yaya

The yaya were an infantry force in the Ottoman army, established in the 14th century by Orhan to replace nomadic cavalry. These soldiers were hired mercenaries paid by salary, and many were Christian youths from the Balkans who did not need to convert to Islam. While initially important, the yaya and their cavalry counterparts, the müsellems, eventually lost their military and political significance as the empire's treasury struggled to afford their salaries. Their roles were relegated to rear-line duties, with the Janissary corps becoming the most crucial element of the Ottoman army.12