PDA

View Full Version : Sad story of  Sipahis of the Porte



mahmut80
11-08-2003, 13:20
Akincis were born on 1300’s at the time of Sultan Yildirim Bayezid (the Turkish Sultan at the Ankara War against Mongol Timur) .The Akinci families (ocaks) were placed at Balkans.Most important ones were ; Malkocoglu at Bulgaria, Tarhanogullari at Greece ,Evrenogullari at Albania and the biggest one Mihalogullari at Sofia (the lord of the Mihalogullari family Kose Mihal was a Byzantine lord in the earlier times of the borning of Ottomans). This families were containing nearly 40.000 warriors and 100.000 specially trained war horses.Each akinci was bringing 2-3 speedy horses with him for their regular journies,and using them by changing in some small command posts.(like the first postmen in USA )
The secret of the Akincis was “Speed”.They were using the best horses and wearing very light armour only for arrows,and they weren’t using any type of armour for their horses,this was the key for speed.
For example ,a 10.000 men akinci army was taking form with five men teams ,this means 2000 teams were attacking to a country.and it is really unpossible to defend 2000 different attacks. Serdengecktis or dalkilics were the bravest ones in a family.They were attacking with no fear of dying but only getting captured,so they prefer dying rather than surrounding.Serdengecktis could easily attack a castle gate with a burning gunpowder box in their hands.They were professional and not allowed to get married.Worrying about wife and the kids could be threat for the bravery.
The Akincis were abandoned after 1600s.One of their major attacks to Romania was a disaster for thousands of them.Here is the sad story of the brave akincis;

In the year 1595 ,the Voyvodia of romania was attacking to small garrisoned turkish castles and burning the soldiers like a piece of meat.This was the main reason for a new akin (attack) to romania.Nearly 40.000 men and 100.000 horses joined this attack. After an easy victory ,the Voyvodia escaped. Akincis collected the goods and began to return home.But Voyvodia got reinforcements from Austria and made his plan to set an ambush near a bridge on the river Danube. At this time the turkish pasha Sinan Pasha was making plans for taking the goods from his own soldiers as a tax. And he decided to use a bridge,too. He settled his personal men at the end of the bridge and began to collect the goods from everyone. They were looking for every bag and wallet. so it took 3 days and nights to pass this long bridge because of the tax operation. Voyvodia arrived at the end of the third day with cannons and mortars. And he destroyed the bridge on the Danube with the help of his cannons.Thousands of akinci died with the collapse and other thousands in the near camp were died with mortars. In a few hours ,nearly 40.000 brave men and 100.000 well trained horses died ,and no one ran away for their lives.All of them died near that bridge because of a foolish pasha.
After that day ,the akincis never pulled themselves together. And being lost in the dusty pages of history.

Cebei
11-08-2003, 13:35
Naber pilader Hosgeldin http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

A sad story, I didnt know that and its a great post.. But I guess some sipahis remained as sultan's bodyguard?

mahmut80
11-08-2003, 13:45
of course some sipahis remained until 1800s ( Sultan MahmutII )
but akincis and akinci families were abandoned after Danube.

The Wizard
11-08-2003, 13:57
I have had a question nibbing away at me ever since I first heard the name Sipahis of the Porte... where is this Porte?

Cebei
11-08-2003, 14:11
Very good question I was expecting someone would ask that.

Sipahis are Anatolian/Turk/Muslims and give military service in exchange for territory. You can relate it to knighthood, but a sipahi's land is for rent rather than total ownership. If the sipahi cant produce sufficient amount of production in that land, another one is assigned by the government. Thus you have to be good agriculturer and good soldier at the same time.

Sipahis of the Porte on the other hand, are much different. Porte refers to the door. Door represents the Sultan's authority and Sultan's palace is called Bab-i Ali the Sublime Porte. Sipahis of the Porte (kapikulu sipahileri) are, thus owned by the Sultan himself. SoP s are not local, they are converts (devsirme) like Janissaries and they dont hold land, but earn payment from the Sultan himself. Needless to say they are elite and better than ordinary sipahis.

The_Emperor
11-08-2003, 14:38
Great thread guys...

A great story.
And Very informative (and Finally I know what Sipahi of the Porte means) http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

kataphraktoi
11-08-2003, 14:57
I agree both Cebei and Mahmut will be valuable contributors to our knowledge of Turkish military units and troops.

Cebei
11-08-2003, 15:08
The best info on Ottoman units are in Hungarian sites.. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

Cebei
11-08-2003, 15:40
Another interesting detail is that janissary coprs were eliminated (killed in their barracks) by II.Mahmud's Sipahis of the Porte. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

The Wizard
11-08-2003, 15:40
Well the Hungarians fought Ottomans for a long time... well up until they were assimilated into Austria.

Fragony
11-08-2003, 15:44
Hungarians liked putting turkish warriors on very big pikes http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Uncle Vlad anyone.

The_678
11-08-2003, 16:07
Very good topic.

Fragony
11-08-2003, 17:52
I heard the janisary where former christians, is that correct?

The Wizard
11-08-2003, 18:32
Yes, they were captured Christian boys, converted to Islam and trained as a national and royal elite. At least, that's what I think they were.. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

mahmut80
11-09-2003, 12:16
Wizzy ,you are right my friend
they were christian boys at 12-13 years old and they got a training till they are ready for action.

Cebei
11-09-2003, 17:15
Yes thats why they get +1 in bulgaria http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

Sipahis of the Porte are christians too. Jans and SoPs are converts (devsirme) of the christian population.

Muslims and Turks were not allowed into Janissary corps, until sparks of corruption within the army started (I dont know the exact date). Janissaries enjoyed high social advantages (which shows the equality of religions and ethnicities within the Ottoman empire) together with Armenians (high governmental posts) and Jews (welcomed by Bayezid after 1492, when Jews were expelled from Spain; became richest merchants in the empire).

This caused Turco-Muslims to force themselves into Janissary corps through bribery. Needless to say the whole magic of the corps were lost when more than %50 of the corps became Turks and Muslims. This distortion lead to the destruction of the corps as they were the biggest opponents against reform of the empire.

From a different point of view, it can be said that the Ottoman Empire developed by the efforts of christians and other ethnic refugees.

Turks and Muslims didnt have much to say except the royal line was Turk. And considering the choice of sultan wives (mainly Russian, Ukranian and Croatian), the royal line diluted away from Turkish-Muslim identity.

King John II
11-11-2003, 13:27
Thank you, gentlemen. This is a part of the world about which I know very little.

Dead Moroz
11-11-2003, 14:43
mahmut80 and Cebei, thank you for interesting information.

I didn't know that jans were sufficiently adult when they began training in turkish army. Thought they were very little kids taken away from their families. Now i think they were betrayers of their original faith and nations.
But anyway i respect them as warriors.

And what is the story about massacre of jans by SoP?

Cebei
11-11-2003, 21:08
Ottomans took care of its provinces and tried hard to keep its people happy. Thus, taking away infants from families would be considered as sin in the empire.

I wouldnt use betrayal to describe the choice of Janissaries. Between 1400-1600, is was not too hard to convince people that Islam was the best religion and Ottoman Emperor was the ultimate authority to serve. Thus converts were quite happy with what they were doing. Fighting with the most advanced weaponry, with best generals, high status in the society. For a long time Ottomans' best troops were Bulgarian (foot soldiers), Greek (sipahis) and Crimean (tatar cavalry)

As for highly advanced reading (which I know nobody will do), go to http://www.xenophongi.org/milhist/modern/janizar.htm

Look at the bottom of the page for DESTRUCTION OF THE JANISSARIES. Terrible story.

BRCN
11-12-2003, 15:43
Quote[/b] (Cebei @ Nov. 11 2003,14:08)]I wouldnt use betrayal to describe the choice of Janissaries. Between 1400-1600, is was not too hard to convince people that Islam was the best religion and Ottoman Emperor was the ultimate authority to serve.

Most families felt they were honored when their child/children taken to be trained in janissary ocaks (barracks), or their daughters for the sultan's harem. If you think about social and economic standards in christian lands at that times, that wasnt considered as betrayal, beacuse it meant a good life and opportunity to come to nice postions for their children. But there are also some stories about some individuals not forgetting their origin and working against the empire's benefits.

Cebei
11-12-2003, 15:51
Waaay selam http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

I dont feel alone anymore wheeee http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

BRCN
11-12-2003, 15:57
Merhaba http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

Fragony
11-13-2003, 17:49
I find that tolerance in the Muslim nations fascinating, the western world often claims that muslim nations never had 'the enlightment', while they had it centuries before us. I have been reading a lot about arab culture lately, and it is rediculous how advanced they were compared to us.
Still the western world got ahead, I think I know the reaon for this, but I won't post it http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Cebei
11-13-2003, 20:59
Why? Because of Rowan Atkinson?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/games/distorted/distorted4/1.jpg