Ottoman Janissary Corps

Timeline

1. c. 1363–1380Ottoman Balkans and Anatolia · Balkan PeninsulaUnder Sultan Murad I, Janissary infantry regiments were initially formed from prisoners of war and devşirme recruits, equipped with longbows and crossbows, paid stipends, and restricted to military service, laying the foundation of the Ottoman professional standing army.
2. 1453Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireUnder Mehmed II's command, the Janissaries were the first to break through the breaches in Constantinople's walls, becoming the decisive force of the siege; thereafter their establishment expanded, their status rose sharply, and they were established as the core of the sultan's guard standing army.
3. 1511–1520Ottoman Empire (from Istanbul to the Persian/Egyptian fronts) · West AsiaDuring Selim I's reign the Janissary Corps expanded to about 12,000 core warriors, generally equipped with matchlocks; they took part in the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514, defeating Safavid cavalry, and in 1516–1517 successively conquered Mamluk Syria and Egypt, serving as the main military force in the largest territorial expansion in Ottoman history.
4. 1826Istanbul · Ottoman EmpireSultan Mahmud II used a Janissary revolt as an opportunity to suppress the camp with artillery, an event known in history as the 'Auspicious Incident' (Vaka-i Hayriye); the corps was completely dissolved and the Ottoman modern military reform officially began.