Abstract Janissaries, or Yeni Çeri (New Troops), established during the reign of Sultan Murad I (1326?–1389), were the backbone of the formidable army of the Ottoman Empire. The sultans originally created the infantry force as their bodyguard and as loyal support against the Turkish cavalry warriors and tribesmen of the Anatolian frontiers. Armed with swords and bows and arrows, by 1600 the Janissaries had become one of the first standing armies of Europe, equipped with matchlock and later flintlock muskets. They were particularly feared for their formidable artillery and their skill at siege warfare.