Page "Janissary" Paragraph 5

According to military historian Michael Antonucci, every five years the Turkish administrators would scour their regions for the strongest sons of the sultan's Christian subjects.

These boys, usually between the ages of 10 and 12, were then taken from their parents and given to the Turkish families in the provinces to learn Turkish language and customs, and the rules of Islam ; these boys were then enrolled in Janissary training.

The recruit was immediately indoctrinated into the religion of Islam.

He was supervised 24 hours a day and subjected to severe discipline: he was prohibited from growing a beard, taking up a skill other than war, or marrying.

The Janissaries were extremely well disciplined ( a rarity in the Middle Ages ).