Հայերն Օսմանեան բանակում ԺԴ. դարից մինչեւ 1918 (ուրուագիծ)
| dc.contributor.author | Անահիտ Աստոյեան | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-11-26T05:53:04Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-11-26T05:53:04Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2008 | |
| dc.description.abstract | As untrustworthy elements, the Christians of the Ottoman Empire were not recruited by the army. Moreover, according to the Shariaa law, as infidels, they were not entitled to fight in the army of the believers. However, in order to use the military capability of these Christians and due to the increasing needs of the army, the Ottoman authorities forcefully recruited the strongest, most handsome, healthy and clever Christian teenagers and, after forced islamization, sent them to the Janissaries' units. It is not clear how many of the Janissaries were Armenians. For three centuries, however, the devshirme system appropriated the best of the Armenian generations from their natural milieu to serve the Ottoman Empire and its religion. The Armenians served in the land and sea units of the Ottoman army in different ways. Concurrently, throughout centuries, the financial contribution of the Christians to the strengthening of the Ottoman army was huge. This was done through taxes and levies, which Muslims did not have. The basic provisioners of the Ottoman army were Armenian merchants. On another note, for centuries, large numbers of Armenian artisans permanently served the Ottoman land and sea military units. These merchants and artisans were an inseparable part of the army and accompanied it during military action. As a result of the provisions of the Tanzimat (promulgated in 1839) and due to the scarcity of Turkish physicians, as of the mid-19th century Armenian physicians were given the chance to serve the Ottoman army. Some 170 high ranking Armenian officers were awarded the titles of bey and pasha. Other Armenians serving in other power holding ministries, as well as the Armenian governors of Mount Lebanon, were awarded these highest military titles too. Military career was made available to the Armenians in 1908 with the proclamation of the Ottoman Constitution, under which Armenians and other Christian representatives of the Ottoman parliament demanded that military service in the Ottoman army should be equal to all. Both during the Balkan War and WWI Armenian soldiers fought courageously and were acknowledged by high Turkish military officers. However, during WWI, to implement their preplanned massacre of the Armenians, the Turkish authorities annihilated the militarily-able Armenians. Turkish historiography denied the centuries-old Armenian effort to strengthen the Ottoman army and claimed that only the Turks and the other Moslem peoples of the Ottoman Empire fought for the Ottoman state. However, the above-mentioned undeniable facts show that Armenians as soldiers, artisans, provisioners, physicians and state administrators served in the Ottoman army for centuries and contributed to its strengthening. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Աստոյեան, Ա., «Հայերն Օսմանեան բանակում ԺԴ. դարից մինչեւ 1918 (ուրուագիծ), «Հայկազեան հայագիտական հանդէս», 2008, Պէյրութ, էջ 89-131 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://haigrepository.haigazian.edu.lb/handle/123456789/972 | |
| dc.title | Հայերն Օսմանեան բանակում ԺԴ. դարից մինչեւ 1918 (ուրուագիծ) |
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