Retired
SME097-HW
Del Prado
The early history of the Janissaries is shrouded in myth. The Ottoman state started as one of the smallest Turkish principalities in Anatolia at the close of the 13th century, a refuge for soldiers, peasants and townsfolk fleeing from the Mongols. In 1362 Murad adopted the title of Sultan, and his military successes attracted more volunteers. Within the impressive Ottoman armies, the Janissaries, recruited from slaves or prisoners, formed one part of the Sultan's personal troops. For centuries the vast Ottoman Empire remained a collection of almost isolated regions divided by deserts and seas. However, the Ottomans had one great asset: a strong tradition of tolerance, which enabled the Sultan and his Janissaries to control this disparate Empire.