602 TURKEY IN EUROPE. 



educated in the seraglio, and trained up to the exercise of arms from 

 their infancy ; and there are not less than 100,000 foot soldiers scat- 

 tered over every province of the empire, who procure themselves to 

 be registered in this body, to enjoy the privilege of janisaries, which 

 are very great, being subject to no jurisdiction but that of their aga,, 

 or chief commander. Mr. Eton states the number of janisaries at 

 1 13,400 ; the whole of the Turkish infantry at 207,400, and the cavalry 

 at 181,000; making a total of 388,400. But, deducting from these 

 the leventis, who belong to the fleet, and can only be employed near 

 the coast where the fleet is ; the garrisons of Constantinople, and th® 

 fortresses and frontiers in Europe and Asia; the bostangees,who only 

 march when the grand-seignor takes the field ; the miklagis, and 

 such as serve the vizier, the beglerbegs, and pashas, and never go 

 into the battle ; the remainder of effective men will amount only to 

 186,400. Yet the Porte (adds he) has often found it difficult to as- 

 semble 100,000 men; and in 1774, with its utmost efforts, could only 

 bring into the field 142,000. The constant wars in which he has been 

 lately engaged with Russia, has obliged the grand seignor to pay more 

 attention to the raising and disciplining of his armies. In 1804 he 

 had an army of 190,000 infantry, and 107,000 cavalry, from which, 

 however, the foregoing deductions should be made. 



The naval force of the Turks is very inconsiderable. In 1806 it 

 consisted of 20 ships of the line, 15 frigates, and 32 smaller vessels. 

 Their galleys now are of no use as ships of war ; but there are about 

 twenty large vessels called caravellas, which belong to merchants, 

 and in time of war are frequently taken into the service of the Porte, 

 and carry 40 guns. 



Titles and arms ..The emperor's titles are swelled with all the 

 pomp of eastern magnificence. He is styled by his subjects, the 

 Shadaw of God. a God on earth, Brother to the Sun and Moon, Dis- 

 poser of all earthly Crowns, ifc. The grand-seignor's arms are, vert, 

 a crescent, argent, crested with a turban, charged with three black 

 plumes of heron's quills, with this motto, Donee totum imfileat orbem. 



Religion. ...The established religion is the Mahommedan, so called 

 from Mahommed, the author of it, some account of whom the reader 

 will find in the following history of Arabia, the native country of that 

 impostor. The Turks profess to be of the sect of Omar ; but these 

 are split into as many sectaries as their neighbours the Christians. 

 The mufti or sheik islam is the supreme chief of the religion of Ma- 

 hommed in Turkey, the oracle who is consulted, and who solves all 

 the questions which are put to him : his decisions are called fetfas. 

 The sultan has recourse to him in all difficult and intricate cases, and 

 he promulgates no law, makes no declaration of war, establishes no 

 impost, without having obtained a fetfa. It is the mufti who girds on 

 the sultan's sword on his accession to the throne, at the same time 

 reminding him of the obligation of defending the religion of the pro- 

 phet, and of propagating its creed. The ulemas, or doctors of religion 

 and the laws, constitute a powerful body, sometimes formidable to the 

 throne itself. They possess the most lucrative employments, are 

 secure from the extortions of pashas and great men, and cannot 

 legally be put to death without the consen^ of their chief, the mufti. 

 Their property, after their decease, passes as a right to their heirs, 

 and cannot be appropriated by the imperial treasury, unless they have 

 accepted some office under the government. The imauns, who serve 

 the mosques, and the muezins, whose employment is to ascend the 



