The expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, which culminated in the taking of Constantinople in 1453, was closely associated with the process of developing the military. One of the important innovations here was the creation of a standing army. While most early modern states relied almost entirely on mercenaries hired for short periods, the Ottomans created a permanent armed force. One of its most important and most-feared divisions was the Janissaries (Turkish: yeniçeri, “new soldier”), an …