T U R 
by Mahomet himself, hover over them and direct their 
weapons to the hearts of their enemies. The Turkish institu¬ 
tions were well contrived for upholding a military spirit. 
All Mussulmen are soldiers, in the eye of the law, and are 
called Askery .• they form a class totally distinct from their 
infidel subjects. All their conquered lands have been distributed 
among the officers and soldiers, by a greater and less 
division, called Ziamets and Timars; the former con¬ 
sisting of five hundred acres and upwards, the latter of three 
hundred and under five hundred acres. The Ziams and 
Timariots were bound to take up arms at the summons of 
the sultan, and follow him to the wars. Their period 
of service lasted from April to October, at which lime they 
would return home, even without permission. 
The grants of land made by sultans to their soldiers were 
not hereditary, for it is said that the same estate has been 
granted eight times in one campaign. The Timariots are 
not now soldiers. Recent changes have nearly banished 
them from the armies, though in case of invasion they may 
be found formidable defenders. 
The distinction of nobility is unknown to the Turks; the 
meanest peasant may aspire to the highest place next the 
sultan, than which there can be no greater excitement to a 
military people. Upon a declaration of war, all the male 
population from sixteen to sixty are summoned, but their at¬ 
tendance is optional. 
To remedy the great defects of the Timariot military sys¬ 
tem, the regular troops called Janizaries were first establish¬ 
ed. This was effected in the following manner:—Amurat 
having conquered Bulgaria, Servia, and Macedonia, was 
advised by a vizier to claim a fifth part of the young men of 
those countries to form a permanent army. This system 
was found to work so well, that the male children of every 
fifth year were afterwards taken from the Christian subjects, 
and reared in seminaries, where they were taught the Turk¬ 
ish language, to wrestle and shoot with the bow, and were 
initiated in the Mahometan faith. These at a proper age 
were formed into companies, some of which were attached 
to the person and palace of the sultan; these collectively 
formed the most efficient army that had been seen since the 
decline of the Roman legions. While military discipline 
was in its infancy in the Christian states, these Janizaries 
triumphed over every opposition, to the terrorand amazement 
of all beholders. 
Every Turk at present endeavours to get his name enrolled 
in the army, as he thereby avoids the payment of taxes; 
though many thus enrolled never serve. If any one of this 
body commits a crime for which he is condemned to death, 
his name is instantly struck off the roll, that the corps may 
not be disgraced by his execution. 
The Turks have also a numerous and efficient cavalry, 
excellently mounted and superbly dressed, who manage 
their horses and wield their arms with great dexterity. The 
greatest order and decency prevail among them, nor do they 
(in their own territories) ever commit excesses. Their food 
is simple, wine being strictly prohibited: they are content 
with bread and a few olives. A dish of vegetables with salt 
and vinegar is considered a luxury among them. 
The two chief judges or mufti are called military judges, 
and all have in their mouths this proverb, that they gained 
the country by the sword, and by the sword they will main¬ 
tain it. The real principle of the Turkish government is 
partly military and partly religious: the distinct powers of 
each have, however, never be^p properly defined. 
Formerly the sultan’s sons were made governors of pro¬ 
vinces or commanders of armies; this led to much disorder, 
and Solyman the first, in consequence,'established the custom 
of imprisoning the princes of the blood in a palace at Con¬ 
stantinople, called Eski Serai. They are allowed to marry, 
but their offspring are destroyed at the moment of their 
birth; the children of the princesses, who are also allowed 
to marry, share the same fate. It was Selim the first who 
united the title of iman or pontiff to that of sultan or lord; 
thus the house of Othman obtained additional reverence 
from their subjects by uniting the priesthood to the military 
Vox-. XXIV. No. 1636. 
KEY. 193, 
command. There is an article in the Turkish code Multika 
which invests the sultan with all the power of an absolute 
king, while it enjoins him to fulfil the duties of a priest. 
He is allowed by the Mahometan law to kill fourteen persons 
in one day, without cause and without blame; but there is 
one great consolation in this, the soul of him thus slain flies 
instantly to Paradise. The sultan’s will is also sufficient to 
abrogate any law not founded on the Koran. 
The Ulemas consist of three classes, the doctors of laws, 
the judges, and the ministers of religion ; the latter is the 
inferior situation, indeed a layman may be appointed to the 
offices of meuzzin and imam, to call to prayers, and per¬ 
form the duty of priest. The Ulemas have many privileges; 
they are the keepers of the Fetva or holy seal ; they may 
marry, and their property descends from father to son, though 
the sultan can exile, imprison or displace them at pleasure. 
The civil government is conducted by the vizier and other 
principal ministers. When, they meet in divan, the sultan 
is always present, where he can hear and see without being 
seen. In the provinces the chief command devolves on the 
Bcglierbegs ; the second in command are the pachas, whose 
authority extends over the military, the revenue, and the 
administration of justice; yet is the greatest pacha every hour 
liable to be hurled from the height of power and magnificence 
by the annihilating mandate of thesultan. Sometimes a pacha 
becomes so powerful as to defy thesultan, who bears the insult 
with seeming apathy,or perhaps loads the object of his jealousy 
with preferments; suspicion thus laid at rest, the pacha falls 
by the hand of an assassin. The administration of justice is 
very defective; the judge generally deciding in favour of 
him who carries the longest purse. Next to the corruption 
of the judge, is the perjury of witnesses, who think it meri¬ 
torious to swear falsely against a Christian. The adminis¬ 
tration of criminal law is equally faulty: the power of life 
and death is exercised every where without delay or mercy. 
A baker is found selling bread by a light weight; he is in¬ 
stantly hanged by order of the chief officer of police; if he 
cannot readily be found, they hang his apprentice, though 
he is totally ignorant of the offence: thus the crime is pu¬ 
nished though the criminal escapes. The following anec¬ 
dote will serve as an illustration of the celerity of Turkish 
j ustice. A Russian minister complained of insult being offered 
to some persons entitled to the vizier’s protection. The vi- 
zier made a horizontal motion with his hand, and before 
the minister departed seven heads were rolled on the floor. 
Taxation in Turkey, falls principally, if not entirely, on 
the unbelievers: the regular taxes are, however, by no means - 
equal to the extortions of the pachas. 
On the subject of commerce, the policy of the Porte 
appears liberal at first sight. All foreign goods are 
admitted upon the payment of a duty of three or four per 
cent.; but the merchant pays a further duty of double that 
amount. Thus the government sacrifices the interests of 
its own subjects for the sake of a little ready money. Chris¬ 
tians are considered an inferior race, and are loaded with 
every mark of degradation. The oath of a Christian is of 
little avail against a Mussulman ; but if he commits perjury, 
the punishment is death. If, op the contrary, a Mussulman 
deliberately murders a Christian, he escapes with impunity. 
It is, however, consolatory, that this system of misgovern- 
ment produces weakness in the sovereign, and desolation 
in the state. All that is mean, despicable, and cruel, exists 
among the subjects of the Porte. An habitual distrust 
poisons all intercourse between the governors and the 
governed: the miserable rajah hates the law, as his dead¬ 
liest curse, and constantly endeavours, when the weaker 
party, to flatter, cheat, and betray, and when the stronger, 
to mutilate or murder his inhuman master. 
TURKEY, a town of the state of New Jersey; 13 miles 
north-north-west of Amboy. 
TU'RKEY, s. [gal/ina turcica, Latin.] A large domestic 
fowl supposed to be brought from Turkey,.—The turkey- 
cock hath swelling gills, the hen less. Bacon .—See Mele-, 
AGRIS. 
TURKEY CREEK, a river of South Carolina, which 
3 D rups 
