For over three centuries, the Ottoman Empire systematically recruited Christian boys from the Balkans and Anatolia, converted them to Islam, and trained them for elite military and administrative service. This episode explores the devşirme system — often called the 'blood tax' — from its origins under Murad I to its controversial legacy. Learn how boys like Sokollu Mehmed Paşa rose from shepherd to Grand Vizier, how the Janissary corps became a political powerhouse, and how families in the Balkans both resisted and collaborated with this unique institution. We also examine the system's impact on Ottoman society, its eventual decline, and the modern debates around forced assimilation and social mobility.
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