The Harem's Janissary Alliance: Kösem Sultan and the Corps

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the critical alliance between the Ottoman harem and the Janissary corps, focusing on Kösem Sultan's strategic use of the military elite to secure her son Murad IV's throne. They discuss how the Janissaries, originally devşirme recruits, evolved into kingmakers, and how Kösem, as valide sultan, cultivated ties through bribery and patronage. The conversation covers the 1622 Janissary revolt that killed Osman II, Kösem's role in suppressing it, and the 1648 coup that ended Sultan Ibrahim I. They also delve into the Janissary's elite infantry tactics, their unique social status, and the eventual decline of both the corps and the Sultanate of Women. This episode reveals how the harem's inner politics extended beyond Topkapı's walls to shape Ottoman military and political history. #KösemSultan #Janissary #OttomanEmpire #ValideSultan #MuradIV #OsmanII #IbrahimI #Devşirme #Harem #SultanateOfWomen #Topkapı #JanissaryRevolt #1622 #1648 #OttomanMilitary #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo