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Difficulty: EasyTaxation and Tribute Systems in Land-Based Empires

"To the judges and local officials of Bosnia: You are hereby commanded to assist the imperial commissioners sent to gather the devshirme levy from the Christian households of your districts. From every district, a set number of boys of suitable age and character shall be gathered. They shall be brought to the imperial capital, Istanbul, where they will be educated, converted, and trained to serve in the administration or the elite military corps of our empire."
— Ottoman imperial decree, 16th century

The recruitment system described in the decree was designed to serve which of the following imperial goals?

  1. To build a loyal military and administrative elite directly dependent on the ruling sultanAnswer
  2. B
    To establish a permanent hereditary class of agricultural chattel slaves to work on rural estates
  3. C
    To enforce Safavid Shi'a religious orthodoxy across the rural regions of Anatolia
  4. D
    To create a decentralized feudal system where provincial vassals held independent military authority

Answer

To build a loyal military and administrative elite directly dependent on the ruling sultan
The correct answer is correct because the devshirme system was specifically designed to recruit Christian boys, convert them, and train them as elite soldiers or bureaucrats who owed their status and allegiance solely to the sultan. This allowed the central government to bypass the influence of traditional Turkish nobility and consolidate power.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the historical context and system described in the source.
The decree describes the Ottoman devshirme system, which levied Christian boys from the provinces to serve the state.
Recognizing the devshirme system establishes the basis for analyzing its political function.
2
Analyze the destinations and roles of the recruits mentioned in the text.
The boys were converted, educated in Istanbul, and placed in either the imperial administration or the elite military corps (Janissaries).
Understanding their roles helps link the system to the consolidation of state authority.
3
Determine how these roles served broader imperial goals of land-based empires during this period.
Because these recruits lacked local family ties and noble heritage, they were completely dependent on and loyal to the sultan, which strengthened centralized control over traditional regional elites.
This matches the core historical concept of gunpowder empires using recruitment and taxation systems to centralize power.

Key Concept

Ottoman devshirme and centralization of power
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Taxation and Tribute Systems in Land-Based Empires

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