Military EngagementsLists about times real people around the world and throughout history who have suited up, taken up arms, and fought to the end in the name of whomever's side they were on.
The Ottoman Empire is easily the most famous historical empire to share a name with a type of footstool, and the most notable group of individuals from its centuries-long history was the Janissaries. The Auspicious Incident, the day that marked the massacre of the Janissaries at the hands of Sultan Mahmud II, ended that notoriety. A highly trained military force with an existence nearly as long as the Empire’s, the Janissaries were originally composed entirely of slaves who were bound to the sultan after being captured as children and forcibly converted from Christianity. Despite this seemingly cruel origin story, the Janissaries fought bravely and loyally for the Ottomans in many important battles, including the capture of Constantinople.
Unfortunately, the golden age of the Janissary could not last forever, and slipping recruitment standards caused the group’s loyalty and effectiveness to wane. By the end of their tenure as an inimitable fighting force, the Janissaries were nothing more than an elite class of society bent on controlling the Empire through their military might. This often left them in opposition to the very sultans they were still technically sworn to, and they participated in several coups. That all ended, along with the Janissaries themselves, in June of 1826, when Sultan Mahmud II enacted the Auspicious Incident and wiped them out.
The plan to wipe out the Janissaries was as brutal as it was efficient. The Sultan used the Sipahi – a cavalry division of the military with a history longer than even the Janissaries' – to deadly effect. The Janissaries and the Sipahi had long shared a bitter rivalry, so the horsemen were all too happy to participate in the destruction at hand. They used their superior speed to drive the Janissary forces back into their main barracks, which Mahmud II had surrounded with artillery. He proceeded to bombard the barracks and set them ablaze, killing over 4,000 Janissaries in one fell swoop. The remaining forces scattered, and the majority were either executed, exiled, or imprisoned. In one day, the 500-year history of the Janissary had been ended.
It Ended The 500-Year Existence Of The Janissaries
When the Janissaries were destroyed in 1826, it marked the end of their ridiculously long reign as the premier military power in the Ottoman Empire. The Janissaries got their start in the late 14th century, and they were involved in every major Ottoman conflict for the next 500 years or so. The Janissaries had been integral to capturing Constantinople on May 29, 1453; from their takeover of the city, it became Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. That meant that Sultan Mahmud II was taking on a lot of history when he set out to remove the Janissaries, making it a decision he could not take lightly.
Formerly Slaves, The Janissaries Had Become An Elite Class Free From Paying Taxes
In their earliest days, the Janissaries were made up entirely of slaves, all of whom were sworn into service of the sultan. This made it unnecessary to tax the Janissaries, since they weren’t really making any income to speak of. However, as time wore on, the rules and regulations regarding Janissary recruitment changed, and, in time, those with an established income were allowed to become Janissaries, and Janissaries were able to conduct business and profit from it. This made them into an elite group in society that held enormous military power, yet was still exempt from taxes. Naturally, this set up sparked jealously and resentment amongst the rest of the Empire.
By The Time Of The Incident, Janissaries Had Become King Makers
Initially, the Janissaries were all slaves that were sworn to the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and their order remained technically attached to the sultan right up until one destroyed them. However, eventually, the Janissaries began to interpret the “sultan” part of their oath to refer to the position – and not any specific individual – which led to them rising up against any sultan they didn’t like and replacing them. The Janissaries were involved in countless coups, using both their military and economic powers, making them outright king makers and the dominant political force in the Empire.
The Rules Had Slipped For Janissary Recruitment, As Had Their Loyalty
When the Janissaries were established, the idea was to only include slaves who had been captured as children and forcibly converted from Christianity. Initially, the Ottomans had plenty of Christian vassal states to provide these children, who were often given up freely by their families in the hopes of providing them with a better life. Eventually, however, the needs of the Empire and the influence of the Janissaries grew, and the recruitment practices slipped. At first, the freeborn children of Janissaries were allowed to join, and then any Muslim of any sort born within the Ottoman Empire could sign up. This lowering of standards soon caused a dramatic loss of loyalty amongst the Janissaries, setting them in opposition against countless sultans.
The Incident Came As A Result Of Decades Of Plotting
When Mahmud II became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, he did so with a pre-established poor opinion of the Janissaries. Mahmud had watched several of his predecessors lose their titles and their lives in Janissary-led coups, and the Empire had recently been involved in some embarrassing military defeats. However, the Janissaries were a powerful foe, and Mahmud II could not afford to come out guns ablazin’. Instead, he carefully plotted and planned for nearly two decades, from his crowning in 1808 to the actual Auspicious Incident in 1826. The long game paid off for Mahmud in the end.
