Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - On the Flyssa, the Iflissen, and Janissary Recruitment in Ottoman Algiers

Emanuel · 14th February 2010, 11:39 PM

Shuval (1997) provides additional information, based on the Bayt-al-Mal, the administration of finances. Here is only a short review, to be completed soon.

Shuval confirms the large component of Anatolian recruits, but also identifies a reduction in Anatolian soldiers between 1786 and 1792, corresponding with an increase in Albanians and Cretans. There is a bit of contradiction and confusion here since Venture de Paradis also comments on the large number of recruits from the Levant at this period. Shaw (1732) had already indicated that every five or six years the Algerians would send vessels to the Levant to find recruits for their armies.

Circassians were moved by the Ottomans to the Levant, but very late, towards the end of the 19th century.
If there were Circassians in Algiers, where did they come from? Circassians had been drawn into the Mameluke corps and they did rule Egypt relatively close to Algeria, but only until the early 16th century, outside of the period of interest.

The Albanian connection supports the Eastern European attribution of the "Anatolian" yataghan linked at the end of the previous post.

There's more

J. Deny (1920) has analyzed and published the complete registers of Janissary pay, from 1100 to 1246 Hijri (1688-1830). I have not yet been able to consult this treatise, but I expect to do so in good time.

Stay tuned

14th February 2010, 11:39 PM	#2
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Shuval (1997) provides additional information, based on the Bayt-al-Mal, the administration of finances. Here is only a short review, to be completed soon. Shuval confirms the large component of Anatolian recruits, but also identifies a reduction in Anatolian soldiers between 1786 and 1792, corresponding with an increase in Albanians and Cretans. There is a bit of contradiction and confusion here since Venture de Paradis also comments on the large number of recruits from the Levant at this period. Shaw (1732) had already indicated that every five or six years the Algerians would send vessels to the Levant to find recruits for their armies. Circassians were moved by the Ottomans to the Levant, but very late, towards the end of the 19th century. If there were Circassians in Algiers, where did they come from? Circassians had been drawn into the Mameluke corps and they did rule Egypt relatively close to Algeria, but only until the early 16th century, outside of the period of interest. The Albanian connection supports the Eastern European attribution of the "Anatolian" yataghan linked at the end of the previous post. There's more J. Deny (1920) has analyzed and published the complete registers of Janissary pay, from 1100 to 1246 Hijri (1688-1830). I have not yet been able to consult this treatise, but I expect to do so in good time. Stay tuned Attached Images Last edited by Emanuel; 15th February 2010 at 05:30 PM.