Janissary Officer with Pipe XVII C

The actual term Janissary in Ottoman Turkish means ‘new soldier’. Reforms of tactics and equipment created infantry units which formed the Ottoman Sultan’s household troops, bodyguards and some elite units. The force was originally created by Sultan Murad 1s from Christian boys who were impressed into Turkish service from conquered lands beginning in the 14th Century and only ceased to be a force in Ottoman politics with the abolishment of the Janissaries in 1825. More than merely being ‘impressed’ into service the Janasary became a form of slave. Not an ordinary one, but a ‘door servant’ or guard for the ways to reach palaces and the Ottoman royalty. Discipline was fierce and the training strict yet they were paid salaries and eventually formed their own social class. This class finally pushed the original Ottoman nobility out of the military, and acquired a major portion of the ruling power of the Empire. As the Janassary was also educated he could aspire to rise to the position of Grand Vizier the Sultan’s chief minister and military deputy.
 The Janassaries were organized into battalion sized units called Ortas. The entire Janassary Corps, the backbone of the entire Ottoman Army was roughly organized into four sub parts: the Cemaat, or frontier troops, the Beyliks, or Sultan’s Bodyguard, the Sekban and the Ajemi or Cadets in training. This entire corps veried greatly in strength over its nearly 300 year existence. The uniforms also varied by locality, type of troop, and of course, the era.

Our Janissary officer, in his resplendent off duty robes, takes a moment deep in his thoughts with his piple like Sherlock Holmes solving a mystery.