Janissaries liked to think of themselves as "the heaven-chosen soldiers of Islam." They played an important part in the early Ottoman conquests in the 14th Cent.
Originally the Janissaries—more correctly Yeni Cheri, or "new troops"—were recruited from Christian youths captured in the Balkans. Later on, as the demand for their services increased, youths from Christian villages were forced into service; the better ones were funneled into the courts and palaces, while the least capable went on for military training and joined the Janissaries.
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