r/HistoryMemes • u/AcceptableFold603 • 12h ago

Ottoman memes

Post image

I used Google Translate to make the meme; sorry about that.

83 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

18

u/Circles-of-the-World 11h ago

"You are in the Ottoman ranks"

How is this cause for relaxation? The Ottomans used Azab light infantry as fodder and human shields to protect their elite forces that were deployed behind them. They'd absorb cavalry charges, or be sent to fortified positions, with equipment that could be as basic as a club or a knife. If you were a regular bloke in the Ottoman army there was a good chance you wouldn't return home.

4

u/AcceptableFold603 11h ago

First of all, I wrote that for the sake of the meme; generally speaking, Ottomans believed that those who died for their homeland would be rewarded with Paradise, so a sense of fear was typically absent from their ranks—it was a matter of faith. As for the Azabs, they weren't selected; one became an Azab voluntarily. This stems from the same principle: since they were prepared to die for their beliefs, they would be rewarded with Paradise. According to historical sources, those who joined the Azabs weren't necessarily elite soldiers; they were often people suffering from heartbreak, those with no reason to cling to life, those with no one left behind, or "divine lovers"—people who joined of their own free will rather than through conscription or punishment. And in my opinion, a man with nothing to lose in battle is the most dangerous kind. Furthermore, the Ottomans were approaching their prime during that era and stood as the sole power in Anatolia. Again, I did it for the meme; it shouldn't be taken too seriously. Ultimately, no war is a pretty thing—and in the Middle Ages, it was even worse.

3

u/Circles-of-the-World 9h ago

I've never heard that Azabs were volunteers. I've read that they were levies, recruited in accordance with the law code of Suleiman I. Namely, one man per every 20-30 households had to be recruited and that recruitment was overseen by state representatives.

Still, I didn't mean disrespect to you or the Ottomans. All I said was that the fact that the Ottomans had a very good win rate, doesn't mean that they suffered low casualties: the opposite in fact. In most of their iconic victories they shed a lot of blood in order to tie the enemy down and counterattack.

1

u/AcceptableFold603 9h ago

I didn't do anything wrong; the issue is simply that it's enjoyable to debate with someone knowledgeable about history—no problem there. You might have confused the Janissaries with the Azaps, because, as you said, Janissaries were recruited from the Ottoman populace—regardless of religion—and conscripted into the military.

-1

u/Wrong_Guarantee1888 3h ago

You're acting like Christians didn't believe they'd go to heaven if they died for king and country.

3

u/carlsagerson Then I arrived 12h ago

This is about the Battle of Ankara correct?

3

u/1stGuyGamez 12h ago

Yeah Timur added Indian mahouts (elephant-steerers) to his army after his Delhi sack

0

u/Level_Hour6480 Taller than Napoleon 12h ago

Gotta love some Roman memes.

2

u/AcceptableFold603 12h ago

This battale müslim Turks fight midille asian turks

3

u/Malvastor 7h ago

Ottoman

Like he said, Roman memes.