Imagine if you were taken from home and sent to live with a strange family in a strange land. That’s exactly what happened to some boys, mostly Christians, from the Balkans during the 14th and 15th centuries. Eventually, the strongest of them would become warriors known as Janissaries who served as the sultan’s elite army.

When the Janissary army was first created, only non-Muslim children were taken to serve the sultan. Despite these ugly beginnings, those who became Janissaries were eventually treated much better than other enslaved people in the empire. They were respected and earned a good salary. Believe it or not, some poor Muslim families would even lie about their faith so the sultan would take their children to become Janissaries.

The boys’ first stop was the Anatolian countryside, where they learned the Turkish language, were converted to Islam, and were strengthened through hard work on farms. After a few years, they were promoted to a corps called the acemi oğlan, where they served the sultan in a variety of tasks including gardening, construction, and shipbuilding. While some men stayed in the acemi oğlan their entire lives, those who advanced became Janissaries. They were not allowed to marry or have families of their own.

The Balkans is
a region located in southeastern Europe and includes many different countries such as Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, and parts of Greece.

The earliest Janissaries’ main job was to protect the sultan. Later, they also fought in field battles, where they were known for their unity and discipline. An important part of their discipline was the use of military drumming and music to march and stay in proper formation.

These military bands were adopted all over the world, particularly in Europe. In the 15th century, the Janissary army began to use muskets instead of bows and arrows. The army became one of the two main branches of the military.
As the empire grew, the Janissaries became a symbol of Ottoman power. The need for Janissaries also increased, and standards relaxed to allow more men to join the ranks, marry and have families, and even engage in commerce and business. By the 16th century, free-born Muslims were given the right to become Janissaries too. Eventually, Janissaries became less effective in battle, but the soldiers fought against further changes. The Janissaries feared reform would make them less powerful.

The Sipahi, or the cavalry, was the other main
branch of the military. These soldiers fought
on horseback while the Janissaries were mostly
foot soldiers.

Between 1807 and 1808, the Janissaries overthrew the sultan, who had tried to modernize the Ottoman army to be more like Western European armies. Eighteen years later, a new sultan tried to modernize the army again. This time he knew to be careful. When the troops revolted, the sultan destroyed their barracks with cannon fire. In an event known as the “Auspicious Incident,” thousands of Janissaries were killed, sent away, or imprisoned, and the Janissary army was erased forever, on the battlefield, at least. Today, the Janissaries’ legacy lives on in music, books, and even video games.