The Ottoman Devshirme: How Christian Boys Ruled an Empire

This episode explores the devshirme system—the Ottoman practice of recruiting Christian boys from the Balkans and Anatolia to serve as Janissaries and administrators. Lucas and Luna trace its origins under Murad I, its codification under Mehmed II, and its transformation into a path to power for figures like Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and the Köprülü grand viziers. They discuss the legal basis, the quota system, the training at the Topkapı Palace, the balance of loyalty, and the gradual decline of the practice by the 17th century. They also touch on the human cost—families losing sons, the Janissaries' later resistance to reform—and the legacy of a system that turned outsiders into the empire's ruling elite. Specific names include: devshirme, Murad I, Mehmed II, Janissary, Yeniçeri, Kapıkulu, Acemi Ocağı, Grand Vizier, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, Topkapı Palace, and the tulip age. #Devshirme #OttomanEmpire #Janissaries #SokolluMehmedPasha #Köprülü #MuradI #MehmedII #TopkapıPalace #Balkans #Kapıkulu #AcemiOcağı #GrandVizier #TulipAge #History #FexingoHistory #OttomanMilitary #ChristianBoys #EmpireBuilding Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo