Summary: How did devshirme/recruit system of the Ottoman Empire worked. Myths and truths about it.
This system is seen not only in the Islamic states and the Ottomans, but in all the traditional empires. The palace schools where some of the lord’s children were educated and raised were present in the Carolingian Empire, in the Habsburgs and in Britain since the Charlemagne. Also the cavalry and infantry units which Ottomans called “kapıkulu” can be found in the Austria with the name “Leibgardist”, and in Russia with the name “Strelitsiy” (gunsmith). In fact, this army called strelitsiy was totally removed by Peter the Great during the modernization period, just like Mahmud II removed the janissaries.
System of educating new officers in the palace schools that will be always loyal to ruler can be found in every traditional states. These have been modernized over time. However, unlike the suppositions, Ottoman devshirme does not cover a long period of time (only two and a half centuries), but the Balkan Christian world and the Caucasus’s capabilities have been used because of its effective and original structure. Especially in the Balkan literature, they argue that the devshirme system melted the Christian world and made the young population Muslim. This is an exaggeration. Ottoman Empire applied the slave system of the Mamluks to a large extent. However, in the Ottoman devshirme tradition, a more systematic application is being resorted to young people who were captured as war prisoners. In the Ottoman slavery system; prisoners of war, one that bought with money, children that were sent by state dynasties and Beyliks as hostages (the ones from Wallachia-Moldavia Voivods and those sent by the Crimean Khans were called “müteferrika” and were educated for only to be a servent for Sultan as officers), and children gathered from certain areas by means of devshirme were basis. Just like the other spoils, one out of five of the war prisoners was belong to Sultan as well.
It is known that the devshirme system has been applied since the Bayezid I period, that is, since the 14th century. But it is obvious that it was definitely applied during the Murad II period. Notedly, commissions were sent to Rumelia for this, under the leadership of a devshirme emissary. Since the devshirme system was open to misappropriation, persons who were known for their reliability from ulama and ürema were assigned. In some poor villages of the Balkans and Circassia, some children whose candidate to die from hunger were sometimes voluntarily sent by their families. While mainly Christian children were selected, there were also Muslims in Bosnia and Albania who were selected too.
The child to be recruited cannot be from a wealthy, proprietor and gentry families. Their age had to be between 8 and 18. These were called “gulam.” Smaller ones were called şirhor(infant) and it was forbidden to recruit them. City boys, monastery student and ones who work as craftsmen or as a shepherd cannot be recruited. The Armenians and the Jews were not taken, it would be in very small number even if they were rarely taken. Average number of adolescents that were recruited was around 3.000 in two or three years (applies for the 16th century).
After a long journey, those selected were sent to Enderun schools(special schools in the Ottoman palaces) in Edirne, Istanbul, Galatasaray and Topkapi, where they were subjected to elections, most capable of them were separated, and then others were sent to the nearby villages of Anatolia and Rumelia. Here, they were working and also adapting the life and customs of the society while living with a Turkish family. Now, those who have taken Islamic manners and learned some Turkish would be referred to the rookie-boys quarters in the city center by the Anatolian and Rumelian aghas, two important officers, who are in charge of keeping and supervising the neophytes’ records in the region they live in, thus, they would be offically in the Janissary club. According to their perseverance and ability that they will show in their time as beginners, they were taken to the Janissary quarters and the army. Their promotion to higher ranks was also based on competence. They could not marry before a certain age.
Devshirme children who made it in the Enderun schools would continue their lives under strict discipline and etiquette; they were first taken to small, then to large sections. Here they were called “dolamalılar” because they were attired with a dress called “dolama.”
Because they were referred as tyro aghas, one of the experienced Enderun members were appointed as lala (lala: experienced statesman who was assigned as the tutor of the young students and prince) for them. Thus, their education started in a master-apprentice relationship. Those who’ve sufficiently learned etiquettes, reading and writing, acquired religious knowledge and demonstrated discipline would move to cellar ward. After that comes the treasure ward and finally “has oda”, “fief room.” The fief room has 40 people including the concierge. These are the servants always near the sultan. Time, struggle and education was required order to be promoted in one of these wards. In this part of the palace there was a tough, disciplined administration of the eunuch aghas. During each enthronement or seven-year period, members of the Enderun were assigned to external positions, and they named this “çıkma”, “emergence.”
Another exaggerated judgment on the subject is thesis that the state has been led by devshirmes, the servants of the sultan, and this has created a centralized state with unshakeable qualities. Can the dominant character of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled for 600 years, be the devshirme and slave system? Even when we do not include the 19th century which went through reforms aimed at a modern organization in which there was no slave system, we can see that the devshirme system in the classical Ottoman period is a short turning point. During the 14th century, which is considered the main enlargement and foundation period of the state, those who were in charge of the bureaucracy and those who ruled the armies were not devshirmes. Köse Mihal (Mihaloğulları family), Gazi Evrenos (Evrenosoğulları family) were at the commanding level.
In the second half of the 16th century, with the demise of the devshirme, Anatolian-Rumelian Turks and other elements took over the bureaucracy and command levels. In fact, 17th century was the dominance period of Köprülü family. Finally, it is necessary to say that the scientific class, which carried out important duties, was always selected from the native Turks, and certain families of the ulama were dominant in this class. The backbone of the army was; timariots, local little beyliks like voynuk and martaloz in Rumelia. The first pedestrian army consisted of local folks. The importance of the Janissary army increased in 16–17 centuries, and in these centuries, the Kapıkulu unit of the army consisted again from the non-devshirme groups of Anatolia and Rumelia.
In the light of these informations, we can not say Ottoman Empire was a state governed by devshirmes.
Children were rarely taken from Muslims; mostly Slav, Christian Albanian and Helen descent peasant children were taken. Townbreds were not taken. Single childs were not taken. Some children of the elite families were taken directly to the Enderun school without being subjected to any elimination, but these have also been subjected to queuing. In some cases the persuasion method was used.
Many of the great viziers and commanders that were taken from remote villages of Bosnia, Albania, the Caucasus, and the Mora, who ruled the state but did not have other ruler than their own, grew up in this way. Even some administrator like Mahmud Pasha and Sokollu Mehmed Pasha grew up among the devshirmes of Enderun. The period of deterioration of the Janissary class comes after the removal of devshirme tradition. Thus, the success and corruption of the Janissary class in its history cannot be attributed to ethnic reasons unlike some ideas claim to be. The system of devshirme was a unique imperial institution and in a way, it was a genius evolvement. The devshirmes knew where were from, and they would remember in the future. In fact, when had a chance, some of them established fief in their homeland. They usually did not remember the Christian manners they took since it was so rural. State and Islam were the identity of these people. There would be contention among them. Albanian grand viziers would try to appoint Albanians on important duties for example. The Enderun and the Janissary class did not enjoy each other.