Towarzysz pancerny ("armoured companion"; plural: towarzysze pancerni, or pancerni) was a medium-cavalryman in 16th to 18th century Poland, named for his chainmail armor ("pancerz"). These units were the second-most-important cavalry arm in the Polish army, after the hussars.
Most pancerni were recruited from the middle or lower classes or szlachta (nobility). They were organized into companies, with each company (Polish: chorągiew) consisting of 60 to 200 horsemen.
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