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