The story of extraordinary personalities in victory and defeat, this book
begins by exploring the origins of the janissary corps with the selection of
youths from Christian families in the Balkans, reviews the Ottoman armed forces
followed by a survey of the victorious years - culminating in the conquest of
Hungary.From the fifteenth to the sixteenth century, the janissaries were the
scourge of Europe. With their martial music, their muskets and their drilled
march, it seemed that no one could withstand them. Their loyalty to their corps
was infinite as the Ottomans conquered the Balkans as far as the Danube, and
Syria, Egypt and Iraq. They set up semi-independent states along the North
African coast and even fought at sea. Their political power was such that even
sultans trembled. Who were they? Why were they an elite? Why did they decline
and what was their end? These are some of the questions, which this book
attempts to answer. It is the story of extraordinary personalities in both
victory and defeat. The book begins by exploring the origins of the janissary
corps with the careful selection of youths from Christian families in the
Balkans. It then introduces the pillars of the Ottoman state, which these
recruits were to serve. The Ottoman armed forces are reviewed, followed by a
panoramic survey of the victorious years of this elite corps - culminating in
the glorious conquest of Hungary and the establishment of the Danube
frontier.; By the middle of the sixteenth century discipline among the janissaries had
declined, but the real fault lay with the sultan and his ministers. The devirme
(levy) system of recruitment faltered and the corps became a refuge for
society's misfits. By the end of the eighteenth century the janissaries were
more interested in trade than in war. Ill-disciplined and arrogant, they turned
both rulers and the ruled against them. Yet their political power was such that
it took years of patient and careful planning be
