Janissary, Symbol of the Ottoman's Greatness

From Ottoman Turkish "yeniçeri" meaning "new soldier". Janissaries were Ottoman elite soldiers that created by Sultan Murad I from Christian boys from conquered countries. They were armed with bows, and then later firearms (muskets). These soldiers replaced the tribal soldiers whose loyalty were not always guaranteed. They were high-skilled soldiers, and could fight very effective. In the same time, while the other countries didn't have large gunpowder army, the Ottoman had powerful gunpowder forces. Ottomans had weapons such as cannons, muskets, and the other firearms. This is the reason why Ottoman could attacked, then captured Constantinople, and even laying siege against Eastern Christian Europe countries.

Europeans were scattered in puny states and couldn't withstand the Turkish attack. The Janissary corps were divided in three sub-corps: jemaat/ cemaat as frontiers troops consist of 101 ortas; beyliks or beuluks as the Sultan's bodyguard, consist of 64 ortas; sekban or seirnen consist of 34 ortas. Orta is equivalent to battalion. The recruitment of Janissary is using the Devshirme system. The Christian boys were given a doctrine that they must be loyal to the sultan. They were also expected to convert to Islam. The Janissaries were archers, but they adopted the firearms during 1440s. But, if they forced to fight hand-to-hand they using melee weapons such as axes and kilijs.