Janissary

The Sultan's Shield

The Janissary was the elite standing infantry of the Ottoman sultans, originally levied as Christian boys through the devshirme, converted to Islam, and raised in iron discipline as slaves of the throne. Among the first troops to master gunpowder firearms, they formed the empire's professional core for centuries, decisive at Constantinople and Mohacs. Loyal to the sultan alone, they grew so powerful they could make and unmake emperors.