Devshirme System

Have you ever wondered how the Ottoman Empire remained so powerful for such a long time? One of its most important secrets was the Devşirme System, which trained talented children from all corners of the world to become heroes. Let’s explore how this fascinating process worked!

^{Devşirme sistemini temsil eden görsel (Yapay zeka ile oluşturulmuştur)}

The Ottoman State sought to produce not only strong soldiers for its army but also intelligent administrators for its government. To this end, it selected healthy, well-behaved, and highly intelligent children from non-Muslim families and subjected them to rigorous training. These children were called devşirme, and over time they became the sultan’s most trusted assistants.

The goal of this system was not merely to train soldiers but also to create a bureaucratic elite based solely on merit. It did not matter which family a child came from; what mattered was how hardworking and intelligent he was. Thus, a boy from an ordinary village could rise to become the empire’s most powerful official: the Sadrazam (Grand Vizier).

^{Devşirme Sistemini temsil eden görsel (Yapay zeka ile oluşturulmuştur)}

Officials appointed by the sultan traveled through villages and selected the most suitable children with great care. However, this selection followed strict and specific rules:

• Usually, only one child was taken from every 40 households.
• Boys who were their family’s only son were never taken; they remained with their fathers.
• The child had to be physically healthy, good-looking, and intelligent.
• Children whose fathers were craftsmen, who spoke Turkish, or who were married were not taken.

The height, eye color, and family background of each selected child were recorded in a special register called the Eşkâl Defteri. This register preserved all the child’s physical characteristics, much like modern identity cards.

Enderun was like the finest university of its time. There, children studied subjects such as mathematics, history, and literature, as well as sports like music, archery, and horseback riding. Each was also taught at least one craft.

^{Devşirme sistemini temsil eden görsel (Yapay zeka ile oluşturulmuştur)}

Children brought to Istanbul were first placed with Turkish families, where they learned the Turkish language and culture. Afterwards, they were separated according to their abilities:

1. Strong and Agile Boys: They joined the Janissary Corps and became the elite soldiers of the army.
2. Highly Intelligent Boys: They entered the Enderun Mektebi within the sultan’s palace.

Thanks to this system, the Ottoman State gathered some of the most talented individuals in the world. Officials of devşirme origin remained loyal only to the sultan and managed state affairs with exceptional competence. Without this system, renowned statesmen such as Sokollu Mehmet Pasha or the Köprülü family might never have become known.