Glorious Soldiers of Muhammad | |
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Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye (عساكر منصورهٔ محمديه) | |
![]() Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediye uniforms, Ertuğrul cavalry regiment | |
Active | July 7, 1826 – 1920 |
Disbanded | 1918–1920 (Armistice of Mudros–Turkish War of Independence) (Integrated into Army of GNA) |
Country | ![]() |
Size | 350,000 (1877), 1,000,000 (1915) |
Garrison/HQ | Constantinople and Selanik (Thessaloniki) |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Agha Hussein Pasha (Ağa Hüseyin Paşa, 1826–?) |
Military of the Ottoman Empire |
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The Mansure Army (Ottoman Turkish: عساكر منصورهٔ محمديه, romanized: Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye, "The Victorious Soldiers of Muhammad") was an ocak (military unit) of the Ottoman army.[1][2] It was established by Mahmud II,[3] who also disbanded the Janissary Corps.
After The Auspicious Incident and the disbandment of the Janissary Corps, Mahmud II established a new military ocak and Agha Hussein Pasha was appointed to the command of the corps. Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha served as their serasker. The foundations of the modern Turkish Army were laid during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II. After the Janissary Corps, which was outdated and could not adapt to the times, was abolished with the Auspicious Incident (June 15, 1826), Sultan Mahmud II ordered the establishment of Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediye (Victorious Soldiers of the Prophet Muhammad). By embarking on a rapid modernization effort that took the military and technical developments in Europe as an example, the new army decree was approved by Sultan Mahmud II on July 7, 1826, and the Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediyye Army, the modern army of the empire, was established. [4] After this date, Sultan Mahmud II accelerated his reform efforts and started to establish schools and institutions to support the new army. The Seraskerlik institution, a high military command, was established by Mahmud II in 1826 to fulfill the duties of the commander-in-chief, and on 14 March 1827, Imperial Military School of Medicine, which is the basis of Turkey's first medical faculty and modern military hospital Gülhane Training and Research Hospital, was established to meet the army's need for physicians and surgeons. Harbiye Military School was later established in 1834 as a modern officer school modeled on the French and Prussian armies, taught by European instructors.
The name of the army was changed to Asâkir-i Nizâmiye-i Şâhâne (Royal Regular Army) by Sultan Abdülmecid on 14 June 1843. From this date onwards, the army began to be known simply as the Nizami Ordu (Regular Army). [5]
Mahmud II was not the first sultan who started the modernisation of the Ottoman army. Despite this, the Mansure Army became the main army corps of the Ottoman Empire until the World War One era. In 1912, the uniforms of the ocak were changed and finally in 1920, the Ottoman army joined the Turkish National Movement. After May 3, 1920, Mansure Army officers and soldiers began to join the Turkish Government of the Grand National Assembly. When the Republic was declared in 29 October 1923, the Mansure Army transformed into the modern Turkish Army.
For this reason, the Asâkir-i Mansûre-i Muhammediye Code was published on July 7, 1826 in order to clarify and draw a general framework on issues such as recruitment of soldiers for the new army, military service period, training, clothing, retirement and similar issues.
Abdülmecid ise yeni ordunun adını kendi istek ve önerisi ile 14 Haziran 1843'te Asâkir-i Nizâmiye-i Şâhâne olarak değiştirmiştir