JANISSARIES, an organized military force constituting, until 1826, the standing army of the Ottoman empire. The word is a corruption of the Turkish yeni chgiri, new troops. At first Turkey possessed no standing army. It was under Orkhan that a regular paid army was first organized ; but the result was un satisfactory, as the Turcomans, from whom these troops were recruited, were unaccustomed to fight on foot or to submit to military discipline. Accordingly, in 133o, on the advice of Chen derili Kara Khalil, the system was adopted, whereby a certain number of Christian youths (at first i,000) were every year taken from their parents and, after undergoing a period of ap prenticeship, were enrolled as yeni cheri or new troops. The ven erable saint Haji Bektash, founder of the Bektashi dervishes, blessed the corps and promised them victory; he remained ever after the patron saint of the janissaries.
At first the corps was exclusively recruited by the forced levy of Christian children, for which purpose the officer known as tournaji-bashi, or head-keeper of the cranes, made periodical tours in the provinces. The fixed organization of the corps dates only from Mohammed II., and its regulations were subsequently modi fied by Suleiman I. In early days all Christians were enrolled in discriminately; later those from Albania, Bosnia and Bulgaria were preferred. The recruits, while serving their apprenticeship, were instructed in the principles of the faith. Until the accession of Murad III. (1574) the total effective of the janissaries, includ ing the ajaini or apprentices, did not exceed 20.000. In 1582 irregularities in the mode of admission to the ranks began. Soon parents themselves begged to have their children enrolled, so great were the privileges attaching to the corps; later the privilege of enlistment was restricted to the children or relatives of former janissaries; eventually the regulations were much relaxed, and any person was admitted, only negroes being excluded. In 1591 the whole corps (ojak) of janissaries numbered 48,688 men. Un der Ibrahim (164o-48) they were reduced to 17,000, but from this time they continually increased until at the time of their de struction in 1826 they numbered 135,000. It would perhaps be more correct to say that these are the numbers figuring on the pay-sheets. In time of peace the janissary received no pay. In time of war the commander (aga) of the janissaries and several of his subordinates received a percentage of the pay and allow ance of the troops; they also inherited the property of deceased janissaries. Moreover, the officers profited largely by retaining the names of dead or fictitious janissaries on the pay-rolls. Rations of mutton, bread and candles were furnished by the Government, the supply of rice, butter and vegetables being at the charge of the commandant. The rations would have been entirely inadequate if the janissaries had not been al lowed, contrary to the regulations, to pursue different callings, such as those of baker, butcher, boatman, etc. At first the janis saries bore no distinctive mark save the white felt cap. Soon the red cap with gold embroidery was substituted. Later a uniform was introduced, distinguished less by the colour than the cut of the coat and the shape of the head-dress. The only distinction in the costume of commanding officers was in their boots, those of the beuluks (who had the privilege of serving as the sultan's guard and keeping the sacred banner in their custody) being red while the others were yellow; subordinate officers wore black boots.
The fundamental laws of the janissaries, which were very early infringed, were implicit obedience to their officers; perfect accord among themselves; abstinence from luxury, extravagance and practices unseemly for a soldier and a brave man ; observance of the rules of Haji Bektash and of the religious law; exclusion from the ranks of all save those properly levied ; special rules for the infliction of the death-penalty; promotion to be by seniority; janissaries to be admonished or punished by their own officers only; the infirm and unfit to be pensioned. Janissaries were not to let their beards grow, not to marry, nor to leave their bar racks, nor to engage in trade; but were to spend their time in drill and in practising the arts of war.
In time of peace the State supplied no arms, and the janissa ries on service in the capital were armed only with clubs; they were forbidden to carry any arms save a cutlass, the only excep tion being at the frontier-posts. In time of war they provided
their own arms, and these might be any which took their fancy. However, they were induced by rivalry to procure the best ob tainable and to keep them in perfect order. The banner of the janissaries was of white silk, on which verses from the Koran were embroidered in gold. This banner was planted beside the aga's tent in camp, with four other flags in red cases, and his three horse-tails. Each unit (orta) had its flag, half-red and half yellow, placed before the tent of its commander. Two or three great cauldrons used for boiling the soup and pilaw were under the guard of subordinate officers. A particular superstition at tached to them : if they were lost in battle all the officers were disgraced, and the orta was no longer allowed to parade with its cauldrons in public ceremonies.
At first a source of strength to Turkey as being the only well organized force in the country, the janissaries soon became its bane. One frequent means of exhibiting their discontent was to set fire to Constantinople; 14o such fires are said to have been caused during the 28 years of Ahmed III.'s reign. The janis saries were at all times distinguished for their want of respect towards the sultans ; their outbreaks were never due to a real desire for reforms, but solely to obtain the downfall of some obnoxious minister. The first recorded revolt of the janissaries is in 1443, on the occasion of the second accession of Mohammed II., when they broke into rebellion at Adrianople. A similar re volt happened at his death, when Bayazid II. was forced to yield to their demands and thus the custom of the accession-bakshish was established. In the 17th century they had become a praetori an guard in the worst sense of the word. Sultan Selim III. in despair endeavoured to organize a properly drilled and disci plined force to take their place; whereupon the janissaries de throned him and obtained the abolition of his force. But after the successful revolution of Bairakdar Pasha of Widdin, the new troops were re-established and drilled ; the resentment of the janissaries rose to such a height that they attacked the grand vizier's house, and after destroying it marched against the sultan's palace. They were repulsed by cannon, losing 600 men in the affair (1806). But such was the alarm caused at Constantinople that the new troops had to be suppressed. During the next 20 years the turbulence of the janissaries knew no bounds. Sultan Mahmud II., powerfully impressed by their violence and law lessness at his accession, determined to rid the State of this scourge. In 1825 he decided to form a corps of regular drilled troops known as eshkenjis. A fetva was obtained from the Sheikh ul-Islam to the effect that it was the duty of Muslims to acquire military science. The imperial decree announcing the formation of the new troops was promulgated at a grand council, and the high dignitaries present (including certain of the principal officers of the janissaries, who concurred) undertook to comply with its provisions. But the janissaries rose in revolt, and on June 1o, 1826, began to collect on the Et Meidan square at Constantinople; at midnight they attacked the house of the aga of janissaries, and, finding he had made good his escape, proceeded to overturn the cauldrons of as many ortas as they could find, thus forcing the troops of those ortas to join the insurrection. Then they pillaged and robbed throughout the town. Meanwhile the Government was collecting its forces ; the sacred standard of the prophet was unfurled, and war was formally declared against the rioters. Can non were brought against the Et Meidan, which was surrounded by troops. Ibrahim Aga, the commander of the artillery, made a last appeal to the janissaries to surrender; they refused, and fire was opened upon them. Such as escaped were shot down as they fled; the barracks, where many found refuge, were burnt; those who were taken prisoner were brought before the grand vizier and hanged. Before many days were over the corps had ceased to exist.