Madmen in the Ottoman Army – Webtekno

Within the Military Organization Deli FurnaceIt consisted of light cavalry units. The extraordinary courage they showed and the bravery to attack the enemy without blinking were enough to write their reputation on the dusty pages of history.

Crazy people, who have an appearance and behavior far removed from the soldiers we know, The most important thing in the Ottoman army was the enemy’s nightmare.. So what made them so ‘crazy’?

The reason they were called crazy was not their mental deficiency, but the courage in their hearts.

They were called ‘crazy’ for their courage and extraordinary appearance in the army. We see their names in the history list starting from the 15th century. Insane people were eliminated in the 19th century. However, they impressed themselves with the bravery they showed until they were eliminated.

Although they were initially established in important centers of Rumelia such as Smederevo and Bosnia, they expanded the organization over time. Firstly Borderlands of the Ottoman Empire This organization, which protected them, later turned into the army’s most fearsome warriors.

The most important reason for this warrior spirit was revenge.

These warriors, who were Turks, had lost their families. This grudge they hold against enemy soldiers, It became the goal of the madmen. The only family of this class, which had nothing to lose, was the state. That’s why they were fighting fearlessly, at the cost of their lives.

Evliya ÇelebiHe wrote the following words about Deliler in his Seyahatname:

“They are affectionate and distinguished soldiers. On their heads they wear crowns made of sable and lion hides, and on their backs they wear bebr, wolf and bear hides. Black bird wings are tied under their arms, many of them have wolf skins wrapped around their hands and their tools and weapons make them look strange and strange. “They are terrible and troublesome to the enemy, and their military victories are permanent.”

They were at the front of the army.

They had interesting clothes to terrify the enemy. In fact, the various materials they wore on their bodies supported this image. “Whoever does this to himself, what wouldn’t he do to me!” They preferred such a way to instill their idea in the enemy.

As a matter of fact, they were successful. They use motifs such as eagles, bears, lions and wolves on their clothes; They carried spears, gray falcons, shields and crooked scimitars as weapons. On his feet are pointed-toed boots called “serhatlik”.They wore a feathered helmet on their heads.

They took part in the Military Organization of the state until the modernization period.

Clothing that frightened the enemy would not require them to wear armor. According to the information obtained, they were strong enough to beat marble with their hands. They are forbidden to marry, They devoted their lives to the survival of the state. They had different fighting tactics, they did not need weapons for this.

Especially the Delis, whose loyalty was undoubtedly unquestionable, served as special guards. They had the power to immediately detect and defeat the incoming danger, and the courage to make the necessary move without holding a weapon. It wasn’t for nothing that they got the nickname ‘Crazy’…

They were divided into quarries of 50-60 people called Bayrak.

To enter the hearth, an oath was made and it was tested whether the person was strong or not. According to them, Janissary training was child’s play, so they were trained a few levels above them. According to them, the Janissaries were, as we heard later, They were “Unruly people”.

They throw themselves into the water with their arms tied and throw the bread in a sealed bag into the water with them. The madman untied his hands under the water and He would take the bread out of the bag and eat it.

16-17. In the century, they became dependent on Beylerbeyi.

II. When Mahmut came to power, these gentlemen were also relieved of their duties, and the units to which the Delis were affiliated were eliminated; Crazy people start not to depend on anyone. Crazy people who experience a problem hierarchically, As the years pass, they cannot earn money because they are not taken to war. and they start attacking the villagers.

increasingly This class is becoming disorganizedWhen he started to commit banditry, II. It was eliminated by Mahmut in 1829.

Brave hearts of the past, those who were not afraid to fight, Crazy soldiers who scare the enemy; Over time, it took its place in the dusty pages of history…

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