From: deniz@mandolin.ctr.columbia.edu (Deniz Akkus)
Subject: Re: Grand Vazeer Wanted (Bosnian prefered). (was Re: Raja i Papci)
Organization: Columbia University Center for Telecommunications Research
Followup-To: soc.culture.turkish
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 17:42:31 GMT
X-Posted-From: mandolin.ctr.columbia.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <kutluk.717981461@ccl.umist.ac.uk> kutluk@ccl.umist.ac.uk (Kutluk Ozguven) writes:
>
>Three points come to my mind.
>   The Bogomils' mass conversion, although took place in late 15th
>century, have continued within families and villages as a gradual
>process. Also, accepting the full cultural and philosophical standards
>of Islam as Ottomans perceived took time. This may be the argument Ottoman
>government justified its action, desperate to recruit new members to
>its expanding military establishment (we are talking about 16th
>century). Therefore Janissary system both accelerated the Islamization
>of the Bogomil and satisfied the need to find well-built warlike boys
>for the military elite.

This I agree with.  Recent converts were probably regarded with some
suspicion from Istanbul.  

>   Secondly, there is no possibility the Bosnians dislike
>the  idea of having children as a part of the establishment, which
>means wealth and influence, if he climbs up the ladder of Enderun or
>the elite schools. In other words, it was more of a privilage to be
>recruited to the Janissary, than a burden.

The children were recruited at quite a young age and first sent to live
with Turkish families, then given military education and training.
Effectively, they were lost to the family.  After age 40, the common
Janissary married a muslim woman and settled down.  There were special
guards assigned to the Bosnian Muslim children as they were taken to
Istanbul to prevent "switcheroo"s -- by virtue of circumcision, they
would be harder to track down.  

The Janissary corps of course was regarded as the elite troops by the
palace.  The only standing army, they were the only force situated in
Istanbul.  Possibly regarded as more trustworthy since they had no
other allegiance except to the sultan.  The sultan himself was
registered as a Janissary -- to the first boluk of the first Orta.  Each
month, there was a ceremony and much pomp as he went and collected his
salary.  I think that says how the Janissaries were viewed. 

>   But the most important factor why the Bosnian let in the Ocak while the
>Anatolian Turk was not is the concept of Ottoman family among the
>Turks. In the early days, many noble families or sometimes even the
>ordinary tribes often took the Ottoman just a family that happened to
>rule the Empire, for most of these were already something of
>importance while the unimportant Kayi tribe (Ottomans) immmigrated to
>Anatolia from Turkistan. If a boy from Karaman had risen to the status
>of Grand Vazeer, then one had to count its titular tribe in the power
>politics.

This is a valid point. That the Ottomans derive from the not so noble
Kayi tribe has caused problems with allegiance.  As a result the
Ottoman palace was filled with foreign women in the harem and converts
as vazeers.  The Turks showed up in battle as Sipahi. 

I am directing the follow-ups to soc.culture.turkish.

regards,
Deniz Akkus deniz@ctr.columbia.edu



Newsgroups: soc.culture.bosna-herzgvna