See the complete introduction, beginning and history of the great military force of the Ottoman Empire in this post! ⚔️🔥

The Akıncı or Akıncı (Ottoman Turkish: اقنگی, Romanized: aḳıncı, lit. 'raider', IPA: [akɯnˈdʒɯ]; plural: akıncılar) were independent cavalry units, scout divisions (deli) and advance troops. When pre-existing Turkish ghazis were incorporated into the army of the Ottoman Empire, they became known as "akıncı". Unpaid, they lived and worked as raiders on the frontiers of the Ottoman Empire, subsisting on plunder. In German sources these soldiers were called Renner und Brenner (English: "Runner and burner").

Their main role in the war was to act as advance troops on the front lines and use guerilla tactics to demoralize the marching opposing army and throw them into a state of confusion and shock. They can be compared to a field in a field of wheat. They will mainly shoot the enemy with arrows. When attacked in melee, they retreated while firing in the rear. They could easily outrun heavy cavalry because they were lightly armed and their horses were bred for speed as opposed to power. Akanji forces also had swords, spears, shields, battle axes and maces, so that on the battlefield they could face the enemy first and fight melee. In some Ottoman campaigns, such as the Battle of the Plain of Kerbawa, the Akanji forces were the only units used without the need for Ottoman heavy cavalry or infantry. Due to their mobility, the Akanji were also used as a vanguard force for reconnaissance before the advance of Ottoman forces and to terrorize the local population. Since they were independent troops, they were not bound by peace agreements, so they could raid border villages and attack enemy cantonments, forts and border posts in peacetime, harassing the enemy continuously. were and rivals could check the weak points of the country's defences. They would also attack trade routes to reduce enemy supplies and transport. 

Akanji forces were led by specific families. Prominent Akanji families were the Malkooglu, Turhanli, Omerli, Evrinosoglu and Mihli. These Akanji clans were mainly composed of Turkoman tribal warriors with a leading family descended from the warrior Ghazis of the first Ottoman ruler, Osman I. Adventurers, soldiers of fortune, mercenaries, war dervishes, and citizens seeking fortune and adventure would also have been involved. The ranks of the Akanji gangs The Akanjis were drawn from the predominantly Muslim population as the Devasharmas were from the Christian population. However, exemptions were granted for villages that were waqf lands. For example, in 1573, some villages in Filibe were exempted from giving akındjıs, because they belonged to the sultan's soup-kitchen waqf in Üsküdar.[3] Since the akındjıs were seen as irregular militias. , so they did not have regular salaries like the Kapiculu soldiers or Tamerli soldiers. Their only income was the booty they captured. The Akanji system was instrumental in the establishment of the empire and the rapid expansion of Ottoman territories in Europe. Although the Akanji system worked best from the 14th to the 16th century, it began to decline after the 16th century. Beginning with the nomadic Tatars of the 16th-17th centuries, the Nogay cavalry of the Crimean Khanate also served as akinji for the Ottoman Empire. After the Ottoman advance into Europe was halted, the Akanji warriors became redundant and without a booty economy the warrior class slowly died out. After the modernization of the Ottoman army, the last few officially recognized Akanji clans were eliminated. Still, the last remnants of the Akanji system existed in the Balkan provinces until the late 19th century as Bashi Bozuk (irregular) warriors. Although the terminology distinguishing similar types of Ottoman cavalry is not fully clarified, the Akanji, once destroyed at the Battle of Gheorgio in October 1595 while retreating over the Danube, Apparently it was gradually taken over by newly independent forces, such as Delhi.