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Janissary Corps

Type Object Region Ottoman Empire Time c. 1363–1826

Standing slave infantry corps of the Ottoman Empire recruited through the devşirme system, serving as the sultan's elite guard from the mid-14th cent…

Timeline

  1. c. 1363–1389Edirne · Ottoman EmpireAfter his Balkan conquests, Murad I introduced the devşirme, recruiting Christian youths, converting them to Islam, and after rigorous training incorporating them into the Janissaries, forming a standing infantry core directly under the sultan and paid monthly salaries.
  2. 1391–1402Nicopolis · BulgariaUnder Bayezid I the Janissaries grew in size; at the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396 they served as the main force of the center and routed the crusaders. Their organization and pay system became settled, making them a key force in the empire's wars of expansion.
  3. c. 1500–1826Istanbul · Ottoman EmpireThe Janissaries were gradually equipped with muskets and became deeply involved in sultanial succession and palace coups. Their swollen ranks and unpaid wages led to frequent mutinies, until they were finally suppressed with artillery and abolished by Mahmud II in 1826.

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