JANIZARIES, an order of infantry in the Turkish armies; reputed the grand seigneur's foot-guards. Vossius derives the word from zenizers, which in the Turkish
Turkish language signifies novi homines or militis. D' Herbelot tells us, that jeniteberi signifies a new band, or troop; and that the name was first given by Amurath I. called the Conqueror, who choosing out one fifth part of the Christian prisoners whom he had taken from the Greeks, and instructing them in the discipline of war and the doctrines of their religion, sent them to Hagi Bektafsche (a person whose pretended piety rendered him extremely revered among the Turks), to the end that he might confer his blessing on them, and at the same time give them some mark to distinguish them from the rest of the troops.—Bektafsche, after blessing them in his manner, cut off one of the sleeves of the fur-gown which he had on, and put it on the head of the leader of this new militia; from which time, viz. the year of Christ 1361, they have still retained the name jeniteberi, and the fur-cap.
As, in the Turkish army, the European troops are distinguished from those of Asia; the janizaries are also distinguished into janizaries of Constantinople, and of Damascus. Their pay is from two aspers to twelve per diem; for when they have a child, or do any signal piece of service, their pay is augmented.—Their dress consists of a dolyman, or long gown, with short sleeves, which is given them annually by the grand seignior on the first day of Ramazan. They wear no turbeau; but, in lieu of that, a kind of cap, which they call zarcola, and a long hood of the same stuff hanging on their shoulders. On solemn days they are adorned with feathers, which are stuck in a little case on the fore-part of the bonnet.—Their arms, in Europe, in time of war, are a sabre, a carabine or musket, and a cartouch-box hanging on the left side. At Constantinople, in time of peace, they wear only a long staff in their hand. In Asia, where powder and fire-arms are more uncommon, they wear a bow and arrows, with a poingard, which they call baniare.—Though the janizaries are not prohibited marriage, yet they rarely marry, nor then but with the consent of their officers; as imagining a married man to make a worse soldier than a bachelor.—It was Osman, or Ottoman, or, as others will have it, Amurath, who first instituted the order of janizaries. They were at first called jaja, that is, footmen, to distinguish them from the other Turks, the troops whereof consisted mostly of cavalry. The number of janizaries is generally above 40,000; divided into 162 companies or chambers called odas, in which they live together at Constantinople as in a convent. They are of a superior rank to all other soldiers, and are also more arrogant and factious, and it is by them that the public tranquillity is mostly disturbed. The government may therefore be said to be in the hands of the janizaries. They have, however, some good qualities: they are employed to escort travellers, and especially ambassadors and persons of high rank, on the road; in which case, they behave with the utmost zeal and fidelity.