The ideas of the modern European about the Ottoman Empire, as a rule, are in the nature of a set of vague images gleaned from ancient novels and their adaptations. Harems, odalisks, crooked swords and, of course, the famous Turkish janissaries. Our fellow citizens also know that the latter did not feel pity for anyone, the hero of the famous novels I. Ilf and E. Petrov, Ostap Bender, said so. He called himself the son of a Turkish citizen, but given the adventurous character of the character. this statement may well be called into question. So who were these terrible warriors who made up the stronghold and elite of the Sultan army?
Emir Orhan and his new army
It is believed that the army of Janissaries was created in the second half of the XIV century by the Ottoman Sultan Murad the First as a special kind of armed forces, or, in modern terms, special forces. But this event was preceded by a certain background related to the 20s of the same century.
Nothing in military affairs is simply undertaken, out of a whim. The incentive to create a special corps was the low discipline in the troops of the emir of Orhan, who in 1326 managed to occupy the city of Bursa, crowding out the Byzantine Empire. The victory was achieved, but as a true commander, Orhan analyzed the reasons for the great losses and many other unpleasant moments that arose during the battle, and came to the conclusion that the Turks were fighting poorly, and the worse preparation of the enemy troops rather than the valor and skill of their own ones contributed to the success army. Reformation was needed, a new type of warrior was needed. Hence the name ("yeni" - new, "ceri" - army). Thus, the history of the Janissaries begins in the twenties of the XIV century, and the emir Orkhan is rightfully considered the founder of the Turkish special forces.
Why did the Turks not fit
Any special forces are equipped with selected soldiers. During the time of the sultans and emirs, the citizens of the Ottoman Empire were free and prosperous people, the abundance of previously occupied territories, exploitation and looting of the population of the occupied regions of the Balkans created the conditions for a fairly satisfying and voluptuous life that was relaxing. The Turks did not really want to fight, did not strive to die heroically, and even more difficult it was to talk about the necessary use of cruel measures against fellow tribesmen in the event of riots or other popular unrest. And Orhan turned to world experience. He needed obedient slaves, faithful and merciless. If the Turks cannot be such, then you should recruit nukers from foreigners. Such were the Persian bodyguards of the 9th century and the guardsmen of the ancient Indian Rajas.
Aza-bachelors
The first attempt to create punitive special forces was the formation of a corps of azabs, manned by captured Christians from Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia and other territories occupied by the Ottoman forces. Warriors stood under enemy banners in a voluntary-forced manner, under pain of death. They were forbidden to marry, therefore they were called azabs (in Turkish - bachelors).
From further history, including the latest, it is known that units recruited from collaborators do not have high combat effectiveness. In the best case, they can be used as auxiliary occupational police, but it is impossible to trust the responsible sections of the front, they will either run away or immediately cross over to the side of their fellow tribesmen, repent, and, most likely, will be forgiven.
Orhan reasoned wisely. Adult captives are no good. Ottoman Janissaries (new warriors) should not remember kinship, forget their father and mother, then they will be infinitely devoted to the empire personally. They need to grow and educate. Who is required for this? Children!
Training and education
In addition to the usual taxes and taxes, another burden was imposed on the inhabitants of the lands captured by the Ottoman Empire in the 30s of the XIV century, perhaps the most terrible. The strongest and smartest boys of 12-16 years old were taken from their parents and taken to Turkey. Now they were waiting for a completely different, not peasant, fate.
The importance of ideological training was recognized by the military leadership of the Ottoman Empire. Future Turkish janissaries received a new name, converted to Islam and underwent initial adaptation in families, where they mastered the Turkish language perfectly, forgetting along the way their native language and culture. Then there was a military school.
Military School in Adrianople
At the age of 21, a trained, educated in the spirit of devotion young man arrived at the main location of the Janissaries corps. It was the city of Adrianople, the oath ceremony was also held here. The dervishes, who performed the functions of confessors and political instructors at the same time, took the oath of allegiance.
The training of adjemi (beginners) included the lessons of fencing, shooting, tactical skills. Classes were held according to the group system, the training unit was from 10 to 15 cadets, future Janissaries. This grueling training lasted six years.
But the drill was not limited.
A true warrior should know not only military affairs. A broad outlook and developed intellect - these are the qualities that a true Janissary must possess. This makes it possible to make innovative decisions in a critical environment. The knowledge of the Koran brings the warrior closer to Allah, therefore theology was one of the most important subjects in the military school. A separate important subject was Christian theology. Law, literature and foreign language classes were also part of the intensive education program.
Discipline
In medieval Europe, service people loved to spend leisure time in revels and revelry. The life of a soldier in the era of constant wars and state redistributions was, as a rule, short-lived, and the future victims of the war wanted to take their toll on earth, until the soul flew to heaven. European travelers who saw the Adrianople barracks, the training place of the "new army", were amazed at the harsh conditions of the maintenance of the Janissaries. It was unusual, the cadets, always calmly calm, spent all their time, with the exception of sleep, in drill and study. They didn’t even hear about cards or dice; alcohol libations were a religious taboo. Iron discipline, stoic patience and ascetic simplicity of life - these are the conditions in which a real warrior is brought up. Based on the stories of the Habsburg envoy von Busbek, who was in Istanbul, a myth about the invincibility of the Ottoman Empire arose in Europe.
Customs, Traditions and Uniforms
In addition to the vow of celibacy, valid until 1556, there were other prohibitions, for example, on the wearing of a beard; only an officer, the commander of the Janissary, could release her. Each unit, called the arch, traditionally had a cauldron (cauldron), from which the personnel ate their own cooked food. It was considered a kind of symbol and amulet and kept in exemplary purity. A sign of discontent or rebellion (they happened) was an inverted cauldron. The uniforms changed from century to century, but at its core the Janissaries' corps was infantry troops equipped with light armor. The clothes of Turkish special forces and Zaporozhye Cossacks had a lot in common. Sharovary (shalvars), due to their free cut, did not hamper movements in battle, and the burke (hat with a hat) was stuffed with horsehair and served as a head protection, like a helmet. The mace and the curve of the Janissary saber completed the warlike appearance.
The reform
Such a well-trained militarily and highly intellectual estate could not put up with the role of the blind weapon assigned to him in the hands of the Sultan. The trick, combined with the power, prompts the unjustly humiliated to fight for power. The commander, the Janissaries, taking advantage of privileges, at every opportunity pushed the sultan governors out of office, expressing claims for greater freedom and authority.
In the 16th century, traditions that seemed unbreakable underwent changes; ethnic Turks began to accept ethnic monks into the corps of elected servants of the monarch. Despite the modest salary paid once every 3-4 months, service in the special forces is considered prestigious. This is facilitated by the high quality of education and the growing social influence of the “new soldiers”. In addition, upon retiring after seniority, the Janissaries received unlimited career opportunities. For the reception of their offspring in their ranks, Turkish parents often gave a solid "bakshish", in other words, a bribe.
This situation could not last long.
The end of the Janissaries
Among people who are interested in history, there is still no single answer to the question: “Were the Janissaries traitors?” However, reasoning logically, we can come to the conclusion that only those who knowingly and in adulthood sided with the enemy and did it to get some personal benefits can be blamed for treason. For many years, the parents taken away from them were brainwashed for many years, they were inspired with the idea of the justice of the power of the Sultan, their “father”. It is necessary to pay tribute to the Ottoman ruler, he really treated his personal guards-bodyguards, especially trusted punishers, elite warriors and police officers concurrently, as his own children. For three centuries, the Janissary’s saber flawlessly rained down on the heads of the disobedient, whether they were strangers or Turks. But in the 19th century, a proven tool began to fail.
In the summer of 1826, the Janissary corps rebelled against the new laws adopted by Sultan Mahmoud II. A crowd of armed Bashibuzuk tried to storm the residence of the ruler in Istanbul. The rebellion was mercilessly suppressed, the corps of the Janissaries disbanded, and almost all of them themselves were exterminated.