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The first Ottoman Janissaries were originally composed of war captives. Soon a more organized system of recruitment was adopted. Christian children from the Empire were forcibly pressed into service. This probably began in the 14th century, but was first recorded in the 15th century. It continued into the 17th century. Christian children were taken from their parents in periodic 'child gatherings' called devsirme. Other translations are 'child levy' or 'blood tax'. There was a political dimension to the devsirme. The Christian children had no loyalties except to the Sultan. Muslim children ofren had loyalties to regional nobility which sometimes opposed the Sultan. The Sultan every 3-5 five years, would send special 'scouts' to seek suitable boys who could be drafted. They chose healthy, strong and handsome boys and youths. The boys selected were called Devshirme ('draftees') or Acemioðlanlar ('freshmen'). We are not positive about the age of the boys. One report suggest that they were 7-20 years old. About 3,000 boys were drafted annually. One account suggests that one boy would be chosen from about 40 Christian families. These selections were limited to specific areas of the Empire, of course areas with Christian populations. The areas chosen were Rumelia or the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, and Serbia). Certain children were excepted from the drafts. Orphans were not acceptable, presumably because the Ottomans wanted boys from 'good' families. They also excepted families with only one child. By this, we believe they meant one boy, but we are not yet positive. Married boys were also excepted, leading some parents to arrange child weddings. Groups not deemed worthy for selection were Jews, Russians, and shepherd's sons. Only Christian families wereb included. All Muslim children were excepted. The children werev taken to Istambul and raised as devout Muslims. Depending on the capabilities of the boys they were assigned to variouis duties, the most notable was Janassary warriors. Especially talented boys could rise to hire rank eventually inckuding Gran Vizirs who at gfirst were all of Turkic origins.
The Ottoman Janissaries were the most highly-trained fighters in Europe and the Middle East during the late-medieval era. There was nothing quite like them since the Roman Empire. At their peak, they tiotaled some 200,000 warriors. They had been selected and groomed from a very young age to become warriors and carry out the ordrs of he Sultan. They became his most loyal defenders and fierce warriors.
The first Ottoman Janissaries were originally composed of war captives. Soon a more organized system of recruitment was adopted. Christian children from the Empire were forcibly pressed into service. T
The Ottoman mpire was founded by Osman. One of his early successors was Sultan Murad I (r 1362-89). During his reign the devsirme system was adopted was demanded on the Christian famolies in the territories conquered by the Empire. We note onkly limited references (14th centufry), but more accounts (15th century). The system continued into the 17th century.
Christian children were taken from their parents in periodic 'child gatherings' called devsirm. Other translations are 'child levy' or 'blood tax'. It was called a tax. Ottoman authorities took Christian boys from their parents to work as slaves. This is misleading. Legally they were slaves to the sultan, but they wre very well compensated. Quite a few became wealthy meaning gthat selections usually increased their life prospects. Most Christian families resented this imposition and losing their sons. Really poor families might actually want their sons be recruited because of the financial prospects. The Sultan every 3-5 five years, would send special 'scouts' to seek suitable boys who could be drafted. They chose healthy, strong and handsome boys and youths. The boys selected were called Devshirme ('draftees') or Acemioðlanlar ('freshmen'). Muslims were not permitted in the system with very few exceptions). Five these opportunities offered, some Muslim families attempted to enter their sons in the system. 【Savory】 Paintings from Chistian artists show heart-renmching scenes of the boys being torn away from their families, paingings dine in the 19th centutry, not at the actual time. We have found a Ottoman minture showing a much more orderly process (1588). We see an Ottoman official and his assistant registering Christian boys for the devshirme. The boys all look very young and are dressed in red. The official collects a tax to pay for the boys new red outfits and the cost of transporting them to Istambul. The assistant records their village, district and province, parentage, date of birth and physical appearance.
There was a political dimension to the devsirme. The Christian children had no loyalties except to the Sultan. Muslim children often had loyalties to regional nobility which sometimes opposed the Sultan. It was a way the Sultan could counterbalance the Turkish nobility. Traditionally the Grand Vuizirs were exclusivly of Turkic origins. The Sultans began to reconsider this, beginning with Sultan Mehmed II who had difficulties with his Turkish grand vizier Çandarli Halil Pasha the Younger. In the Ottoman system, itb wasnot a good idea to have difficulties with the Sultan. Çandarli Halil would be the first Ottoman grand vizier to be executed. This led to Sultans turning to a group that had no ties to the Ottoman nobility. The devshirme had a legal status of slaves although in actuality they had considerablev sdtatus. They were entirely tied to the sulatans. As a result they were comparituvely easy for the sulatans to control because they had no powerbase beyond the sultan. 【Selcuk, p. 67.】
We are not positive about the age of the boys. One report suggest that they were 7/8-20 years old. We think this is accyrate as we note 7/8-20 years in several sources. We do not know the relative prevaklence of the various ages, butgiven the educatiinal eklement once the boys arrive in Istmbul, suspect the younger ages were more important. Given that the boys were expected to cut all gtues with theuir family and frinds, recruitnent at a young age wioukd seem the most suitablke to achieve the results desired.
About 3,000 boys were drafted annually. One account suggests that one boy would be chosen from about 40 Christian families.
These selections were limited to specific areas of the Empire, of course areas with Christian populations. The areas chosen were Rumelia or the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, and Serbia).
Certain children were excepted from the drafts. Orphans were not acceptable, presumably because the Ottomans wanted boys from 'good' families. They also excepted families with only one child. By this, we believe they meant one boy, but we are not yet positive. Married boys were also excepted, leading some parents to arrange child weddings. Groups not deemed worthy for selection were Jews, Russians, and shepherd's sons. Only Christian families wereb included. All Muslim children were excepted.
The children werev taken to Istambul. There they were circumcised, converted to Islam, assimilated including learning Turkish, and received a thorough educastion and training. The training included prerparatio to serve in the Janissary military corps or vasrious palace duties. 【Clarence-Smith, p. 37.】 The devshirme were usually not sold, but there were occasssions that a few became slaves in private households.[17] They had to cut conndections with their families and communities.
Depending on the capabilities of the boys they were assigned to variouis duties, the most notable was Janassary warriors. Especially talented boys could rise to high rank eventually including Gran Vizirs who at first were all of Turkic origins. The devshirme could also aspire to other prstigious posts such as provincial governors, military commanders, and divans. This was nost common in the 15-17th centuries. 【Cleveland and Bunt, p. 115.】
This lead to a strange practice that developed in a few Asian empires. Some of the youngr devshirme upon arriving in Istambul were castrated to make them eunuchs. Many were assigned to protect the Sultan';s harem. Here there were many blacks arriving as part of the Arab African slave trade. The blacks were almost always castrated in Africa before entering Ottoman jurisdiction. The devshirme boys in contrast so chosen might be castrated in the palace. 【Duindam, p. 196.】 While the eunuchs were primarily designed for the harems, some the devshirme eunuchs, but not the black eunchs, managed to rise to important posts in both the the military and the government. Most motably this incuded grand viziers (Hadim Ali Pasha, Sinan Borovinic, and Hadim Hasan Pasha).
Clarence-Smith, W. Islam and the Abolition of Slavery (Hurst: 2020).
Cleveland, William L. and Martin Bunt. A History of the Modern Middle East (2010)
Duindam, Jeroen [in Dutch] (2016). Dynasties A Global History of Power, 1300–1800 [Dutch language] (Cambridge University Press: 2016).
Savory, R.M., ed. (1976). Introduction ṭo Islamic Civilization. ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres, 1976).
Selcuk, Aksin Somel. The A to Z of the Ottoman Empire (Scarecrow Press: 2010).
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