Asked by caleb
Why did Ottoman sultans create the Janissary?
They had been unable to overtake Constantinople, so they hoped that Christian soldiers could serve as spies or insurgents.
A sultan's greatest fear was to be overthrown from within, by a rival Muslim family or disgruntled subject.
The sultans believed that the Christians they conquered would be less likely to revolt against an army of former Christians.
They had lost the money they needed to pay soldiers, so they decided to raise an army of slaves.
All Answers 1
Answered by
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"A sultan's greatest fear was to be overthrown from within, by a rival Muslim family or disgruntled subject."
Explanation: the Janissaries were created (largely via the devshirme levy of Christian boys) as a professional, standing infantry force personally loyal to the sultan and independent of the traditional Turkish provincial nobility. This gave the ruler a reliable military counterweight to rival elites and reduced the risk of internal coups.
Explanation: the Janissaries were created (largely via the devshirme levy of Christian boys) as a professional, standing infantry force personally loyal to the sultan and independent of the traditional Turkish provincial nobility. This gave the ruler a reliable military counterweight to rival elites and reduced the risk of internal coups.
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