The Ottoman devshirme system was a method developed to supply the state’s military and administrative structure with qualified human resources. This system began to be implemented especially from the late 14th century onward and played an important role in Ottoman governance for many years. The Ottoman devshirme system was based on the principle of collecting young Christian boys within certain rules and training them.
Through the devshirme system, loyal individuals were trained for the palace, the Janissary corps, and various levels of state service. Boys taken into the system were first immersed in Turkish-Islamic culture, then directed toward military, administrative, or scholarly fields according to their abilities. The Ottoman devshirme system, grounded in a meritocratic approach, made advancement based on merit possible.
These boys were placed with Turkish villagers in Anatolia, where they were adapted to the Ottoman way of life both linguistically and culturally. Afterward, individuals trained at elite educational institutions such as the Enderun became servants loyal to the sultan. In this respect, the devshirme system was an element that strengthened the Ottoman Empire’s central authority. The operation of the Ottoman devshirme system was as follows:
- Christian boys were gathered at certain intervals
- The boys were raised in Anatolian villages amid Turkish culture
- They were enrolled in educational institutions such as the Enderun
- They were directed toward state service according to their abilities
- A structure based on loyalty to the sultan was established
Who Was Not Taken into the Devshirme in the Ottoman Empire?
Those excluded from the Ottoman devshirme show that the system was shaped within a framework of specific rules and criteria. The devshirme system was built on a structure in which not every child could be included in this process. Ottoman officials paid attention to religious, age, and physical criteria during recruitment.
First and foremost, Muslim children were never taken into the devshirme. The system only covered the children of non-Muslim families, particularly Christian ones. This approach was adopted to protect individuals belonging to the Islamic faith and to maintain the state structure in accordance with religious principles.
Among those excluded from the Ottoman devshirme were also Jewish and Armenian children. This was because these groups were subject to a different structure by the Ottoman administration under the “millet system” (community system). In addition, the children of Christian families living in cities were not included in the devshirme either. For recruitment, boys living in villages who were physically healthy, intelligent, and talented were generally preferred. Those excluded from the Ottoman devshirme were as follows:
- Muslim children
- Jewish and Armenian children
- Christian children living in cities
- Individuals with physical disabilities
- Those who did not meet the age criteria (under 8 or over 18)
- Children deemed unsuitable on moral grounds
Which Sultan First Implemented the Devshirme System?
The devshirme system was given a regular structure in Ottoman history and put into practice under specific rules. The foundations of this system were laid during the reign of Murad I. Toward the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Empire’s rapidly expanding territory and growing administrative needs created demand for a new human resource model. It was within this framework that the devshirme system was developed.
Murad I initiated the devshirme system with the aim of both strengthening the army and creating trustworthy cadres for administration. The Janissary corps established at this time was a direct product of this system. Thanks to the devshirme system, well-educated soldiers and administrators loyal to the state’s central authority were trained.
The devshirme system provided stability in both the military and administrative structuring of the Ottoman Empire. Many statesmen trained through this system took on important roles in Ottoman governance for many years. Devshirme boys selected for the Enderun school underwent both theoretical and practical training, becoming individuals capable of taking on responsibility at various levels of the state.
