The Disbandment of the Janissary Corps (Yeniçeri Ocağı)

A Painting Depicting the Conquest of Istanbul by 
Fatih Sultan Mehmet and his Janissary Soldiers

Sultan Mahmud II Hân and the Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye

On June 15th, 1826, the Janissary corps (Yeniçeri Ocağı) was abolished by Sultan Mahmud II Hân, and was replaced by the regimented army known as Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye (The Victorious Soldiers of [the Prophet] Muhammad). This event became known as the The Auspicious Incident (Vakâ-i Hayriye).

Sultan Mahmud II Han, the Thirtieth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Background to the Auspicious Incident

The Sultan had been preparing the way to eliminate the Janissary corps for some time, as they were averse to military modernization and were firmly set in their ways, and would sometimes rebel against the state. Sultan Mahmud II appointed his own men to key positions in the corps, and worked to get the support of the Ulema (religious officials of the Empire), whose cooperation with the Janissaries had doomed many previous reform attempts. All through the winter and spring of 1826, the Sultan met with his close advisers to formulate strategies and make final plans for reforms. While some proposed establishing modern military units within the Janissary corps itself, the Ağa (Commander) of the Janissaries Hüseyin countered this with the argument that it would be impossible to get the cooperation of the lesser corps officers, and that suppression of the corps was the only solution. 

An Ottoman Miniature Painting Depicting a Janissary Soldier Loading his Rifle

The Rebels Start to Plot

Unfortunately, however, the Janissaries who had agreed to support the Sultan actually ended up working secretly to organize an uprising to destroy the new Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye force before it could get started. On the night of June 14th, 1826, the Janissaries began to revolt. Groups of rebels scattered throughout the city and started to sack homes of supporters of the Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye force. 

Janissaries Marching

The Janissary Revolt and the Auspicious Incident

In response to the rebellion, the Grand Vizier summoned the loyal troops and asked leading members of the government and Ulema to gather at the Topkapi Palace in support of the Sultan, who himself had summarily rejected the demands of the rebels. The standard (flag) of the Prophet Muhammad was unfurled as a motivational tool, and agents were sent throughout the city to urge the faithful Muslims to join the attack against the rebel Janissaries. The Janissaries were forced to withdraw to their barracks at Et Meydani did not stand a chance against the superior numbers. The corps was abolished the following day, on June 15th, 1826. Some of the remaining members of the Janissaries throughout the Empire were given the opportunity to join the new Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye force, whereas the remaining Janissaries were simply absorbed into the general population. 

Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye Calvary on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul 

Significance of the Auspicious Incident

Sultan Mahmud II's disbandment of the Janissaries, called the Auspicious Incident, was an event of major importance in Ottoman history, as for the first time in the history of the Empire, reform had been undertaken by destroying an old institution, which allowed for a new institution to function without being hindered by obsolete practices. 

The end of the Janissary corps, which had been the pioneering regular infantry of the early modern world, marked the end of an era. While the Janissary corps were the most effective military force for several hundreds of years, their resistance to modernize and accept newer military technologies unfortunately eventually led to their downfall.

Greco-Turkish War of 1897, also called the Thirty Days' War

Sources:

History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey | Stanford J. Shaw, Ezel Kural Shaw

A Military History of the Ottomans | Mesut Uyar and Edward J. Erickson


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