Talk:Turks/@comment-31462314-20190621101326/@comment-34254290-20190621121813

Yes, but that was just in their early days. At first they were mere slaves, then their number and power grew way too far, also became absurdly corrupt, to the point of following the same path as previous elite bodyguards such as Praetorian and Vangiarian, who dispose and replace any ruler at will. As corruption intensified, they let their children join without even training. Civilians across Ottoman empire can easily buy their way into the ranks. In early days they were Balkan slaves, but then they had Turks and many other ethnicities too, anyone they like or bribed them can join.