Ottoman deveci

[Druzhina]

The name of the first five ortas of Janissaries, the 'camel drivers', has a root based on deveci.
If anyone is familiar with Ottoman script, would you transliterate this name to modern Turkish from Ottoman Turkish?



Druzhina
Illustrations of Ottoman Costume and Soldiers

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

Hi Druzhina, the name of the first five regiments of Janissaries is given in the dictionary as Deveciler, which is simply the plural form of Deveci. The other text says "Ne deveyi gördüm ne deveciyi", whose English translation has been given already.

[Druzhina]

Thanks H. Ihsan Erkoc,
I did suspect that it may be a plural, but, like English, there are different ways of making a plural. Deveciler is the term used in a British Museum entry.

For my next question, in this list:

Based on meritocracy, Yol, The Path in front of an ordinary Kara Kullukçu had the following steps (in ascending order): Küçük Müteferrika (Junior Private), Orta Müferrika (Middle Private), Baş Müteferrika (Head Private), Odabaşı (Chamber Master), Baş Odabaşı (Head Chamber Master), Yayabaşı (Infantry Master), Baş Yayabaşı (Head Infantry Master), Deveci (Camel Keeper), Baş Deveci (Head Camel Keeper), Haseki (Imperial Guard), Baş Haseki (Head Guard), Turnacıbaşı (Head Keeper of the Cranes), Seksoncubaşı (Head Keeper of the Wallachian sheepdogs), Zağarcıbaşı (Head Keeper of the Zagar Dogs), Kethüda Bey (General Chief of Staff), Sekbanbaşı (Field Marshall).<sup>145

145</sup> Akgündüz, Ahmet, Osmanlı Kanunnameleri ve Hukuki Tahlilleri- Kavanin-i Yeniçeriyan, (İstanbul, FEV
Vakfi, 1990-92), p.265

from JANISSARY AND SAMURAI: EARLY MODERN WARRIOR CLASSES AND RELIGION by E Küçükyalçin 2007

Any idea what position the Deveci held? Would the Baş Deveci been in command of one orta or all 5 of the Deveciler? Other possibilities are that these positions are attached to the court or to the Janissary Agha, see below.



Osmanlı kıyafet albümleri (1770-1810) by Nurdan Küçükhasköylü (2010) has a picture of a Devici from the Diez Album (British Museum):


Devici (the inscription is Dovadgi, Serviteur de l'Aga des Jannissaires).


and another from the Monnier album


Gürcü (The caption for 121 is Kurdgi : musulman des provinces de l'Empire, non né à Constantinople)

The text given is:
64- DEVECİ- KURDGİ deveci gürcü
Yeniçerilerin ağalarından biri olan devecilere sarban da denirdi. Yeşil şeritli bir başlık takarlardı. 421

⁴²¹ Enkmen 1943: 253.

{64- DEVECİ- KURDGİ camel driver Georgian
One of the aghas of the Janissaries, the camel drivers were also called sarban. They wore a green striped cap.}

The figure is probably not a Georgian but it may not be the specific Deveci or Baş Deveci in the list above.


Druzhina
Illustrations of Ottoman Costume and Soldiers

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

You are welcome Druzhina. Unfortunately the details are beyond my field of expertise but I assume the Baş Deveci would be the superior officer of all Devecis.