Devshirme

Devshirme was a practice in the Ottoman Empire of taking young boys from other countries and using them to become part of the Janissary army, which protected the Ottoman Empire. The boys were taken from their homes when they were very young, usually between six and twelve, and were brought to the Ottoman Empire to receive training. Once they were old enough, they would serve in the Janissary army and become important people in the Empire. Devshirme was very different from other ways of joining the army because these boys were taken by force and had no say in the matter. This system was used for hundreds of years and it was thought of as a way to grow the Empire and make it stronger.