Who were the Janissaries and what was their purpose?
Who were the Janissaries and what was their purpose?,
Janissary, member of an elite corps in the standing army of the Ottoman Empire from the late 14th century to 1826. Highly respected for their military prowess in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Janissaries became a powerful political force within the Ottoman state. Were the Janissaries Muslims?
Were the Janissaries Muslims?,
Janissaries were recruited from children of Christian subjects of the Ottoman sultans. Later on, also children of Muslims were allowed into their ranks. How were Janissaries different from slaves?
How were Janissaries different from slaves?,
Unlike typical slaves, they were paid regular salaries. Forbidden to marry before the age of 40 or engage in trade, their complete loyalty to the Ottoman sultan was expected. What is Janissary in Turkish?
What is Janissary in Turkish?,
The word Janissary comes from the Turkish word Yeniçeri, which means "new soldier." The Janissary Corps originated in the late 14th century. How were non-Muslims treated by the Ottoman Empire?
How were non-Muslims treated by the Ottoman Empire?,
For the most part, non-Muslims had relatively lower social status than Muslims. They were also subject to special taxes and had other economic restrictions. However, non-Muslims had some autonomy (independence) under the Ottoman millet system. Why did the Ottoman Empire fall?
Why did the Ottoman Empire fall?,
Around this time, Europe had strengthened rapidly with the Renaissance and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Other factors, such as poor leadership and having to compete with trade from the Americas and India, led to the weakening of the empire. In 1683, the Ottoman Turks were defeated at the Battle of Vienna. Were Ottoman Turks Arabs?
Were Ottoman Turks Arabs?,
The Ottoman Empire
The empire was dominated by the Turks but also included Arabs, Kurds, Greeks, Armenians and other ethnic minorities. Officially the Ottoman Empire was an Islamic Caliphate ruled by a Sultan, Mehmed V, although it also contained Christians, Jews and other religious minorities. Were Janissaries allowed to marry?
Were Janissaries allowed to marry?,
Initially, they were not allowed to get married. Later, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, this ban would be abolished by Sultan Selim I. From then on, there would be two kinds of janissaries, married ones and bachelors. Only the latter would continue to live in the rooms (oda) of the barracks. Who ruled the Ottoman Empire at its peak?
Who ruled the Ottoman Empire at its peak?,
Ottoman cultural, political, and economic power reached its zenith under Sultan Süleyman I (reigned 1520–66), his son Selim II (reigned 1566–74), and his grandson Murad III (reigned 1574–95), who all ruled from the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul (fig. How did the Ottomans treat their slaves?
How did the Ottomans treat their slaves?,
While Suraiya Faroqhi's Stories of Ottoman Men and Women (2002) demonstrates that both Black and white slaves were considered property, sometimes shared among spouses, slaves were bought and sold and generally had no control over their lives, or their children's lives. 
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