Mamluk (Civ5)/Civilopedia

Like their northern counterparts, Muslim armies also contained heavy cavalry units, similar in form and function to European knights. Like the Europeans, the Muslim knights too were from the upper reaches of society, possessing the best arms, armor and horses. The armor might be modified to reflect the differences in climate - even the most noble knight would quickly roast if wearing plate armor in a Middle East summer - but it still gave them a great advantage over other units on the battlefield. Historical accounts admit that Muslim knights were generally a match for their European counterparts.