devshirme system

E410788

The devshirme system was an Ottoman practice of periodically conscripting Christian boys from the empire’s European provinces, converting and training them to serve as elite soldiers (Janissaries) and administrators loyal to the sultan.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
devshirme system canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Ottoman institution
child conscription system
forced levy
abolishedInCentury 18th century
ageRange approximately 8 to 18 years
appliedInRegion Anatolia
Balkans
European provinces of the Ottoman Empire
Rumelia
linked to: Rumelia Eyalet
appliedTo Christian boys
associatedWith Enderun School
Janissary corps
linked to: Janissaries

Ottoman palace school
beganInCentury 14th century
characterizedAs form of slavery
form of taxation in human form
declinedInCentury 17th century
excludedGroup Jews
Muslims
implementedBy Ottoman officials
linked to: Ottoman authorities

local Christian leaders under Ottoman authority
influenced Ottoman administrative elite composition
Ottoman military power
involvedProcess bureaucratic education
forced conversion to Islam
military training
periodic collection of boys
languageOfInstruction Ottoman Turkish
legalBasis sultanic decree
linkedToRuler Mehmed II
Murad I
loyaltyDirectedTo Ottoman sultan
purpose recruit Janissaries
recruit administrators
recruit palace servants
strengthen central authority of the sultan
religionAfterConversion Islam
religiousTarget Christian population
resultedIn Islamization of conscripted boys
creation of elite infantry corps
formation of Janissary corps
selectionCriteria intelligence
lack of close relatives in Ottoman service
physical fitness
socialImpact creation of a slave-elite class
demographic impact on Christian communities
upward mobility for some Christian families
timePeriod late 14th century to 17th century
trainingLocation Anatolian farms
Enderun Palace School in Istanbul
usedBy Ottoman Empire

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Ottoman culture hasInstitution devshirme system