Pike & Shotte: Osmanen

Warlord Games haben Neuheiten für die Osmanen vorgestellt.

This week sees further forces enter the Wars of Religion, with the emergence of the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire. Janissaries (from the Turkish for ‘new soldier’) were the elite infantry of the Ottoman Empire – and served as the Sultan’s Household troops and bodyguard.

The Janissary Corps was founded in 1383 by Sultan Murad I to provide him with well-disciplined and loyal troops for his expansionist campaigns. They were recruited from Christian vassal states of the Ottoman Empire in Europe by the ‘devsirme’ system of taking young boys aged 6-14 years and converting them to Islam. These children were indoctrinated and raised in an environment of harsh discipline and training, resulting in a fearsome fighting force.

The Corps was divided into ‘ortas’, the equivalent of a battalion, and at the height of the Janissaries’ powers in the late 1500s there were 196 ortas. These were divided between frontier troops (Cemaat), Sultan’s Household and Bodyguard formations (Beyliks), provincial reserves (Sekbans) and cadet troops (Ajemi). Each orta was led by a Cobaci or ‘Soup Maker’, a title that indicated humility before the Sultan, and an Asci Usta (Master Cook). Culinary traditions played an important role throughout the Janissary Corps as successful leaders should be able to provide for their men.

The first Ottoman release this week is the box set – which contains 24 metal miniatures that can be used to represent a Janissary orta. There are 12 miniatures with firearms and 12 with melee weapons that highlight the both the uniformity and diversity of the Janissary formations.

The contents are as follows:

• 12 metal Janissaries armed with sword and shield (includes a command group of officer, standard bearer, drummer and sergeant).
• 12 metal Janissaries armed with arquebus, led by an officer.
• Plastic bases.

Janissaries discipline and impressive war record notwithstanding, they were also at the forefront of many military advances. They wore uniforms and distinctive headgear at a time when army uniforms were practically unheard of. They were the first military units to march to music, and also the first to widely use firearms. The fact they were salaried fighters and lived in organised barracks was also unusual from a western standpoint.

 Quelle: Warlord Games