Ottoman Kapıkulu (Palace Slave Corps)

Type Object Region West Asia Time c. 1360–1826

The Ottoman Kapıkulu ('slaves of the gate') military formation directly under the sultan, centered on Janissary infantry and supported by sipahi cava…

Timeline

c. 1541–1550Istanbul · Ottoman EmpireUnder Süleyman, the Kapıkulu replenished the Janissaries through devşirme recruitment, maintaining orta (regiment) organization, regular pay (ulufe), and strict training discipline as the sultan's guard and main field force.
c. 1543–1547Hungary–Persia front · Ottoman EmpireIn the 1540s the Janissaries and affiliated Kapıkulu units took part in the struggle for Hungary and the war against Persia, conducting sieges with coordinated firearm infantry and engineers, exemplifying the operational pattern of the 16th-century Ottoman standing army.

Sources

Agoston, Gabor. Guns for the Sultan: Military Power and the Weapons Industry in the Ottoman Empire. Cambridge University Press, 2005. — Gabor Agoston (2005)