The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-06-16
THE JANISSARIES.

W VII J y
something about once famous body Of
men called the Janissaries. You ma,
pronounce the word as if spelled Yam
issaries.
A few hundred years ago, when the
nations OF Europe were more given tc
fighting than they are now Though
they seem in this day to like it pretty
welD, the most celebrated soldiers in
the world were the Janissaries. AT
that time armies were not drilled as
thoroughly as they are to-day, but SO
well disciplined, so fierce, and so sue
cessful were the Janissaries that their
name became terror throughout Eu-
rope. .
Who these soldiers were is a curious
and sad story. They were Turkish
troops, but they were not Turks by
birth, and that is why the story is a sad
one. The Turks came from Asia into
Europe about six hundred years ago.
They conquered the southeastern part
OF Europe, which is called Turkey, and
little by little, by dreadful fighting,
they got possession of Greece, and sew
eral States north of it. Finally thew
took the beautiful city of Constantine
pie, which the Christians so long and
SO CALAMITY defended. The Turks
brought with them religion, a cos
tune and government different from
any the people in Europe had been ac-
customed to. They were Mobamme-
dams, while the people of the conquered
countries were Christians. You can
easily believe that the Christian people
did not love the race that had robbed
them OF their country and their free
dom, nor did they submit very willingly
to their fate
Now the Turkish Government took a.
very cunning and cruel way to increase
the strength of its own army, and weak
en- the people they were conquerine. 1t
took from the Christian people every
year one thousand of their brightest
boys to train them for the Turkish
army. This is called in history ..the
tribute of children. Some historians
say that all the boys over seven wears
OF age who promised any excellence
IN mind or BODY were captured by the
Turks; but probably the s'annual tax of
one thousand children is a more re-
liable statement. As this Tribute of
children" was kept up for over three
hundred years, not less than 800, 900
noble Christian children were torn
from their homes, and their strength
turned against their own people. The
delicate and deformed and duh were
not taken, for the Turkish Government
wanted to make body OF soldiers the
finest in size and strength and courage
the world had ever seen; and, besides,
the puny and dull boys would never be
OF much service to the Christians; so it
was very safe to leave them with their
own people. Pr
Can you think of a meaner way of
gaining victories than to kidnap the
finest children. of conquered race, so
there should be no grand, strong men
among them, and then to make these
boys, when grown to men, fight against
their own flesh and blood? | do not
think history records anything more
base. 9}1 f5 ~ -
How glad Christian mother must
have been if her boy was pale and puny,
OF her children were all girls! Do YOU
not believe that parents sometimes hid
their boys in the mountains when the
Turkish officers were about, or tanpbt
them to look sick or sillyp Ihaye new
er read in any books that thew did do
80, but | do not doubt it myself. Yet it
IS SAID that so much care was giyen to
the training OF these bright bows, and
such honors sometimes conferred upon
them by the Government. that the very
poor people were sometimes willing
heir sons should go away from them
forever to enter the service of the
Turks. 1t seems to me it must have
been dreadful poverty and ignorance
hat could have made Christian mothers
willing to give up their sons to the enc
my OF their country and their religion.
These boys were taken from their
homes SO young they soon forgot kim
ired and country, the religion, and
sven the language of their fathers.
!hey were usually carried to some por-
ION OF Asia Minor, where thew were
rained severely to abstinence and en-
iurance of all kinds, to fit them for
erv1ce Those who proved greatly
superior in mind were fitted for places
II trust in the Government--somew were
made Z pages in the Sultan's palace-but
nose who were strong and large of
tature were trained for war. And il
vas these Christian boys who consti-
uted the celebrated Janissaries. and
Won such great victories for the Turk
sh Nation for three hundred wears.
hat its influence and power was felt
md dreaded throughout the civilized
1t was the first instance Of ..stand-
ng army in Europe. Charles VII. of
rance, is usually considered the orig
nator OF the standing army per-
APPS because the Turks were not con. |
ldered a European. Nation; but the |
anlssaries were in existence century |
efore Charles time. They were or
'anized in 1929, and Charles was not
rOwned until 1422.
The Janissaries fought in many inn
ortant battles and sieges in the fif- |
zenith and sixteenth centuries. They |
gured in the sieges of the Islands Of |
rhodes and Crete and Malta, and at the |
a m battle of Lepanto, which YOU
I'll read about when you are older. |
hey wore, even in fighting, flowing
obes and white caps with black
Tunes, and fought with cimeters. We
an believe their flowing robes were
incOnvenient in hattie osoo