There have been many events in the centuries-old history of the Ottoman Empire, but one of the most important is undoubtedly the Vaka-i Hayriye, the Auspicious Event, in which the Janissary Corps was abolished. Sultan II. Let’s take a closer look at the causes and consequences of the Vaka-i Hayriye event that took place during the reign of Mahmut II.
The Ottoman Empire ruled all over the world for hundreds of years and had its name written in golden letters in history. In this empire, which ruled for centuries, many events that affected both the world and the domestic order took place. One of the most important of these is Vaka-i Hayriye, that is, the Auspicious Event. With the Case-i Hayriye, the Janissary Corps was completely abolished. and a much more modern and regular army was established in its place.
So, why was the Janissary Corps, which served successfully for hundreds of years and commemorated with its heroism, destroyed in one day? Janissaries are the only reason why the Vaka-i Hayriye incident happened. Because at that time, January was a long way from the glorious days we know. II. Let’s take a closer look at the causes and consequences of the Vaka-i Hayriye event, which took place during the reign of Mahmut and resulted in the abolition of the Janissary Corps.
The Janissary Corps had become uncontrollable:
When we say janissaries today, we think of strong, brave, moral Turkish soldiers who killed a man with a slap. It is but In 1826, when the Vaka-i Hayriye event took place, The members of the Janissary Corps were powerful, but not moral. They were making people and shopkeepers vomit blood, doing whatever they could think of, and even more terrifyingly, they were even getting involved in which sultan would come to the throne.
Finally, the Janissary Corps, II. Mahmut’s father, Sultan III. He killed Selim. II. For this reason, Mahmut was already resentful of the stove. But he did not rush. He waited 17 years after he took the throne. The modern army, which had begun before it, was now ready to end its work and to overthrow these insane Janissaries.
Janissary raises cauldron:
On May 25, 1825, Sultan II. An edict was issued by Mahmut. Accordingly, a new and much more modern military unit called Eşkinci Ocağı was to be established. Janissaries who wished to join this hearth voluntarily. Of course, it was expected and the Janissaries revolted on the evening of 14 June. Janissary Agha Celaleddin Ağa, who escaped death at the last moment, reported the situation to the sultan.
In the morning hours of June 15, 1826, the janissaries landed at the Horse Square and left the cauldrons in the middle. In this movement, which means rebellion against the sultan, The Janissaries had only one slogan, ‘We don’t want it!’. Normally, such an event results in the abdication of the sultan and the murder of other rulers. However, II. Mahmut was ready for this rebellion.
The Case-i Hayriye begins:
Şeyhülislam Tahir Efendi went down to the square with 3500 scholars. If the Janissaries convinced the ulama, the rebellion would be successful, but they were not convinced. At that time II. Mahmut had issued a sanjak-i sheriff. This meant that the sultan was calling the people. An unprecedented crowd, even women for the first time in history, took to the streets.
Grand Vizier Benderli Selim Pasha, Ağa Hüseyin and İzzet Pasha surrounded the horse square by the order of the sultan. By Captain Karacehennem İbrahim Ağa For the first time in history, artillery fire started like rain on the rebel janissaries. The Janissaries fled to their barracks, but this would not end there.
The target of the shelling was the barracks this time, and the gates were smashed. The sultan’s soldiers entered. This was the first time in history because it was not easy to enter the janissary barracks. More than 6,000 janissaries were killed that day until the evening. The hunt for janissaries continued for days. It is thought that more than 40 thousand janissaries were killed as a result of the Vaka-i Hayriye incident.
Case-i Hayriye results:
Sultan II. Mahmut finally succeeded and achieved a victory that his ancestors had struggled for years and could not win, completely eliminating the corrupt Janissary Corps. Case-i Hayriye made a huge impact all over the world. Many envoys even went before the sultan to present their ruler’s congratulations.
So, was the great Ottoman Empire left without soldiers? Will it ever stay, the modern army studies, which have already been worked on for years, gained momentum. Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediyye With the establishment of a brand new and modern army called the Ottoman Empire, the efforts to adapt the centuries-old empire to the modern military world began.
Why is Vaka-i Hayriye important?
When we look at the history of the Ottoman Empire, except for some rising periods. We see that the Janissary Corps is constantly causing difficulties for both the public and the palace. They tortured the shopkeepers and the public, and if the sultan or vizier they wanted did not take office, they rebelled and killed the existing rulers.
This is the reason why modern army studies have been carried out for years. A handful of tyrants could not rule the entire empire. If we look at it from this point of view, it would not be wrong to say that the Vaka-i Hayriye event is the period when the empire started to become civilized. The abolition of the Janissary Corps, which carries the rust of the past, also shows the effort of the Ottoman Empire to adapt to the modern world.
II. Mahmut, which resulted in the establishment of the modern army by abolishing the Janissary Corps. What is the Vaka-i Hayriye incident, what are its causes and consequences We answered frequently asked questions such as: You can share your thoughts about the Vaka-i Hayriye event in the comments.