Kapıkulu

Kapıkulu (Ottoman Turkish: قپوقولو اوجاغی‎, Kapıkulu Ocağı, "Slaves of the Sublime Porte") was the collective name for the Household Division of the Ottoman Sultans. They included the Janissary infantry corps as well as the Six Divisions of Cavalry. Unlike provincial levies such as the timariots and irregular forces (levend), the kapıkulu were professional, standing troops, mostly drawn through the devshirme system. They formed the backbone of the military of the Ottoman Empire during its "classical period", from the 15th century until the Auspicious Incident that lead to the abolition of the kapıkulu during the 19th century Tanzimat.

Sources

• Uyar, Mesut; Erickson, Edward J. (2009). A Military History of the Ottomans: From Osman to Atatürk. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-275-98876-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)