THE FOUNDATION OF THE OTTOMAN MILITARY AND THE RISE OF JANISSARIES, 1300-1453

Abstract

The Ottoman Empire was founded around 1300 by Osman, a leader of Turkish tribes in Anatolia, and stretched across Asia, Europe and Africa. During the fourteenth century, the Ottoman army became strong and formidable in executing military campaigns that expanded the empire. This paper discusses the foundational evolution of the Ottoman military to the establishment of the Janissaries in the fifteenth century. It finds that the Ottoman military incorporated Central Asian steppe-nomadic military tradition, Islamic and Byzantine military systems and military guilds, leading to the development of a standing army.