Dervishes are a type of melee infantry in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
A sword is an honourable weapon for any warrior. The man who carries one must demonstrate this courage if he is to cut down his foe.
Although a sword, no matter what its design, may appear outdated next to a musket, it has one great advantage: it never needs loading. A truly skilled swordsman will never want for employment, and he is an intimidating sight to many regular musket-armed soldiers.
Units of swordsmen are also easier to handle tactically on a battlefield. A general does not have to make fine judgements about when to hold or give fire: he need only send his men forward to do their killing work at the right time. Once committed, they will keep fighting until death or victory comes.
General Information[]
For Persia, the Mughal Empire, and Afghanistan, Dervishes are staple units. With good numbers and decent characteristics, they can prove dangereous in a melee should they have the luxury of closing the gap without taking too many losses.
Historical Background[]
Dervishes (also sometimes called Darveshes) originated in the 12th century AD as an ascetic order of Sufi Muslims whose practices stress extreme poverty and austerity, in European terms they were and are most similar to mendicant friars in terms of their practices. In order to provide for themselves Dervishes need(ed) to beg, but could not keep any money that they did not strictly need and were obligated to donate it to the poor.
(from wikipedia) The whirling dance or Sufi whirling that is proverbially associated with Dervishes is best known in the West by the practices (performances) of the Mevlevi order in Turkey, and is part of a formal ceremony known as the Sema. It is, however, also practiced by other orders. The Sema is only one of the many Sufi ceremonies performed to try to reach religious ecstasy (majdhb, fana). The name Mevlevi comes from the Persian poet, Rumi who was a Dervish himself. This practice, though not intended as entertainment, has become a tourist attraction in Turkey.[9] [10][11]