THE

COSTUME OF TURKEY,

ILLUSTRATED BY A SERIES OF

ENGRAVINGS;

WITH

DESCRIPTIONS IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH.

Plate XXVIII

AN OFFICER
OF THE JANISSARIES.

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Officer of the Janissary corps.

THROUGHOUT the whole extent of the Mussulman empire the military government forms the basis of the constitution. Each individual, with the exception of the ministers of religion, may be considered as a soldier, who is always ready to take up arms and march under the banner of the Prophet. And we may indeed consider the whole nation as a large armed body, of which the Sultan is the generalissimo. The Mussulman soldiers are divided into two classes : the Spahis, or cavalry, and the Janissaries, or infantry. The latter are dispersed throughout the different parts of the empire, and although they have their different officers, and constantly receive pay like regular troops, yet they follow other trades and professions. This plate represents an under officer of Janissaries in his common dress.