TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Army and navy
Also known as: devşirme
The practice of taking some Christian children among Ottoman subjects into state service for the army and the palace.
The Janissary corps, founded under Murad I, first drew its soldiers from prisoners of war. The devshirme appears to have been practised under Mehmed I and to have become law under Murad II. The boys learned the language and religion while living with Turkish families and were then assigned to the corps or to the palace; the most able were trained in the Enderun and could rise as far as the vizierate.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “DEVŞİRME” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.