These servants were rarely the sons of native-born Turks. Instead, they were gathered each year, as previously mentioned, from the children of poor Christian families living mainly in Morea and Albania. This practice caused great harm to those regions, as many villages were left thinly populated due to the regular removal of young boys.
The number collected each year was commonly reported to be around two thousand. These boys were taken far from their families and brought to Constantinople, where their lives were completely changed. From that moment onward, they became servants of the Ottoman state and were trained for various forms of labor and service.
Selection and Assignment in Constantinople
Upon arrival in Constantinople, the boys were first presented before the Vizier, who examined them and decided their future roles. According to his judgment and personal inclination, they were assigned to different places and duties.
Some were sent to the Seraglios of Galata, Okmeydanı, or Adrianople, while others were placed in the city to learn useful trades such as carpentry, metalwork, or tailoring. A number of boys were sent to the sea, where they were trained as sailors and taught the skills of navigation. These assignments ensured that the state benefited from their labor in many different areas Customized Tours Istanbul.
Service in the Great Seraglio
A select group was sent directly to the Great Seraglio, where they performed the hardest and most demanding tasks. Their duties included serving in the stables, working in the kitchens, digging and maintaining the gardens, chopping wood, rowing the Grand Signior’s barge, and performing any other labor ordered by their superiors.
These boys lived under strict discipline and were expected to obey without question. Their daily lives were filled with physical work, leaving little room for rest or personal freedom.
Supervision and Discipline
Over these servants were placed officials known as Oda-bashis, men who had served longer and gained experience within the system. These supervisors received a daily wage of about fifteen aspers, along with two garments each year and linen cloth for shirts and handkerchiefs. They were responsible for maintaining order, discipline, and efficiency among the boys under their control.
Above the Oda-bashis stood the Bostancı Pasha, who held absolute authority over all those known as Bostancıs, or gardeners. This group was extremely large, numbering as many as ten thousand men working in and around the Seraglios and imperial gardens of the Grand Signior.
A System Built on Control and Labor
This system, though highly organized, relied heavily on forced labor and strict control. It provided the Ottoman court with a steady supply of workers while deeply affecting the communities from which these boys were taken. Through discipline, hierarchy, and constant supervision, the palace ensured that every servant played a role in sustaining imperial life.