Muslim Society.....a fatal flaw?

Question

The Ottoman Turks brought Islam and muslim society to its heights in the 15th century. But, they had a problem - muslim boys were not easy to train for important work in the empire. The soution - take Christian boys at age 8 -10, convert them to Islam and then train them in arts of warfare and administration. Called the Jannissary Corps their feats of arms and administration are legendary. Now muslim society is confronted with this same old problem, but has no Jannissary Corps to lead them out of the 7th century.

Bronwen makes a good point on the tribal aspects of using converted Christians for palace guards. Muslims and Islam do not need bashers, they bash themselves everyday all over the world. Islam must go thru a "reformation" and "age of enlightment" if it is to make much contribution to the modern world.

Answer 1

Interesting, but their fatal flaw is a common flaw: Collectivism, anti-freedom & dictatorships. They need an enlightenment to support individual rights. (we need to rediscover our enlightment)

Answer 2

Actually, if you read about Janissaries, you find that it had nothing to do with the fact that Muslim boys were not easy to train. Traditionally, until the Jannissaries were established, non-Muslims were exempted from military service. It had to do with the fact that Christian boys, from outside of Muslim society, had no stake in tribal differences.

Tribal allegiances have always played an important role in Middle Eastern societies, and that proclivity for tribalism predates Islam. Sultans realized very early on that your life is at stake if your personal guard is made up of men whose allegiance to their tribe might interfere with their allegiance to whoever is in charge. The best solution, when allegiances are in question, is to find someone who has no stake in the local tribal system. The only people available in that part of the world at that time were Christians. It wasn't that they were better fighters, or smarter, or looked nicer in the uniforms; it was that they were more likely to be impartial. For a long time, Jannissaries were just the Royal Guard for the Sultan, essentially handling bodyguard and palace guard duties. Eventually, as they developed into a well-trained fighting corps, they became a regular military unit.

You know, I don't mind if you have a problem with Islam. That's your right. I do mind, however, if you use rotten reasoning and sketchy distorted history to "prove" your case. Look at what you wrote, and you will see it isn't really sound. Your premise is that there is a problem with Muslim society in general. Then you state that Jannissaries were converted to Islam. So, doesn't that make the same Jannissaries you admit were Muslim the ones whose "feats of arms and administration are legendary"? And if so, doesn't that defeat your purpose? Also, you state that Muslim society is now confronted with the same old problem, but has no Jannissary Corps to lead them out of the 7th Century. Didn't you just state above that the Jannissaries were a product of the 15th Century? If the Ottoman Turks brought Islam and Muslim society to great heights in the 15th Century, doesn't that itself imply that they are out of the 7th Century? Your question is awfully muddled, it seems. If you want to be an Islam basher, please go right ahead, but do, also, please have the guts to say it loud and clear--don't hide behind a bunch of contradictory gunk made up to sound scholarly.

Answer 3

Rather than enslaved Christians, the ones doing the "dirty work" are other Muslims, generally the young or those without hope (rightly or wrongly), or both. All have a sense that they are doing this for the will of Allah, or for rewards for their families, or the 72 virgins in Paradise, or...

Answer 4

Never heard of that but I am a fan of history. Do you have a website for more info?