Janissaries

Janissaries

Janissaries were Ottoman infantry divisions that dominated the army. Most janissaries were young Christian boys that lived in land conquered by the Ottomans. The Ottomans then forced them to be janissaries though some parents willing gave their young sons to the Ottomans in hopes that they would be able to better their lives. Janissaries were legally slaves, but were given education and usually converted to Islam. The Janissaries controled the firearms and artillary, so they were extremely important to the sucess of the Ottoman army. They tried to take their strong military work and translate it into a strong political influence. They eventually kept on gaining power, so that by the mid 16th century they had complete control over the sultan. They could get rid of a sultan, and they also were responsible for chosing the next sultan.

Sources http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4261/warriorsyg3.jpg

Unit 5 & 6 Terms

Created by Danielle Fishman on 12/7/08