ÇATAL KALAFAT
The man headgear which was made from parallel cotton rods with white turban. The Çatal Kalafat has been used in various divisions of the Janissary army by a large number of military personnel. The lower part is narrow and the upper part is large. It semeed to be a reverse funnel and its peak was flat without knots. It had a segmented part of the V-shaped in order to symbolize Alif Lam that means “ La ilahe illallah-There is no god but Allah. It was a big and a flashy headgear. Until the early 16th century they were wearing Mucevveze so Janissary commanders left those headgears and they have worn Çatal Kalafat on their heads after this century. It was divided into three main categories according to the military ranks of Janissary commanders as top, middle and lower :
1. Çatal kalafat-Fork: worn by Janissary chief of staff and the cooks, military band commanders in red
2. Çubuk Kalafat- Rod : worn by deputy-chief of staffs, squad commanders, chief of artilleries, chief gunners, head butchers and commanders of fire troops in green.
3. Düz kalafat-Flat : worn by army clerks, prison guards, army sergeants, army squad clerks, guard commanders and public security police forces in Istanbul in white.
ASSESES-PUBLIC SECURITY FORCES
It was a security force foundation working at nigh times in the capital & and in major cities in Ottoman empire. Asses is the meaning of “night watchman “ in Arabic and it was first established during the Turkish Ilkhanid State, the Seljuks made some changes and Ottomans have used in an efficient way for a long time. Public security forces were founded during the reign of Mehmet II and the commander of twenty-eighth squads was the head of called “ Asesbaşı “ in Turkish. Today, It is the equevelent of the provincial chief constable. Asesses used to walk around the shops and houses, when they met suspects, they captured them, they investigated their identities and they punished the guilty people to ensure the security at night . If they came across with the innocent people whom they met in forbidden zones, they fined them. All dungeons of Istanbul were under the control of Asseses. Asesbaşı used to maintain order with five hundred soldiers during war preparations and royal ceremonies. When the Prime Minister wanted to control soldiers and artisans in Istanbul from time to time, Asesbaşı had to be with him. As the Janissaries got paid in every three months, Asesbaşı had to be there as the witness of the government. He was located in the Ottoman protocol when the foreing ambassadors were accepted by the Sultans & Grand Viziers. There were two asesbaşı one in Galata and one in Sur içi. Both of then were responsible for Janissary chief of staff called Yeniçeri Ağası in Turkish
ARTILLLERY SQUAD COMMANDERS
Artillery division in Ottoman army was established during the reign of Murat I in Bursa and a large armory building and facilities were built again on the shore of Bosphorus called Tophane-i Amire in Istanbul after the coquest. When the empire was expanded, armories had been built in Belgrade, Bud, Temaşver, Cairo and Shkodra in necessity. Chief of artillery was the head of armory & arsenal called as “ Sertopi. “All balls were made in an iron foundry in İstanbul and were sent to the proper places by gun carriages. Head smelter was the responsible of foundry called “ serihtegân “ and alot mechanics, smelters, blacksmiths, craftsmen, carpenters and coachmen of the balls were recruited as artisans in this division. Arsenal’s accountant was the responsible for puchase & sale with minister of armory. Sergeants & soldiers would use the balls in war. There were five big divisional parts and seventy artillery squads in Ottoman army in total. There was a chef, a clerk and other small-ranking officers in each squad with soldiers. Artillery division used to carry a yellow-red streamer.
COMMANDERS OF GUN CARRIAGES & COACHMEN OF THE BALLS
They were responsible for bringing the balls which were made in armory and the war ammunition from arsenal to the battlefields as duty before the wars and sieges. A lot of coachmen, clerks, sergeant majors, sergeants and caliphs served in each squad as the officers. There were sixty-three squads in artillery & armory divisions in Ottoman army and every squad used to have about fifty-two soldiers in avarage. Balls were the most effective weapons in capturing forts, castles, walls and cities. The clerks and sergeant were promoted in every four years to become the coachmen of the balls and after another four years they were appointed as the assistants of the commanders of gun carriages.
1. Çatal kalafat-Fork: worn by Janissary chief of staff and the cooks, military band commanders in red
2. Çubuk Kalafat- Rod : worn by deputy-chief of staffs, squad commanders, chief of artilleries, chief gunners, head butchers and commanders of fire troops in green.
3. Düz kalafat-Flat : worn by army clerks, prison guards, army sergeants, army squad clerks, guard commanders and public security police forces in Istanbul in white.
ASSESES-PUBLIC SECURITY FORCES
It was a security force foundation working at nigh times in the capital & and in major cities in Ottoman empire. Asses is the meaning of “night watchman “ in Arabic and it was first established during the Turkish Ilkhanid State, the Seljuks made some changes and Ottomans have used in an efficient way for a long time. Public security forces were founded during the reign of Mehmet II and the commander of twenty-eighth squads was the head of called “ Asesbaşı “ in Turkish. Today, It is the equevelent of the provincial chief constable. Asesses used to walk around the shops and houses, when they met suspects, they captured them, they investigated their identities and they punished the guilty people to ensure the security at night . If they came across with the innocent people whom they met in forbidden zones, they fined them. All dungeons of Istanbul were under the control of Asseses. Asesbaşı used to maintain order with five hundred soldiers during war preparations and royal ceremonies. When the Prime Minister wanted to control soldiers and artisans in Istanbul from time to time, Asesbaşı had to be with him. As the Janissaries got paid in every three months, Asesbaşı had to be there as the witness of the government. He was located in the Ottoman protocol when the foreing ambassadors were accepted by the Sultans & Grand Viziers. There were two asesbaşı one in Galata and one in Sur içi. Both of then were responsible for Janissary chief of staff called Yeniçeri Ağası in Turkish
ARTILLLERY SQUAD COMMANDERS
Artillery division in Ottoman army was established during the reign of Murat I in Bursa and a large armory building and facilities were built again on the shore of Bosphorus called Tophane-i Amire in Istanbul after the coquest. When the empire was expanded, armories had been built in Belgrade, Bud, Temaşver, Cairo and Shkodra in necessity. Chief of artillery was the head of armory & arsenal called as “ Sertopi. “All balls were made in an iron foundry in İstanbul and were sent to the proper places by gun carriages. Head smelter was the responsible of foundry called “ serihtegân “ and alot mechanics, smelters, blacksmiths, craftsmen, carpenters and coachmen of the balls were recruited as artisans in this division. Arsenal’s accountant was the responsible for puchase & sale with minister of armory. Sergeants & soldiers would use the balls in war. There were five big divisional parts and seventy artillery squads in Ottoman army in total. There was a chef, a clerk and other small-ranking officers in each squad with soldiers. Artillery division used to carry a yellow-red streamer.
COMMANDERS OF GUN CARRIAGES & COACHMEN OF THE BALLS
They were responsible for bringing the balls which were made in armory and the war ammunition from arsenal to the battlefields as duty before the wars and sieges. A lot of coachmen, clerks, sergeant majors, sergeants and caliphs served in each squad as the officers. There were sixty-three squads in artillery & armory divisions in Ottoman army and every squad used to have about fifty-two soldiers in avarage. Balls were the most effective weapons in capturing forts, castles, walls and cities. The clerks and sergeant were promoted in every four years to become the coachmen of the balls and after another four years they were appointed as the assistants of the commanders of gun carriages.
