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Difficulty: HardBureaucratic Elites and Military Recruitment (Devshirme and Samurai)

The Sultan’s power is absolute, and he is served by men who are raised in his household. These men are taken as children from the Christian provinces of the empire. They are instructed in the Muslim faith, trained in the arts of war and governance, and separated entirely from their families. From their ranks come the Janissaries, who form the core of the imperial army, as well as the highest ministers of the state. Because they owe their positions solely to the Sultan’s favor, they remain loyal only to him, ensuring that no hereditary nobility can challenge his rule.

—Gianfrancesco Morosini, Venetian ambassador to Constantinople, 1585

Which of the following best explains the political purpose of the recruitment system described in the passage?

  1. A
    To enforce a decentralized feudal structure where local Christian lords maintained autonomous military control in exchange for tribute.
  2. To establish a loyal administrative and military elite directly dependent on the monarch, thereby curbing the power of traditional regional aristocracies.Answer
  3. C
    To recruit Shi'a soldiers from Persia to defend the Ottoman Empire's eastern border against rival Safavid expansions.
  4. D
    To create a class of hereditary chattel slaves destined for agricultural labor to maximize imperial revenue.

Answer

To establish a loyal administrative and military elite directly dependent on the monarch, thereby curbing the power of traditional regional aristocracies.
The correct answer is correct because the devshirme system recruited Christian boys to serve as administrators and elite soldiers (Janissaries) directly loyal to the Ottoman sultan, which weakened the political power of the traditional Turkish aristocracy.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage.
The passage describes a system where Christian children are recruited, converted, trained, and appointed as elite soldiers (Janissaries) or high-ranking administrators under the direct authority of the Sultan.
Understanding the core mechanism of the recruitment system is the first step in identifying its political function.
2
Relate the recruitment system to Ottoman state-building efforts.
The recruitment of these individuals (the devshirme system) bypassed traditional Turkish noble families, ensuring the bureaucracy and military were loyal only to the Sultan.
Connecting the recruitment system to centralized imperial governance explains the political motivations behind its creation.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the statement that matches this political purpose.
The statement regarding the establishment of a loyal administrative and military elite directly dependent on the monarch, thereby curbing the power of traditional regional aristocracies, matches this development.
By contrasting the correct answer with the historical misconceptions in the other choices, we confirm the most accurate option.

Key Concept

The use of bureaucratic elites and military recruitment systems, such as the devshirme, to consolidate political power and centralize control in land-based empires.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Bureaucratic Elites and Military Recruitment (Devshirme and Samurai)

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