08-22-2004, 11:05 AM
The Turkish Janisseries (it is spelt in several different ways) was a system to supply teh ottoman empire with young blood to serve notonly as soldiers but as Viziers. The system worked well for 200 years from almost the beginnng of the Ottoman reign to about 1600 or 1700 CE. Here is a sympathetic account of the same also known as the Devsirme
http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct-f....o/devsirme.htm
another citation says "Janissaries, from the Creek word Yeni Ceri or, "New Soldiers," were shock troops feared by all Christians. They began as boys taken forcibly from their parents, as an annual blood tribute that the sultan received from his non-Muslim subjects. Raised in the Muslim religion, the boys became either warriors or civil or ecclesiastic servants. Those designated for the military were put in celibate military camps, where they stayed until they were killed or retired. Janissaries had two loyalties, the Sultan and Islam.
In fact the Mamelukes of the Slave dynasty of India (similar to the mamelukes of Egypt) used the system . In particular Allauddin Khilji took malik kafur a handsome boy from Gujarat as his lover and raised him as a Janissery, until Malik kafur became one of the feared Muslim generals of alll time in india. His name is remembered even today in madurai as one who was responsible for much blooshed and destruction. Malik kafur met a bloody death himself eventually
These are both excellent examples of the Stockhom syndrome at work.
However for every Malik kafur there are many who rose to the defense of the Motherland. One such was Swami Vidyaranya, who was responsible for mentoring Harihara and Bukka Raya into starting the Vijayanagar empire and later became the Sankaracharya at Sringeri. His name is listed as one of the Gurus in my Guru Parampara page at my website .
http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct-f....o/devsirme.htm
another citation says "Janissaries, from the Creek word Yeni Ceri or, "New Soldiers," were shock troops feared by all Christians. They began as boys taken forcibly from their parents, as an annual blood tribute that the sultan received from his non-Muslim subjects. Raised in the Muslim religion, the boys became either warriors or civil or ecclesiastic servants. Those designated for the military were put in celibate military camps, where they stayed until they were killed or retired. Janissaries had two loyalties, the Sultan and Islam.
In fact the Mamelukes of the Slave dynasty of India (similar to the mamelukes of Egypt) used the system . In particular Allauddin Khilji took malik kafur a handsome boy from Gujarat as his lover and raised him as a Janissery, until Malik kafur became one of the feared Muslim generals of alll time in india. His name is remembered even today in madurai as one who was responsible for much blooshed and destruction. Malik kafur met a bloody death himself eventually
These are both excellent examples of the Stockhom syndrome at work.
However for every Malik kafur there are many who rose to the defense of the Motherland. One such was Swami Vidyaranya, who was responsible for mentoring Harihara and Bukka Raya into starting the Vijayanagar empire and later became the Sankaracharya at Sringeri. His name is listed as one of the Gurus in my Guru Parampara page at my website .