The Janissaries (from Ottoman Turkish يکيچرى Yeniçeri meaning "newly converted") comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards. The force was created by the Sultan Murad I from Christian boys levied through the devşirme system from conquered countries in the 14th century and was abolished by Sultan Mahmud II in 1826 with the Auspicious Incident.
Origins
The origins of the Janissaries are shrouded in myth though traditional accounts credit Orhan I – an early Ottoman bey, who reigned from 1326 to 1359 – as the founder. Modern histor...