AM-02: Kethuda Bey
Item Code: AM-02
Description:Kethuda Bey (Kulkethudasy) Janissary deputy Commander in Chief
Type: Foot soldier
Scale: 65mm
Scluptor: Kostas Kariotellis
Product Contents : 5 White metal cast pieces (plume, head, torso and legs, left arm, right arm with weapon) and a metal base. Note. Water pipe, pillow and rosary not included in kit.
Documentation included : Historical note in English and photographic reference.
Dimensions: 100 X 155 X 35 mm
Suggested Retail Price: 24.60€
Illustrated model painted by Kostas Kariotellis and photographed by Nikos Apostolopoulos.
Historical Note
Janissary deputy Commander in Chief
During the reign of Emir Orchan (1326 - 1359), the first Ottoman leader to occupy European continental soil, a new practice was initiated. One thousand male babies should be handed over every year by each of the conquered Christian Balkan countries. This practice, “devsirme”, continued for three centuries until 1648 and until then it is estimated that 300,000 boy slaves had been absorbed by the ottoman empire. These slave boys would be brought in front of the Sultan, and after careful selection the best would be educated, converted to Islam and taught the Ottoman way. Their education included Ottoman Turkish language, Persian and Arabic, Islamic Religion and culture. These slave boys, known to us today as the Janissaries, (Yeni - new, Ceri - soldier), the Ottoman ‘s elite fighting forces would become one of the best and efficient foot soldier in the world. A supreme act of irony, the slaves became the best and most trusted armed men in the Ottoman Empire, having very significant role in sustaining the empire’s fighting strength, and the empire itself in Europe many historians argue, by playing a considerable role in many of the Ottoman victories in Europe.
The Janissaries were organised as a military unit by Sultan Murat I. Ottoman armies up to that time, had been composed by Turkoman tribal levies loyal to their clan leaders. Such an organisation however was not adequate for the new rising empire or the Sultan. As the Ottoman empire was acquiring the characteristics of a state the necessity of a loyal to the Sultan military unit became evident and gave birth to the Janissaries. Their lives were regulated by special laws, imposing the strictest discipline and cutting them off the civil society. Their devotion to discipline was one of their major characteristics and many can argue that it was the driving force behind their success as a military fighting unit. However, the constantly increasing requirements for additional troops (the numbers of the enlisted men increased from about 20,000 in 1574 to more than 130,000 in 1826) loosened the standards of recruitment and the increased numbers of men demanded alternate ways of payment. Since the Janissaries were paid only during war periods, they started pursuing various trades thus establishing stronger links with society. These reasons among others had undermined their loyalty to the Sultan leading to a number of revolts. In 1826, during the reign of Sultan Mahmut II, their last and most famous revolt was ended in a blood bath of thousands in the Hippodrome. The remaining Janissaries were banished or absorbed into the general population and the Janissary forces were disbanded
The miniature of this edition represents a Kethuda Bey, the Deputy Janissary Commander in Chief, in palace attire. The yellow shoes are an indication of palace service. The dress is composed by a richly embroidered tunic over a white (not visble) “gomlek” (undertunic), a bright colored “salwar” (trousers) and two, one over the other, also richly embroidered “entaris” (button front tunics).The top one is fur trimmed as sign of rank. The dress was complemented by the“bork” (typical folded pillow style headdress) with a black plume also sign or rank. The figure is armed with a curved Caucasian style dagger, a gilded “yatagan” (curved single edged sword) and holds a gilded mace, a symbolic weapon.
