fiefs with local peasants subjected to their rule in arrangement similar to European feudal fiefs. They were important part of ottoman cavalry until the 16th century and remained politically important
Spahis had an important part in subjugating the last rebellion of Janissaries. However, two years later in 1828, sultan Mahmud II revoked also their privileges and dismissed them in favor of the more modern army structure.
In the French army certain Algerian, Tunisian and Senegalese cavalry units were also called Spahis. Persian equivalent term was sipari, which also shares its derivation with "sepoy".