In 1807 the reformist Sultan Selim III was overthrown in a palace coup enacted by the elite special forces of the day-the Janissaries. The Ottomans were bankrupt and had been forced to make peace with Napoleon after Austerlitz, but it was Selim III's efforts to reform an empire …
The Janissaries comprised an elite corps in the service of the Ottoman Empire. It was composed of war captives and Christian youths pressed into service, all of whom were converted to Islam and trained under the strictest discipline. David Nicolle examines the history, organisat…
This work provides information about the uniforms, insignia and appearance of the Janissaries, the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's guards. It also analyzes the armour, weapons, tactics and motivations of the soldiers and outlines the campaigns followed.