418 chapter 9
into the janissaries’ ranks to corrupt them.73 These spies incited the soldiers
to seek comfort and to care only for their salaries. Sekbanbaşı illustrates this
account with several examples from the recent wars with Russia, citing, among
other things, the Maçin petition of 1791 (W254–278).
Kuşmani also embarks on a vehement and long libel against the janissaries
(İ26ff.): they meddle with the rabble, stay at home, and avoid campaigns; they
practice all kinds of humiliating professions (İ27: ba ’zınız bakkal u nakkal ve
kiminiz hammal u cemmal ve ekseriniz dahi dihkâniyyet ve sa ’ir sanayi’-i izafiyye
ile); their own uniform is useless in war; and their lack of discipline makes their
large numbers a disadvantage against the enemy.
If soldiers could be made by gaining money from lawful or unlawful
trades, by worldly professions, or just by simple luxury and clothing, un-
doubtedly the Porte would produce five million soldiers with ease (İ29).Thus, one argument Sekbanbaşı and Kuşmani provide in favor of the new army
is its efficiency: Kuşmani stresses the example of the gunners corps, which
shows that soldiers’ training can bring results that are beneficial for the state.
As for Sekbanbaşı, he praises the discipline of the Nizam-i Cedid, their organi-
zation and how it excludes any possibility of intrusion by enemy spies, their
steadfastness and mastery of military stratagems in battle (showing that such
stratagems are in no way incompatible with the Muslim tradition), and the use
of uniforms and passwords (where one recognizes the echo of Müteferrika’s
descriptions) (W254–278).
The strongest and most pronounced argument is, as may by now be expect-
ed, the precedence of Muslims in using military innovation. In Sekbanbaşı’s
treatise, we read that the rapid use of artillery and the introduction of military
exercises were a novelty of Süleyman’s time, unknown to the Europeans; he
even states that it was Süleyman who first created a regular army, i.e. the janis-
saries. As with what was happening with the Nizam-i Cedid, in Süleyman’s time
older soldiers (sekban) found the janissaries’ attire ridiculous and their institu-
tion useless, discouraging new recruits. To deal with the problem Süleyman
decided to bring Hacı Bektaş, “the polar star of the times”, from Anatolia and
make him pray for the recruits; the latter stopped deserting and started fight-
ing with supreme discipline and effectiveness. To cope with this, European rul-
ers adopted the Ottoman systems, namely prohibition of soldiers engaging in
73 In another section (W280–286), Sekbanbaşı reverts to the damage done by foreign spies,
describing how easily they can introduce themselves into a group of undisciplined sol-
diers, with no uniforms or organization.