What are janissaries?
1 Answer
Ottoman elite soldiers, in short.
Explanation:
The janissaries were trained from a very young age to fight for the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. These soldiers were normally Christian converts to Islam. (The Ottoman Empire was primarily Muslim, so any Christians living in it would either be penalized for their religion or forced to convert).
From the time of their first use in the 1300s, the janissaries were a tough fighting force. They originally fought with bow and arrow, and later adopted gunpowder equipment when it became widespread. They also carried a sword as a sidearm, should combat become hand-to-hand. The rules they had to follow were strict, even worse than the rest of the army (for example, they originally could not marry nor have sexual relationships, though this was relaxed later on).
What is quite unique about these particular troops was their political influence. They routinely set up and executed coups, giving them substantial power (relative to other groups like normal soldiers). However, in time they became too powerful. When more advanced European weaponry was introduced and utilized in the 1800s, the janissaries revolted and refused to follow the Sultan's orders. Perhaps they believed that, through their government influence, they could get away with resisting the change. They couldn't. In 1826, Sultan Mahmud II stamped out the resistance in the janissary corps, bringing their reign to an end.
Janissaries in the 1600s - note the headwear and colorful uniforms.
