Institution

Janissaries

Also known as janissary

The Janissaries were the elite infantry corps of the Ottoman Empire, originally recruited from Christian boys through the devshirme system. They became one of the first standing armies in Europe to use firearms on a large scale. Comparable slave-soldier corps were developed by the Safavid Empire, and the Janissaries were abolished in 1826.

Janissaries — Image: Lambert Wyts · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 4 profiles

Ottoman EmpireMilitary Safavid EmpireMilitary Regency of AlgiersFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Decline Aq QoyunluMilitary

Mentioned in 9 state histories

Regency of Algiers Ottoman Egypt Beylik of Titteri Ottoman Tripolitania Lahsa Eyalet Ottoman Tunisia Karamanli Tripoli Pashalik of Vidin Revolutionary Serbia

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Janissaries. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/janissaries
MLA: “Janissaries.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/janissaries. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Janissaries.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/janissaries.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Janissaries’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/janissaries (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻