Podcasts · The Ottoman Empire: How It Ruled Three Continents for 600 Years — Fexingo History

The Janissary Mutiny That Broke the Empire

26 Oct 2026 · 5:15 · S6 E272

In 1826, Sultan Mahmud II faced a rebellion that threatened to end his reign and dismantle the Ottoman state. This episode explores the Auspicious Incident (Vaka-i Hayriye), the final confrontation between the aging Janissary corps and the modernizing sultan. We trace the events in Istanbul’s At Meydanı, where Mahmud used artillery to crush the elite soldiers who had once been his own creation. The story details how the corps, once recruited through the devshirme system and trained at the Enderun school, had degenerated into a powerful political lobby resisting change. We look at the specific tactics Mahmud employed, from using religious fatwas to declare them rebels to deploying cannons fired by the newly formed Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediye. The aftermath saw the execution of thousands and the complete restructuring of the Ottoman military, marking the true beginning of the empire's long decline into the twentieth century.

#Vaka_i_Hayriye #Auspicious_Incident #Mahmud_II #Janissaries #Ottoman_Military #Yeniçeri #Istanbul_History #At_Meydanı #Asakir_i_Mansure #Devshirme #Enderun #Ottoman_Decline #19th_Century_Empire #Mimar_Sinan_Legacy #Topkapi_Palace #Ottoman_Reform #FexingoHistory #History

Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Links in the notes 1

• https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo