Organisation

The Ocak of the Janissaries was made up of three divisions, in the 1580s standing at; The Cema’at (Company) — 101 Ortas, of which the 60th to 63rd were the Solaks of the Sultan’s Guard.

The Boluk (Division) — 61 Ortas, of which the 19th, the Becsis, provided the sentinels of the army on campaign and the 65th, the Cardak provided the Aga’s HQ Guard (including a group of halberdiers).

The Segmens (Dog-keepers) — 34 Ortas.

The officers at least of the Cema’at and the Boluk were distinguished by red and yellow boots respectively.

The whole Ocak was commanded by the Aga of the Janissaries, with as his assistants the commanders of the 2nd and 3rd divisions, the Kul Kahyasi and the Segman Basi (the higher officers were distinguished by three large white plumes and three smaller black ones, set fan-wise in their hats). The Ortas had their own commanders called Chorbaci (Soup-makers) assisted by a standard-bearer (Beyrakdar), clerk, imam, quartermaster and others including sergeants called ’scullions’ (Kara Kullucu); an Orta could have as few as 100 or as many as 500 men, and there are said to have been

12,000 Janissaries under Suleiman the Magnificent, rising to about 27,000 toward the end of the 16th Century.

Each Orta had its own sign (examples include key, anchor, fish, flag and mace) which was marked on its tents and other property and originally tattooed on the men as well! It probably also appeared on the Orta flag. These flags are said to have been red and white striped (example illustrated).

Even more important than the flag were the ’kasgan’, two copper cauldrons, which were carried before the Orta on parade, slung from a pole carried by two men.

The Janissaries had many privileges, including the rather dubious one of being executed (when necessary) in private at night, with a gun to mark their body passing into the seal They were immune from law and discipline except as administered by their own officers, they had a pension fund as well as regular wages, their own band and their own march step (three paces — pause, three paces— pause, with half turns to left and right). Apart from their military djjties, which included liability to summer and autumn manoeuvres in peacetime, they also acted as police and actually included two bodies of detectives!