A Summary Of The Devshirme System

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Recommended: The European slave trade

The question of would I rather be a slave of the Atlantic system or Devshirme system, is a pretty much an easy decision. The Atlantic system of slave trading consisted of horrible conditions all around from the ships they were boarded on to the new land they were sold into to start off. Olaudah Equiano described his view of one of the ships saying he “saw a large furnace of copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection and sorrow”(Documents: Africa and The Slave Trade, 29). These slaves were taken from their homeland in Parts of West Africa, The Gold Coast (where present day Nigeria is located) and Angola. The people who were sold into slavery were mostly prisoners from other tribes from all genders and even children. Sometimes people would even trick their neighbors and kin into being sold into slavery. John Barbot …show more content…

The Ottomans ransacked Balkan villages and cities every year and took boys and young men from their homes and “took them to the capital where they were trained to become administrators, soldiers in the elite Janissary corps, and, sometimes, palace officials”(Documents: The Rise Of The Ottoman Empire, 59). These Slaves were very important to the power and society of the Ottoman Empire and it’s everlasting glory featuring Elite newly Islamic soldiers and even newly Islamic Officials of the Ottoman Empire in a heavily Islamic influenced society. Most were treated like every other person among the empire and were considered “one of them” when they were converted to Islam. Ottoman Society didn’t seem to have a problem among these slaves physically or sexually. Resistance didn’t seem to be desired by these slaves among the devshirme system because of how well they have been treated and granted some lives with opportunities and riches they wouldn’t have had

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