The two armies that met at the Takhtakaracha Pass represented two different military philosophies. The Umayyad armies fielded a sizeable cavalry contingent, both light and heavy,[21] but their mainstay was their infantry. In battle the Arab cavalry was often limited to skirmishing during the initial phases, before dismounting and fighting on foot.[22] This was in contrast to the Türgesh, a typical Central Asian nomadic empire, whose army was composed exclusively of cavalry.