The Janissaries are an Ottoman elite and standing infantry army that in the first half of the XIV. century founded by Sultan Orhan. Subordinate directly to the sultan, the janissaries formed a kind of sultan's personal guard, i.e. bodyguard. As early as the 14th century, the Janissaries began to form as a military unit made up of abducted Christian boys.
It was a famous blood tax (the abduction of Christian children by Muslims and conversion to Islam) introduced in 1402 after the defeat of the Turks at Angora (Ankara), when the Ottoman army was to be filled.
Children and young men between the ages of 8 and 20 were abducted, periodically at intervals of 3.5 years and sometimes up to 7 years. These children were forcibly forced to convert to Islam.After being taken away from their families, the recruited boys were given to Turkish families in the provinces to learn the Turkish language and Turkish customs as well as the rules of Islam. The boys were indoctrinated by Islam to forget their Christian faith and roots, forced to be circumcised and supervised 24 hours a day by eunuchs.
After religious training at the courts of dignitaries and sultans, future janissaries began military training.
Janissaries - an extremely disciplined, loyal and ruthless army
Most Janissaries were of Christian Catholic or Orthodox descent because it was not allowed to subdue Muslims. When choosing children, they had certain standards when choosing non-Muslim children. Bosniaks were their favorite target, Russians were considered restless and treacherous people, Jews were seen only as traders, and Roma as unworthy and dirty.
Christians cut off the fingers of their boys, taught them to pretend to be deaf-mute, tattooed their crosses, and otherwise saved them from being taken to the Janissaries. The blood tax collection system began to go out in the early 17th century, and completely disappeared at the end of that century. From the 15th to the 17th century, two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand boys were taken from the Balkans by tribute in blood.
Because they came from poor families, the Janissaries had to earn their merits through painstaking proofs. Unlike nobles who were privileged from birth, janissaries had to prove their worth. They trained for years, and at the age of 25 to 27 they became imperial soldiers. As a result of indoctrination and training, janissaries became extremely disciplined troops and became members of the asker class - the privileged class of imperial administrators, first-class citizens or members of the military class.
In war, janissaries wore a high white loose hat, and in peacetime turbans. They were armed with a bow, arrow, dagger, saber, ax, mace, dagger and spear, and later a rifle. For battles, they were at the center of the army, in front of the sultan if he took part in the battle. Most of the success of the Ottoman army was attributed to them. They were widely known for their ruthless treatment of enemies, and these were Christian armies and Christians from where they were janissaries by birth and ancestors. The privileged position gave them a prominent role in the internal politics of the Ottoman Empire, especially in the events in Constantinople.
During the XV. and the sixteenth century were the sultan's most loyal army, and some of them became prominent soldiers and statesmen of the Ottoman Empire.In times of peace they did not receive a salary. During the war, the commander and other officers received a percentage on the salary and supplies of the company and rightfully inherited the property of the deceased janissaries. This led to abuse by several officers, which led to a weakening of discipline to such an extent that the Janissaries were from time to time accused of all forms of arrogance and abuse. They became a kind of praetorian body that began to interfere in court life and government affairs, so in some periods they used their power to overthrow and elect sultans however it suited them. Sultan Selim II. he tried to abolish them in 1807, but was overthrown because of it.
When Sultan Mahmud II. decided to organize the Ottoman army European, the Janissaries raised a revolt in which almost the entire Sultan's family was killed, and thousands of Janissaries were killed. Then Mahmud II. abolished the janissary military system (1826).
