Janissaries

E18858

The Janissaries were an elite infantry corps of the Ottoman Empire, originally composed of enslaved Christian youths, that became one of the most powerful military and political institutions in the empire.

Observed surface forms (5)


Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Ottoman institution
elite infantry corps
military unit
allegiance Ottoman sultan
commandTitle Janissary Agha
country Ottoman Empire
culturalAssociation Ottoman military music (mehter)
dissolutionDate 15 June 1826
dissolutionEvent Auspicious Incident
dissolvedBy Mahmud II
endTime 1826
equipment firearms in later period
melee weapons in early period
ethnicComposition primarily Christian-born youths in early period
etymology from Ottoman Turkish meaning "new troops"
garrison Istanbul
headquarters Janissary barracks in Istanbul
historicalReputation conservative force resisting military reforms in later period
elite shock troops in early centuries
inception c. 1363
languageName Turkish language
surface form: Turkish: Yeniçeri
languageOfCommand Ottoman Turkish
legacy model for later standing armies in Europe
militaryBranch infantry
notableBattle Battle of Chaldiran
Battle of Lepanto
Battle of Mohács (1526)
Fall of Constantinople 1453 AD
surface form: Fall of Constantinople

Siege of Vienna (1529)
notableCommander Aga of the Janissaries
organizationalStructure divided into ortas (companies)
partOf Ottoman Army
surface form: Ottoman army
politicalInfluence ability to depose sultans
involvement in palace coups
privilege pensions
regular salary
special legal status
state uniforms
recruitmentChange increasing recruitment of Muslims in later period
recruitmentSystem devshirme
religion Islam after conversion
role palace guards
personal troops of the sultan
political power-brokers in the Ottoman Empire
standing army of the Ottoman Empire
socialStatus slave-soldiers in origin
startTime 14th century
symbol white felt cap with long flap (börk)
training religious education in Islam
strict discipline and military drill

Referenced by (13)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ottoman sultan commanded Janissaries
Sultan commanderOf Janissaries
subject surface form: Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
this entity surface form: Janissary corps
Ottoman Army disbandedUnit Janissaries
Ottoman culture hasEliteGroup Janissaries
this entity surface form: Ottoman land forces
this entity surface form: Ottoman Janissaries
this entity surface form: Ottoman janissaries
Battle of Zenta involvedUnit Janissaries
this entity surface form: Ottoman janissaries
Ottoman Empire militaryUnit Janissaries
Bayezid I militaryUnitUsed Janissaries
Ottoman Army notableUnit Janissaries
this entity surface form: Ottoman infantry