|
The Janissaries were an elite corps in the service of the Ottoman Sultan. The term in Turkish, "yeniçeri" means new troops, which is just what they first were at first, an
alternative to the regular Ottoman army. Sultan Murad I (1319-1389) sought to counter the power of the Ottoman gazi nobility by convering the Janissaries into an elite personal army. The first Janissaries were originally composed of war captives. Soon Christian children were pressed into service. Christian children were taken from their parents in periodic "child gatherings" called devsirme. The Sultan every 3-5 five years, would send special "scouts" to seek talented boys who could be drafted. They chose healthy, strong and handsome boys and youths. All ties were cut with their families. Christian children were chosen because Muslims, especially the gazi nobility had family and clan ties which affected their loyalty to the Sultan. The Ottoman army was composed of free men from many different tribes and distant areas often wide apart. Allegiances were strongest to their own tribal leaders. These leaders might be tempted to oppose the sultan's power or even seek allies with the sultan's enemies. The Chritian children converted to Islam only had one loyalty--that to the Sultan. Their fearless passion, drive and discipline strengthened the Ottoman Empire for centuries. The recruits were converted to Islam and educated under the strict discipline to serve the Sultan. They were trained under a discipline that was both military and monastic. The corps was their only home. For centuries they represented the best and most reliable Ottoman troops. Clever boys would become administrators. Athletic boys would become soldiers. After the conscription, the boys were were defined as the property of the sultan--in effect personal slaves. There actual condition was in fact far different than the modern concept of slave. Their fearless passion, drive and discipline strengthened the Ottoman Empire for centuries. With the education and training given them they were commonly able to rise in socail status and condition far beyond their often humble family status. They were often richly rewarded for their loyalty with grants of newly conquered land. Especially competent and loyal janissaries might rise to fill the most important administrative positions in the Ottoman Empire. The Janissaries were subject to very strict rules, limiting their personal freedom. The Sultan demanded higher moral standards than usual in the society. At first celibacy, was required. They were not allowed to grow beard, which in the Ottoman Empire was the sign of a free man. The Janissaries once used by the Sultans as an instrument of power gained great power in the Ottoman Empire and were capable of making anfd unmaking sultans. Muslims by the 17th cenyury had begun to enter the corps, largely through bribery, and in the 17th century membership became largely hereditary and the the drafting of Christians gradually ceased. Sultan Mahmud II in 1826 finally rids himself of the Janissaries. They were a mere shadow of the great soldiers of former years--except in number and cost. By the 19th century they had grown greaty in number and had become an expensive, inefficent and dangerous state within a state. Mahmud after an all too frequent attempted revolt had them massacred in their barracks by his loyal Spahis. These great soldiers of the Ottoman Muslims armies have often been misunderstood and not infrenquently misrepresented.
The Janissaries were an elite corps in the service of the Ottoman Sultan. The term in Turkish, "yeniçeri" means new troops, which is just what they first were at first, an
alternative to the regular Ottoman army. Sultan Murad I (1319-1389) sought to counter the power of the Ottoman gazi nobility by convering the Janissaries into an elite personal army.
The first Janissaries were originally composed of war captives. Soon Christian children were pressed into service. This behan in the 14th century and continued until the 17th century. Christian children were taken from their parents in periodic "child gatherings" called devsirme. The Sultan every 3-5 five years, would send special "scouts" to seek talented boys who could be drafted. They chose healthy, strong and handsome boys and youths. The boys selected were called Devshirme ("draftees") or Acemioğlanlar
("freshmen"). I am not positive about the age of the boys, one report suggest athat they were 8-20 years old. About 3,000 boys were drafted annually. One account suggests that 1 boy would be chosen from about 40 Christian families. These selections were linited to specific areas of the Empire, of course areas with Christian populations. The areas chosen were Rumelia or the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, and Serbia). Certain children were excepted from the drafts. Orphans were not acceptable, presumably because the Ottomans wanted boys from "good" families. They also excepted families with only one child. By thus I believe they meant one boy, but am not yet positive. Married boys were also excepted, leading some parents to arrange child weddings. Groups not deemed worthy for selection were the Jews, Russians, and shepherd's sons. Muslim children were also excepted.
Christian children were chosen because Muslims, especially the gazi nobility had family and clan ties which affected their loyalty to the Sultan. The Ottoman army was composed of free men from many different tribes and distant areas often wide apart. Allegiances were strongest to their own tribal leaders. These leaders might be tempted to oppose the sultan's power or even seek allies with the sultan's enemies. The Christian children converted converted to Islam only had one loyalty--that to the Sultan.
Upon selection, all ties were cut with their families. The Devshirme boys were brought to Istanbul. There they were ritually circumsized and converted to Islam. They were taught to say the Shahada ("There is but one God and Mohammad is his Prophet.") The boys were then sent to live with selected Turkish families for 3-5 years, largely depending on their ages. With their new Turkish families they learned Turkish language and culture as well as Islamic religious practice
After the Devshirme boys had been thoroughly enculturated, they were then enrolled in seven Acemioglan (freshman) schools located in or nearby Istanbul. At these schools they were trained in military drill and given basic military training. Also trained at these schools were war prisoners ("pentchick"). The training regime was very strict under a discipline that was both military and monastic. The corps was their only home and their one purpose was to serve the Sultan. Here the Ottomans appear to have largely succeeded in this attempt at forced culturation. Many Devshirme children converted to Islam and trained as Janissaries were ardent supporters if the Sultan and given great trust and authority by him, often holding some of the highest positions in the Empire. The boys that succeeded at the Acemioglan schools were selected for future training at the Enderun School located in the Topkapi Palace itself. Those not qualifying for this high honor were assigned to the field units making up the the regular, professional Janissary Corps.
The Ottomans set up a unique school to train the cream of the Acemioglan boys. It was known as the Palace or Enderun (the "inner most") School for raising and educating the boys thatvhad been recruited from Christian families. The selected boys were called iç oglanlar (the inner boys). The Enderun Schools brought up these freshmen into a professional corps of state guardians. They were trained by actually working in the Sultan's services, taking courses in natural and Islamic sciences, physical training and learning vocational or artistic skills.
The fearless passion, drive and discipline of the Jansssaries strengthened the Ottoman Empire for centuries. For centuries they represented the best and most reliable Ottoman troops. Clever boys would become administrators. Athletic boys would become soldiers.
After the conscription, the boys were were defined by law and custom as the property of the sultan--in effect personal slaves (kullar) of the Sultan's sword. There actual condition, even as boys, was in fact far different than the modern concept of slave. They were given the best educatiin available in the Ottoman Empire. With the education and training given them they were commonly able to rise in socail status and condition far beyond their often humble family status. They were often richly rewarded for their loyalty with grants of newly conquered land. Especially competent and loyal janissaries might rise to fill the most important administrative positions in the Ottoman Empire. The Janissaries were subject to very strict rules, limiting their personal freedom. The Sultan demanded higher moral standards than usual in the society. At first celibacy, was required. They were not allowed to grow beard, which in the Ottoman Empire was the sign of a free man.
The Janissaries once used by the Sultans as an instrument of power gained great power in the Ottoman Empire and were capable of making and unmaking sultans. Muslims by the 17th century had begun to enter the corps, largely through bribery, and in the 17th century membership became largely hereditary and the the drafting of Christians gradually ceased. Sultan Mahmud II in 1826 finally rids himself of the Janissaries. They were a mere shadow of the great soldiers of former years--except in number and cost. By the 19th century they had grown greaty in number and had become an expensive, inefficent and dangerous state within a state. Mahmud had them massacred in their barracks by his loyal Spahis. These great soldiers of the Ottoman Muslims armies have often been misunderstood and not infrenquently misrepresented.
David Nicolle, Muslim Military History, 64p.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Belgin pages:
[Return to the Main Greek Ottoman rule page]
[Greek choirs]
[Greek folk costumes]
[Greek movies]
[Greek royals]
[Greek schools]
[Greek youth groups]
