Janissaries in the context of "Army of the classical Ottoman Empire"

⭐ In the context of the Army of the classical Ottoman Empire, the shift to a salaried system for Janissaries under Mehmed II represented a departure from what previous method of compensation?

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⭐ Core Definition: Janissaries

A janissary (UK: /ˈænɪsəri/ JAN-iss-ər-ee, US: /-sɛri/ -⁠err-ee; Ottoman Turkish: یڭیچری, romanizedyeñiçeri, IPA: [jeˈŋit͡ʃeɾ̞i], lit.'new soldier') was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops. They were the first modern standing army, and perhaps the first infantry force in the world to be equipped with firearms, adopted during the reign of Murad II (r. 1421–1444, 1446–1451). The corps was established under either Orhan or Murad I, and dismantled by Mahmud II in 1826.

Janissaries began as an elite corps made up through the devşirme system of child levy enslavement, by which Christian boys, chiefly from the Balkans, were taken, levied, subjected to forced circumcision and forced conversion to Islam, and incorporated into the Ottoman army. They became famed for internal cohesion cemented by strict discipline and order. Unlike typical slaves, they were paid regular salaries. Forbidden to marry before the age of 40 or engage in trade, their complete loyalty to the Ottoman sultan was expected. By the 17th century, due to a dramatic increase in the size of the Ottoman standing army, the corps' initially strict recruitment policy was relaxed. Civilians bought their way into it in order to benefit from the improved socio-economic status it conferred upon them. Consequently, the corps gradually lost its military character, undergoing a process that has been described as "civilianization".

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👉 Janissaries in the context of Army of the classical Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman army was the military structure established by Mehmed II (r. 1451–1481) during his reorganization of the Ottoman state and its military. It resulted from a major reorganization of the standing army dating from the time of Sultan Orhan (r. 1323/4–1362), which had centred on janissaries who were paid by salary rather than rewarded with booty or fiefs. The army built by Orhan had operated during the period of the rise of the Ottoman Empire (1299 to 1453).

The organization introduced by Mehmed II was twofold, central (Ottoman Turkish: Kapıkulu, the household division) and peripheral (Ottoman Turkish: Eyalet, province-level). Sultan Mahmud II forced this army to disband on 15 June 1826 in what is known as Auspicious Incident, which followed a century-long reform effort.

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Janissaries in the context of Enderun School

The Enderun School (Ottoman Turkish: اندرون مکتب, romanizedEnderûn Mektebi) was a palace school and boarding school within Topkapi Palace. It was mostly for princes of the court and the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire. Students here were primarily recruited via devşirme, a system of the Islamization of Christian slave children for serving the Ottoman government in bureaucratic, managerial, and Janissary military positions. Over the centuries, the Enderun School was fairly successful in generating Ottoman statesmen by drawing among the empire's various ethnic groups and giving them a common Muslim education. The school was run by the "Inner Service" (Enderûn) of the Ottoman palace and had both academic and military purposes. The graduates were expected to devote themselves to government service and be free of links to lower social groups.

The Enderun School's gifted education program has been called the world's first institutionalized education for the gifted.

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Janissaries in the context of Selim III

Selim III (Ottoman Turkish: سليم ثالث, romanizedSelim-i sâlis; Turkish: III. Selim; 24 December 1761 – 28 July 1808) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. Regarded as an enlightened ruler, he was eventually deposed and imprisoned by the Janissaries, who placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV (r. 1807–1808). A group of assassins subsequently killed Selim.

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Janissaries in the context of Ottoman Tripolitania

Ottoman Tripolitania, also known as the Regency of Tripoli, was officially ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1551 to 1912. It corresponded roughly to the northern parts of modern-day Libya in historic Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. It was initially established as an Ottoman province ruled by a pasha (governor) in Tripoli who was appointed from Constantinople, though in practice it was semi-autonomous due to the power of the local Janissaries. From 1711 to 1835, the Karamanli dynasty ruled the province as a de facto hereditary monarchy while remaining under nominal Ottoman suzerainty. In 1835, the Ottomans reestablished direct control over the region until its annexation by Italy in 1912.

Like the Ottoman regencies in Tunis and Algiers, the Regency of Tripoli was a major base for the privateering activities of the North African corsairs, who also provided revenues for Tripoli. A remnant of the centuries of Turkish rule is the presence of a population of Turkish origin, and those of partial Turkish origin, the Kouloughlis.

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Janissaries in the context of Slaughter of the Knezes

The Slaughter of the Knezes (Serbian: Сеча кнезова, romanizedSeča knezova) was a campaign of organized murders and assaults of notable Serbs in the Pashalik of Belgrade (Sanjak of Smederevo) by the renegade Janissaries who had seized power in a coup against the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II. Fearing Serbian plans of rebellion, they decided to execute leading Serbs throughout the Sanjak. At least 95 notable Serbs were murdered, many whose decapitated heads were put on public display. Notable victims were Aleksa Nenadović and Ilija Birčanin. The event triggered the First Serbian Uprising, aimed at putting an end to the centuries of Ottoman occupation.

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Janissaries in the context of Siege of Trebizond (1461)

The siege of Trebizond was the successful siege of the city of Trebizond, capital of the Empire of Trebizond, by the Ottomans under Sultan Mehmed II, which ended on 15 August 1461. The siege culminated a lengthy campaign on the Ottoman side, which involved coordinated but independent manoeuvres by a large army and navy. The Trapezuntine defenders had relied on a network of alliances, which would provide them with support and a workforce when the Ottomans began their siege. Still, it failed when Emperor David Megas Komnenos most needed it.

The Ottoman land campaign, which was the more challenging part, involved intimidating the ruler of Sinope into surrendering his realm, a march lasting more than a month through uninhabited mountainous wilderness, several minor battles with different opponents and finally the siege of Trebizond. The combined Ottoman forces blockaded the fortified city by land and sea until Emperor David agreed to surrender his capital city on terms. In return for his tiny realm, he would be given properties elsewhere in the Ottoman Empire, where he, his family, and his courtiers would live until their execution some two years later. For the rest of the inhabitants of Trebizond, The Sultan divided them into three groups. One group was forced to leave Trebizond and resettle in Constantinople. Another group became slaves either of the Sultan or of his dignitaries. The last group was left to live in the countryside surrounding Trebizond but not within its walls. Some 800 male children became recruits for his Janissaries, the elite Ottoman military unit, which required them to convert to Islam.

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Janissaries in the context of Nizam-i Djedid Army

The term Nizam-i Djedid Army (Ottoman Turkish: نظام جديد, romanizedNiẓām-i Jedīd, lit.'new order') refers to the new military establishment of the Nizam-i Cedid reform program which started in the Ottoman Empire c. 1789. The Nizam-i Djedid Army, largely a failure in its own time, nevertheless proved a much more effective infantry force than the Janissaries.

After Austria and Russia defeated the Ottoman Turkish forces in the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–92, the Ottoman Sultan Selim III (r. 1789–1807) concluded that Ottoman military required serious reform if the empire was to survive. As a result, he began implementing a series of reforms aimed at reorganizing the military after the model of European militaries. This included the usage of European training tactics, weapons, and even officers. These reforms troubled the Janissaries, who were suspicious and unreceptive towards the reforms. To this end, Selim III established the Nizam-i Djedid in 1797 in order to develop a replacement for the Janissaries. By 1806 this new army stood 26,000 men strong, equipped with French-style uniforms, European weapons, and a modern artillery corps. Due to their distinctly modern nature, the army was named Nizam-ı Cedid, which has the meaning of 'New Order' in Ottoman Turkish. English-speakers borrowed the Ottoman Turkish word niẓām as "nizam" and applied it generically in the 19th century to the Ottoman army or to any Ottoman soldier.

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Janissaries in the context of Bodyguard

A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public officials, wealthy businesspeople, and celebrities, from harm. The personnel team that protects a VIP is often referred to as the VIP's security detail.

Most important public figures, such as heads of state, heads of government, and governors are protected by a team of bodyguards from a government agency, security forces, or police forces. Less-important public figures, or those with lower risk profiles, may be accompanied by a single bodyguard who doubles as a driver.Bodyguards have existed since ancient civilizations, with notable examples including the Roman Praetorian Guard, Persian Immortals, and the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire. These roles have evolved into modern executive protection professionals, equipped with advanced technologies and training.

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Janissaries in the context of Bektashism in Albania

The Bektashi Order is an Islamic Sufi order that spread to Albania through Albanian janissaries during the period of Ottoman Albania. The Bektashi make up 5% of the country's population. In regards to ethics, the Bektashi adhere to the line "Be master of your hands, your tongue, and your loins" which essentially means do not steal, do not lie or speak idly, and do not commit adultery.

In Albania, the Bektashi Order has taken on a patriotic and nationalistic character, and it has played a major role in the Albanian National Awakening. Bektashi leaders have historically been prominent members in Albanian movements for self-determination and national autonomy, which has contributed to its popularity amongst the Albanians, and for most of Albania's Bektashi community, their affiliation with the order is based on cultural heritage rather than actual religious belief.

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