For what purpose was the Janissary army created? Janissaries: elite warriors of the Ottoman Empire. The best of the best

The Janissaries were elite warriors Ottoman Empire. They guarded the Sultan himself and were the first to enter Constantinople. The Janissaries were prepared for service from early childhood. Disciplined, fanatical and absolutely loyal to the Sultan, they lived for war.

Slave Army

At the beginning of the 14th century, the young Ottoman state had an urgent need for high-quality infantry, since the capture of fortresses by siege was too long-term and resource-intensive (the siege of Brusa lasted longer than 10 years).

In the Ottoman army of that time, the main striking force was cavalry, which was of little use for assault tactics. The infantry in the army was irregular, hired only for the duration of the war. Of course, the level of her training and devotion to the Sultan left much to be desired.

Sultan Orhan, the son of the founder of the empire Osman, began to form detachments of Janissaries from captured Christians, but by the middle of the 14th century this method began to fail - there were not enough prisoners, and they were also unreliable. Orhan's son, Murad I, in 1362 changed the principle of selecting the Janissaries - they began to be recruited from the children of Christians captured in military campaigns in the Balkans.
This practice showed great results. TO XVI century it became a kind of duty imposed on Christian lands, primarily Albania, Hungary and Greece. It was called the “Sultan’s share” and consisted in the fact that every fifth boy between the ages of five and fourteen years old was selected by a special commission to serve in the Janissary corps.

Not everyone was taken. The selection was based on the then ideas about psychophysiognomy. Firstly, only children from noble families could be recruited into the Janissaries. Secondly, they did not take children who were too talkative (they would grow up stubborn). Also, they did not take children with delicate facial features (they are prone to rebellion, and their enemies will not be afraid of them). They didn't take too tall or too short.

Not all children were from Christian families. As a privilege, they could take children from Muslim families in Bosnia, but, importantly, from Slavs.

The boys were ordered to forget about their past, initiated into Islam and sent to training. From that time on, their entire life was subject to the strictest discipline, and the main virtue was absolute blind devotion to the Sultan and the interests of the empire.

Preparation

The preparation of the Janissaries was systematic and thoughtful. Christian boys who broke up with their past life, went to the families of Turkish peasants or artisans, served as rowers on ships or became butchers' assistants. At this stage, Muslim converts learned Islam, learned the language, and became accustomed to severe hardships. They were deliberately not treated on ceremony. It was a harsh school of physical and moral training.

After several years, those who did not break and survived were enrolled in the preparatory detachment of the Janissaries, the so-called achemi oglan (Russian: “inexperienced youths”). From that time on, their training consisted of mastering special military skills and hard physical work. At this stage, young men were already being trained as devoted warriors of Islam, who unquestioningly carried out all the orders of their commanders. Any manifestations of free-thinking or obstinacy were nipped in the bud. However, the young “cadets” of the Janissary Corps also had their own outlet. During Muslim holidays, they could indulge in violence against Christians and Jews, to which the “elders” were more complacent than critical.

Only at the age of 25, the physically strongest of those trained in the Acemi Oglan, the best of the best, became Janissaries. It had to be earned. Those who for some reason did not pass the test became “rejected” (Turkish chikme) and were not allowed to join military service in the case.

Lions of Islam

How did it happen that children predominantly from Christian families became fanatical Muslims, ready to kill their former co-religionists who had become “infidels” for them?

The very foundation of the Janissary corps was originally planned according to the type of knightly religious order. The spiritual basis of the Janissary ideology was formed under the influence of the Bektashi dervish order. Even now in Turkish the words "Janissary" and "Bektashi" are often used as synonyms. According to legend, even the headdress of the Janissaries - a hat with a piece of fabric attached to the back - appeared thanks to the fact that the head of the dervishes, Khaci Bektash, while blessing the warrior, tore off the sleeve from his clothes, put it on the head of the neophyte and said: “Let them call these soldiers Janissaries. Yes.” their courage will always be brilliant, their sword sharp, their hands victorious."

Why did the Bektashie order become the spiritual stronghold of the “new army”? Most likely, this is due to the fact that it was more convenient for the Janissaries to practice Islam in this simplified form in terms of rituals. The Bektashi were exempted from the obligatory five-time prayers, pilgrimage to Mecca and fasting during the month of Ramadan. For the “lions of Islam,” who live by war, this was convenient.

One family

The life of the Janissaries was strictly declared by the charter of Murad I. The Janissaries could not have families, they had to avoid excesses, observe discipline, obey their superiors, and observe religious precepts.

They lived in barracks (usually located near the Sultan's palace, since guarding it was one of their main duties), but their life could not be called ascetic. After three years of service, the Janissaries received a salary, and the state provided them with food, clothing and weapons. The Sultan's failure to comply with his obligations to supply his “new army” more than once led to Janissary riots.

One of the main symbols of the Janissaries was the cauldron. It occupied such an important place in the life of the Janissaries that Europeans even mistook it for the banner of the Ottoman warriors. At a time when the Janissary corps was stationed in the city, once a week, every Friday, an orta of Janissaries went with their cauldron to the Sultan's palace for pilaf (rice with lamb). This tradition was obligatory and symbolic. If there was dissatisfaction among the Janissaries, they could abandon the pilaf and overturn the cauldron, which served as a signal for the start of the uprising.

From the beginning of the 16th century, the recruiting system for selecting the Janissaries began to undergo serious changes, more and more Turks found themselves in the corps, there was a departure from the principle of celibacy, the Janissaries began to have families that required more and more investments.

Children of the Janissaries received the right to enroll in the orts from birth, and they were endowed with appropriate benefits. The Janissaries began to turn into a hereditary institution, with all the ensuing disastrous consequences.

Of course, this situation did not suit many. Every now and then after the riots, demonstration executions of the Janissaries were carried out, but the issue was not fundamentally resolved. There was even a phenomenon " dead souls"When they enrolled anyone into the Janissaries, just to receive additional rations and benefits. The corps was destroyed only in 1826 by Sultan Mahmud II. It was not for nothing that he was called the “Turkish Peter I.”

Almost all great powers had their own military classes and special troops. In the Ottoman Empire these were the Janissaries, in Russia - the Cossacks. The organization of the Janissary corps (from “yeni cheri” - “new army”) was based on two main ideas: the state took upon itself the entire maintenance of the Janissaries so that they could devote all their time to combat training without reducing their fighting qualities in normal times; to create a professional warrior, united in a military-religious brotherhood, like the knightly orders of the West. In addition, the Sultan's power needed military support, loyal only to the supreme power and no one else.

The creation of the Janissary Corps became possible thanks to the successful wars of conquest waged by the Ottomans, which led to the accumulation of great wealth by the sultans. The appearance of the Janissaries is associated with the name of Murad I (1359-1389), who was the first to assume the title of Sultan and made a number of major conquests in Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsula, formalizing the creation of the Ottoman Empire. Under Murad, they began to form a “new army,” which later became the striking force of the Turkish army and a kind of personal guard of the Ottoman sultans. The Janissaries were personally subordinate to the Sultan, received salaries from the treasury, and from the very beginning became a privileged part of the Turkish army. Submission to the Sultan personally was symbolized by the “burke” (also known as “Yuskuf”) - a kind of headdress of the “new warriors”, made in the form of the sleeve of the Sultan’s robe - they say that the Janissaries are under the hand of the Sultan. The commander of the Janissary corps was one of the highest dignitaries of the empire.

The supply idea is visible throughout the Janissary organization. The lowest cell in the organization was a department - 10 people united by a common pot and a common pack horse. 8-12 squads formed an ode (company), which had a large company cauldron. In the 14th century, there were 66 odes of the Janissaries (5 thousand people), and then the number of “odes” increased to 200. The commander of an ode (company) was called chorbaji-bashi, that is, a distributor of soup; other officers had the rank of “chief cook” (ashdshi-bashi) and “water carrier” (saka-bashi). The name of the company - ode - meant a common barracks - a bedroom; The unit was also called “orta”, i.e. herd. On Fridays, the company cauldron was sent to the Sultan's kitchen, where pilaf (pilaf, a dish based on rice and meat) was prepared for the soldiers of Allah. Instead of a cockade, the Janissaries stuck a wooden spoon into the front of their white felt cap. In the later period, when the corps of the Janissaries had already disintegrated, rallies took place around the military shrine - the company cauldron, and the refusal of the Janissaries to taste the pilaf brought from the palace was considered the most dangerous sign of rebellion - a demonstration.

The care of the education of the spirit was entrusted to the Bektashi Sufi order of dervishes. It was founded by Hadji Bektash in the 13th century. All Janissaries were assigned to the order. The 94th Orta symbolically included the sheikhs (babas) of the brotherhood. Therefore, in Turkish documents, the Janissaries were often called the “Bektash partnership”, and the Janissary commanders “Aga Bektashi”. This order allowed certain liberties, such as drinking wine, and contained elements of non-Muslim practices. The Bektashi teaching simplified the basic tenets and requirements of Islam. For example, it made five times daily prayer optional. Which was quite reasonable - for an army on a campaign, and even during military operations, when success depended on the speed of maneuver and movement, such delays could become fatal.

The barracks became a kind of monastery. The Dervish Order was the only educator and teacher of the Janissaries. Dervish monks in Janissary units played the role of military chaplains, and were also responsible for entertaining the soldiers with singing and buffoonery. The Janissaries had no relatives, for them the Sultan was the only father and his order was sacred. They were obliged to engage only in military craft (during the period of decomposition the situation changed radically), in life to be content with military spoils, and after death to hope for paradise, the entrance to which was opened by the “holy war”.

At first, the corps was formed from captured Christian teenagers and young men aged 12-16. In addition, the Sultan's agents bought young slaves at the markets. Later, due to the “blood tax” (devshirme system, that is, “recruitment of children of subjects”). It was imposed on the Christian population of the Ottoman Empire. Its essence was that every fifth immature boy was taken from the Christian community as slaves of the Sultan. An interesting fact is that the Ottomans simply borrowed experience Byzantine Empire. The Greek authorities, experiencing a great need for soldiers, periodically carried out forced mobilization in areas inhabited by Slavs and Albanians, taking away every fifth youth.

Initially it was a very heavy and shameful tax for the Christians of the empire. After all, these boys, as their parents knew, in the future became terrible enemies of the Christian world. Well-trained and fanatical warriors who were of Christian and Slavic origin (mostly). It is worth noting that the “slaves of the Sultan” had nothing in common with ordinary slaves. These were not slaves in chains who did hard and dirty work. Janissaries could reach the highest positions in the empire in the administration, military or police formations. At a later time, by the end of the 17th century, the Janissary corps was already formed primarily on the hereditary, class principle. And rich Turkish families paid a lot of money to have their children accepted into the corps, since there they could get a good education and make a career.

Children, forcibly torn away from their parents' home, spent several years in Turkish families to force them to forget their home, family, homeland, and to learn the basics of Islam. Then the young man entered the institute for “inexperienced boys” and here he developed physically and was educated spiritually. They served there for 7-8 years. It was kind of a mixture cadet corps, military “training”, construction battalion and religious school. Devotion to Islam and the Sultan was the goal of this education. The Sultan's future warriors studied theology, calligraphy, law, literature, languages, various sciences and, of course, military affairs. In their free time from school, students were used to construction work- mainly on the construction and repair of numerous fortresses and fortifications. The Janissary did not have the right to marry (marriage was prohibited until 1566), was obliged to live in the barracks, silently carry out all the orders of his elder, and if a disciplinary sanction was imposed on him, he had to, as a sign of submission, kiss the hand of the one who imposed the punishment.

The devshirme system arose after the formation of the Janissary corps itself. Its development slowed down during the turmoil that followed Tamerlane's invasion. In 1402, at the Battle of Ankara, the Janissaries and other units of the Sultan were almost completely destroyed. Murad II revived the devshirme system in 1438. Mehmed II the Conqueror increased the number of Janissaries and increased their salaries. The Janissaries became the core of the Ottoman army. In later times, many families themselves began to send their children so that they could receive a good education and make a career.

The main weapon of the Janissaries for a long time was the bow, in the use of which they achieved great perfection. The Janissaries were foot archers and excellent marksmen. In addition to the bow, they were armed with sabers and scimitars, and other bladed weapons. Later, the Janissaries were armed with firearms. As a result, the Janissaries were at first light infantry, with almost no heavy weapons or armor. With a serious enemy, they preferred to conduct a defensive battle in a fortified position, protected by a ditch and light obstacles placed in a circle with baggage carts (“camp”). At the same time, in initial period they differed in development high discipline, organization and fighting spirit. In a strong position, the Janissaries were ready to confront the most serious enemy. Chalkondylos, a Greek historian of the early 15th century, being a direct witness to the actions of the Janissaries, attributed the successes of the Turks to their strict discipline, excellent supplies, and concern for maintaining communication routes. He noted the good organization of the camps and auxiliary services, as well as a large number of pack animals.

The Janissaries had much in common with other military classes, in particular with the Cossacks. What they had in common was the active defense of their civilization and homeland. Moreover, these classes had a certain mystical orientation. For the Janissaries, this was a connection with the Sufi order of dervishes. Both the Cossacks and the Janissaries had their main “family” as their military brothers-in-arms. Like the Cossacks in kurens and villages, the Janissaries all lived together in large monastery barracks. The Janissaries ate from the same cauldron. The latter was revered by them as a shrine and symbol of their military unit. Among the Cossacks, cauldrons stood in the place of honor and were always polished to a shine. They also played the role of a symbol of military unity. Initially, the Cossacks and Janissaries had a similar attitude towards women. Warriors, as in the monastic orders of the West, did not have the right to marry. The Cossacks, as you know, did not allow women into the Sich.

Militarily, the Cossacks and Janissaries were a light, mobile part of the army. They tried to take by maneuver and surprise. In defense, both of them successfully used a ring defensive formation of baggage carts - a “camp”, dug ditches, built palisades, and obstacles from stakes. Cossacks and Janissaries preferred bows, sabers, and knives.

An essential feature of the Janissaries was their attitude to power. For the Janissaries, the Sultan was the undisputed leader, the father. During the creation of the Romanov Empire, the Cossacks often proceeded from their corporate interests and from time to time fought against central government. At the same time, their performances were very serious. The Cossacks opposed the center both during the Time of Troubles and during the time of Peter I. The last major action took place during the time of Catherine the Great. The Cossacks maintained their internal autonomy for a long time. Only in the later period did they become unconditional servants of the “Tsar-Father”, including in suppressing the actions of other classes.

Among the Janissaries, evolution went in a different direction. If initially they were the most devoted servants of the Sultan, then in the later period they realized that “their shirt is closer to the body” and after that it was no longer the rulers who told the Janissaries what to do, but vice versa. They began to resemble the Roman Praetorian guards and shared their fate. Thus, Constantine the Great completely destroyed the Praetorian Guard, and destroyed the Praetorian camp as “a constant nest of rebellion and debauchery.” The Janissary elite turned into a caste of “chosen ones”, which began to remove the sultans at will. The Janissaries turned into a powerful military-political force, a threat to the throne and eternal and indispensable participants palace coups. In addition, the Janissaries lost their military significance. They began to engage in trade and craft, forgetting about military affairs. The previously powerful corps of Janissaries lost real combat effectiveness, becoming a weakly controlled, but heavily armed gathering that threatened the supreme power and defended only its corporate interests.

Therefore, in 1826 the building was destroyed. Sultan Mahmud II began military reform, transforming the army along European lines. In response, the capital's Janissaries rebelled. The uprising was suppressed, the barracks were destroyed by artillery. The instigators of the riot were executed, their property was confiscated by the Sultan, and the young Janissaries were expelled or arrested, some of them entered the new army. The Sufi order, the ideological core of the Janissary organization, was also dissolved, and many of its followers were executed or expelled. The surviving Janissaries took up crafts and trade.

It is interesting that the Janissaries and Cossacks even looked alike. Apparently, this was the common heritage of the military classes of the leading peoples of Eurasia (Indo-European-Aryans and Turks). In addition, we should not forget that the Janissaries were initially also predominantly Slavs, albeit from the Balkans. The Janissaries, unlike the ethnic Turks, shaved their beards and grew long mustaches, like the Cossacks. Janissaries and Cossacks wore trousers similar to the Janissary “burke” and a traditional Zaporozhye hat with a shlyk. The Janissaries, like the Cossacks, have the same symbols of power - horsetails and maces.

In the notes of historians describing the Ottoman Empire, the “army within the army” is often mentioned - special troops subordinate directly to the Sultan. Who the Janissaries were and how this type of army was formed can be found out in this article.

Excursion into history

The Janissaries have been known since the mid-14th century, when units of the Turkish elite infantry were organized by the authority of Sultan Murad I. The meaning of the word “janissaries” is “new army” (translated from Turkish). At first, their ranks were formed from captured Christian teenagers and young men. Despite the strict and sometimes fanatical Turkish upbringing, future soldiers were given Christian names. Janissaries were raised separately from other children, instilling fighting skills and fanatical loyalty to the Sultan. In the 16th century, young men of Turkish origin could also become Janissaries. The strongest, most resilient and dexterous teenagers from 8 to 12 years old were selected from the applicants.

The chosen ones lived in barracks, their training took place in particularly harsh conditions. The fighters were divided into companies, ate from a common cauldron and were called friends of the Dervish Order. They were forbidden to marry; their family was their own company (orta), the symbol of which was the cauldron.

The famous 19th century historian T.N. said best about who the Janissaries were. Granovsky. His works mention that the Turkish Sultan had the most effective infantry in the world, but its composition was rather strange: “The Janissaries won all the great battles, at Varna, at Kosovo...” It was thanks to their courage and valor that Constantinople was taken. Thus, the Turkish ruler conquered new territories and strengthened his power thanks to warriors who had Christian origins.

The best of the best

The Janissaries were granted a number of privileges. Starting from the 16th century, they had the right to start a family and engage in various crafts and trade in non-war times. Particularly distinguished warriors were awarded personally by the Sultan. Gifts included jewelry, weapons, and generous salaries. The commanders of the Janissary companies occupied the highest military and civilian positions in the Turkish Empire for many years. Ojak garrisons of the Janissaries were located not only in Istanbul, but also in all major cities Turkish state. By the middle of the 16th century, the Janissaries stopped accepting strangers into their ranks. Their title is inherited. And the Janissary Guard becomes a closed socio-political caste. This internal, fairly independent force participated in political intrigues, raised and overthrew sultans and played a huge role in domestic policy countries.

Janissary uniform

Who the Janissaries are and what their place is among other types of Turkish troops is evidenced by their high hats, decorated on the front with a large copper plaque - keche. Wooden sticks were sewn onto the sides of such a hat, which gave it a stable position. Behind this headdress hung a long cloth sword that reached the fighter’s belt. The long shlyk symbolized the sleeve of the main dervish, under whose blessing the Janissaries were. The color of the hat corresponded to the color of the caftan (zhupan) that the warrior wore.

The Janissary's outerwear consisted of a long, warm cloak called a kerei. At first there was no set color for the kerei, but by the beginning of the 18th century the Janissary cloak was in most cases red. Under the kerei a cloth caftan was worn, usually white, with long wide sleeves. The zhupan had long slits on the sides, allowing the janissary to move freely in battle. And at the bottom this piece of clothing was embroidered with cords that were the same color as the kerei. The caftan was decorated with a saber sling and a wide leather belt.

There were also trousers to match the color of the keri - long and wide. Usually they covered the upper part of the boot up to half.

Military bands

Banners had their own orchestras and their own music. Such orchestras were called Janissary chapels. The main difference between this chapel was the drum - twice as large as in the orchestras of other infantry regiments. The chapel consisted of six or more musicians, otherwise called surmachs. Contemporaries described Janissary music as "barbaric" and "terrible".

End of the Janissaries

The Belarusian Janissaries ceased to exist after the defeat of Stanislav Radziwill. After a series of military failures, he retreated abroad. And his personal army was disbanded, and the Janissary detachment was also demobilized.

A more tragic fate awaited their Turkish brethren. In the Ottoman Empire, everyone knew who the Janissaries were. Unlike the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, these warriors did not belong to the Sultan’s personal guard, but existed as a closed military caste until 1826. Then Turkish Sultan Mahmud II issued an order to destroy the Janissaries. Since the chances of defeating experienced warriors in open battle were negligible, the Sultan resorted to cunning. More than 30 thousand people were lured into a trap at the Hippodrome and shot from cannons with grapeshot. Thus ended the era of the Janissaries, and their military art became a thing of the past.

Expansion of the foreign policy expansion of the young Ottoman state at the beginning of the 14th century. gave rise to the need to create regular and disciplined infantry both for the siege of Christian fortresses and for large-scale aggression in Europe. However, the Turks, with their traditions of nomadic life and unorganized mounted combat, preferred to fight as part of light cavalry (akinci). After unsuccessful attempts to create unified infantry units from the sons of Ottoman horsemen and from Muslim mercenaries, Sultan Orhan (1326-1359) organized in 1330 a detachment of infantry from captured Christians who voluntarily or forcedly converted to Islam (1000 people). In an effort to make it a striking force in wars against the “infidels,” the Sultan immediately tried to give it a religious character by connecting it with the Bektashie dervish order; perhaps he was guided by the model of a Christian military monastic order. According to legend, the head of the order, Khachi Bektash, at the inauguration ceremony of the detachment, tore off the sleeve from his white robe, placed it on the head of one of the warriors (and so that part of it hung on the back of his head), called him “Janissary” (“new warrior”) and gave your blessing. From that time on, the Janissary corps was formally considered part of Bektashie, and Khachi Bektash was its patron saint; members of the order served as military chaplains; The Janissaries' headdress was a hat with a piece of fabric attached to the back.

In the middle of the 14th century. the need to increase the new army encountered two obstacles: the lack of captured Christian soldiers and their unreliability. This prompted Sultan Murad I (13591389) in 1362 to change the method of recruitment: from now on, the corps was recruited from children of the Christian faith captured during campaigns in the Balkans, who underwent special military training. By the beginning of the 16th century. this practice turned into a compulsory duty imposed on the Christian population of the Balkan provinces, primarily Albania, Greece and Hungary: every fifth/seventh year (in the later period even more often) special officials selected 1/5 of all boys between the ages of seven and fourteen (the so-called “sultan’s share”) to serve in the Janissary corps.

This system, which soon became the basis for major abuses, caused overt and covert resistance on the part of the conquered Christian peoples: from uprisings and flight outside the Ottoman Empire to various tricks when parents exploited loopholes in the legislation, in particular the ban on taking married people who had converted to Islam (married boys even in infancy, converted them to the Muslim faith). The Turkish authorities brutally suppressed attempts at outrage and reduced the number of legal means of evasion. At the same time, some poor parents willingly gave their children to the Janissaries, thereby wanting to give them the opportunity to escape poverty and rid the family of extra mouths to feed.

Schweizer G. Die Janitscharen: gemeine Macht des Türkenreiches. Salzburg, 1979
Goodwin G. The Janissaries. London, 1997
Sergeev V.I. Janissaries: Sword of Islam: The Art of War early XIX V. ad. Rostov-on-Don, 2000

Expansion of the foreign policy expansion of the young Ottoman state at the beginning of the 14th century. gave rise to the need to create regular and disciplined infantry both for the siege of Christian fortresses and for large-scale aggression in Europe. However, the Turks, with their traditions of nomadic life and unorganized mounted combat, preferred to fight as part of light cavalry (akinci). After unsuccessful attempts to create unified infantry units from the sons of Ottoman horsemen and from Muslim mercenaries, Sultan Orhan (1326–1359) organized in 1330 a detachment of infantrymen from captured Christians who voluntarily or forcedly converted to Islam (1000 people). In an effort to make it a striking force in wars against the “infidels,” the Sultan immediately tried to give it a religious character by connecting it with the Bektashie dervish order; perhaps he was guided by the model of a Christian military monastic order. According to legend, the head of the order, Khachi Bektash, at the inauguration ceremony of the detachment, tore off the sleeve from his white robe, placed it on the head of one of the warriors (and so that part of it hung on the back of his head), called him “Janissary” (“new warrior”) and gave your blessing. From that time on, the Janissary corps was formally considered part of Bektashie, and Khaci Bektash was its patron saint; members of the order served as military chaplains; The Janissaries' headdress was a hat with a piece of fabric attached to the back.

In the middle of the 14th century. the need to increase the new army encountered two obstacles - the lack of captured Christian soldiers and their unreliability. This prompted Sultan Murad I (1359–1389) to change the method of recruitment in 1362: from now on, the corps was recruited from children of the Christian faith captured during campaigns in the Balkans, who underwent special military training. By the beginning of the 16th century. this practice turned into a compulsory duty imposed on the Christian population of the Balkan provinces, primarily Albania, Greece and Hungary: every fifth/seventh year (in the later period even more often) special officials selected 1/5 of all boys between the ages of seven and fourteen (the so-called “sultan’s share”) to serve in the Janissary corps.

Preparation of the Janissaries.

All selected boys were sent to Istanbul (Constantinople), circumcised and converted to Islam. Then the “bride” took place in the presence of the Sultan. The most capable and physically strong were enrolled in the school of pages, which was a forge of personnel for the palace services, state administration and cavalry troops. Most of the children were allocated for the Janissary corps. At the first stage, they were sent to be raised by the families of Turkish peasants and artisans (mainly in Asia Minor), who paid a small fee for them; there they mastered the Turkish language and Muslim customs, became accustomed to different types hard physical labor and got used to enduring hardships. A few years later they were returned to Istanbul and enrolled in the Acemi Oglan (“inexperienced youths”), a preparatory detachment of the Janissary Corps. This stage of training lasted seven years and consisted of military training and hard work. physical work for government needs; The achemi oglan lived in barracks in units of twenty to thirty people, were subject to strict discipline and received a small allowance. They did not leave Istanbul and did not participate in hostilities. Islamic fanaticism, absolute devotion to the Sultan, blind obedience to commanders were brought up in them; any manifestations of freedom and individuality were severely punished. They gave an outlet for their energy during religious holidays when they committed violence against Istanbul Christians and Jews; their commanders turned a blind eye to these excesses. Upon reaching twenty-five years of age, the most physically strong Acemi Oglan, who had proven their ability to handle weapons perfectly, became Janissaries; the rest – chikme (“rejected”) – were sent to auxiliary public services.

The structure and life of the Janissary army.

The Janissary corps was called ochak (“hearth”). It was divided into tactical formations - orts (also “hearth”); in the era of Suleiman II (1520–1566) there were 165 of them, then this number increased to 196. The number of members of the orta was not constant. In peacetime it varied from 100 in the capital to 200–300 warriors in the provinces; during the war it increased to 500. Each orta was divided into small squads 10–25 people each. The Orts were united into three large groups: the Boluk, combat units stationed in Istanbul and border fortresses (62 Orts); sebgan, dog trainers and hunters (33); Chemaat, auxiliary compounds (101).

The principles of life of the Janissaries were established by the law (Kanun) of Murad I: they were ordered to unquestioningly obey their superiors, avoid everything that is not appropriate for a warrior (luxury, voluptuousness, craft, etc.), not marry, live in barracks, observe religious norms; they were subject only to their commanders and had the privilege of being subjected to especially honorable treatment death penalty(suffocation); promotions were carried out strictly according to the principle of seniority; veterans leaving the corps were provided with a state pension. Each orta was a kind of large family, a close-knit group of men united common cause and general way of life.

The head of the entire corps, yeah, was superior in rank to the commanders of other branches of the military (cavalry, navy) and civilian dignitaries and was a member of the divan ( state council). He had absolute power over the Janissaries. Aga, like the rest of the officers, came from simple Janissaries and rose through the ranks thanks to the principle of seniority, and not by the favor of the Sultan, and was therefore relatively independent of the supreme power. Selim I (1512–1520) abolished this independence and began to appoint an aga of his own choosing, which caused strong opposition from the Janissaries: they began to perceive the aga as an outsider, and during their revolts he was often the first victim. At the end of the 16th century. the authorities had to restore the old procedure for electing the aga.

The Janissary Corps was famous effective organization power systems. She pursued the goal of constantly keeping the soldiers in good physical and mental shape; its main principles are sufficiency and moderation. Fasts were observed even during the war. They strictly monitored the equality of soldiers' rations. The military insignia of the corps was the sacred cauldron. Each orta had a large bronze cauldron (cauldron) for cooking meat; Each detachment had its own small cauldron. During the campaign, the cauldron was carried in front of the orta; in the camp it was placed in front of the tents; losing a cauldron, especially on the battlefield, was considered the greatest disgrace for the Janissaries - in this case, all officers were expelled from the orta, and ordinary soldiers were forbidden to participate in official ceremonies. In peacetime, every Friday the orts stationed in the capital went with cauldrons to the Sultan's palace, where they received food pilaf (rice and lamb). If the Orta refused to accept the pilaf, overturned the cauldron and gathered around it at the Hippodrome, this meant refusal to obey the authorities and the beginning of a rebellion. Kazan was also considered a holy place and refuge: by hiding under it, the culprit could save his life.

Nutrition control was main function middle and lower level officers. This was reflected in most of the titles of officer positions in the Orta. At its head was a korbachi bashi (“distributor of stew”); important role played by ashchi bashi (“chief cook”), who simultaneously served as quartermaster of the orta and executioner. Junior officers bore the titles of “chief water bearer”, “camel guide”, etc.

The state partially provided the Janissaries with food, clothing and cash. In addition to the Friday kalaf, they were regularly given bread and lamb; the rest was purchased at the expense of the soldiers themselves by the chief cook of the Orta. The authorities provided material for uniforms for 12 thousand soldiers, and during the war they gave weapons to those who did not already have them. Cash salaries were paid only after three years of service in the army; it varied depending on length of service and rank. It was received once a quarter upon presentation of special tickets, and the Janissaries left 12% of the amount in the military treasury. This treasury, also replenished from fees for students and the property of deceased Janissaries, was a reserve fund spent on improving the living conditions of soldiers, food and clothing, assistance to the sick and recruits, and ransoming prisoners. Delays in the payment of salaries and attempts by the authorities to resort to the practice of damaging coins often caused Janissary uprisings.

The Janissary uniform consisted of a long dress (dolarma), a headdress with a wooden spoon fastened to the front, trousers and knee pads. During the campaign and in battle, the floors of the dolarma were gathered into folds on the sides and secured with a belt.

In peacetime, no general military training was conducted; Each Janissary practiced with his weapon independently. No particular order was maintained on the march; however, at the moment of battle, each soldier quickly took his place in the ranks. Strict discipline reigned in the barracks; Absolute cleanliness was maintained in them; women were not allowed there. Discipline was ensured by a system of punishments: from corporal and solitary confinement to dismissal, exile to a border fortress, life imprisonment and the death penalty. Desertion and cowardice on the battlefield were considered the most serious offenses. Gradually the idea became established that a Janissary could not be executed; therefore, the culprit was first expelled from the corps and only then deprived of life.

The evolution of the Janissary corps.

From the very beginning, the Janissaries were the striking force of the Ottoman conquests. It was to them that the empire owed its greatest military successes in the 14th–16th centuries. The number and share of the Janissaries in the Turkish army was constantly increasing. Under Suleiman II, there were already 40 thousand of them. They acquired a number of privileges (exemption from secular and ecclesiastical jurisdiction and from paying taxes, jurisdiction only to their commanders, the right of refuge in barracks, etc.); their connection with the supreme power strengthened - starting from Suleiman II, the Sultan was traditionally included in the Janissary lists and received a veteran's salary. The corps could go on a campaign only under the command of the Sultan himself. From the middle of the 15th century. The Janissaries began to turn into a serious political force. Their first uprising occurred in 1449 and was caused by demands for increased salaries. In 1451, Muhammad II (1451–1481), who ascended the throne, trying to ensure the loyalty of the Janissaries, gave them a monetary gift, which became the custom of giving them gifts with each new accession: the size of this gift constantly increased; In the hope of receiving it, the Janissaries readily supported any change of power. This tradition was abolished only in 1774 by Abdul Hamid I. There was also a custom of giving gifts to each Janissary on the occasion of the first campaign of the new Sultan. Significant sums were paid to them before the battles.

In the second half of the 16th century. due to the decline of the mounted militia, the corps became the largest unit of the Turkish army; its number reached 90 thousand by the end of the century. At the beginning of the 17th century. the Janissaries also became the leading political force of the Ottoman Empire, the main source of rebellions and conspiracies; in fact, arrogating to himself the right to depose and enthrone sultans. Osman II's (1618–1622) attempt in 1622 to reform the corps cost him his life. In 1623, the Janissaries overthrew Mustafa I (1617–1618, 1622–1623), in 1648 Ibrahim (1640–1648), in 1703 Mustafa II (1695–1703), in 1730 Ahmed III (1703–1730), in 1807 Selim III ( 1789–1807); even more often, their victims were the highest dignitaries of the state.

In parallel with the growth political influence The Janissary Corps experienced its military degradation. From a well-trained, disciplined and cohesive unit, it became a privileged caste of praetorians who did not possess the fighting spirit and fighting qualities of earlier days. The reason for this was the departure, starting from the 16th century, from the original principles of its acquisition and functioning. Even in the early period, many Turks were dissatisfied with the fact that elite troops and state administration were recruited from among the conquered Christian population: some Turkish parents agreed with Christians to pass off their children as their own during recruitment. Under Suleiman II, Turks began to be openly accepted into the Acemi Oglan and even directly into the army. A significant portion of these recruits were not prepared for the hardships of service; many died during the training period. Those enrolled in the ranks of the Janissaries under patronage or for a bribe, as a rule, did not show much courage on the battlefield. The old Janissaries refused to serve with them; Bloody clashes often occurred between these two groups. By the end of the 17th century. The Turks already made up the majority of the Janissary army. Their number especially increased after the abolition of the child tax on Christians in 1638 and the previous recruitment system.

The increase in the Turkish component led to the abandonment of one of the most important principles of Janissary life - celibacy. In the early period, permission to marry was given by the Agha only in exceptional cases, primarily to old and distinguished veterans. But in 1566, Selim II (1566–1574), upon ascending the throne, was forced to grant this right to all Janissaries. As a result, the practice of living together in the barracks came to naught: first, married Janissaries were allowed to live in their own houses, and then unmarried ones refused to remain in the barracks and submit to strict discipline. The problem of providing for Janissary families soon arose; since the soldiers' salary was not enough for this, the state took over the care of their children. The sons of the Janissaries were given the right to receive a grain ration from the moment of birth, and later they began to be enrolled in the ort in infancy with corresponding benefits. As a result, the corps turned into a hereditary institute.

It gradually lost its purely military character. In the 17th century. In connection with the growth in the number of Janissaries, their functions expanded: in addition to participating in hostilities and combat training, they were increasingly attracted to perform various non-military duties (police service, street cleaning, fire fighting, etc.). In the 17th and especially in the 18th centuries. The Janissaries began to be actively involved in craft activities and trade. The sultans supported this trend, hoping to distract them from politics. The Janissaries monopolized a number of craft sectors. In Istanbul, they completely controlled the production and sale of fruits, vegetables and coffee, and a significant part of the foreign trade. The tax and judicial privileges of the Janissaries were an attractive point for representatives of various social classes. The practice of formal membership in the Janissary army spread: anyone, for a bribe to Janissary officers, could enroll in the Orta and receive tax benefits. On the other hand, many criminal elements penetrated its composition. Bribery and embezzlement flourished in the army. During military campaigns, the Janissaries often refused to fight, preferring to engage in robbery and extortion.

Liquidation of the Janissary army.

The decay of the corps was the cause of a series of military defeats for the Ottoman Empire, starting from the end of the 17th century. Attempts by the sultans (Mahmud I, Selim III) to reform it or create parallel military formations of a new, European type encountered sharp opposition from the Janissaries, who were supported by the Muslim clergy, dervishes from the Bektashie order, ulema (teachers of the law), as well as the lower classes of Turkish society. Only Mahmud II (1808–1839), who managed to provoke a split between the Janissaries and religious circles, was able to carry out military reform. On May 28, 1826, he issued a decree on the creation of regular army formations from part of the Janissary corps. In response, on June 15, the Janissaries launched an uprising, which was brutally suppressed. The corps was abolished, the barracks were destroyed, the sacred cauldrons were destroyed, the very name of the Janissaries was consigned to eternal damnation.

Ivan Krivushin