"Commander of a Janissary Orta?" Topic

p17 of David Nicolle The Janissaries Elite #58, Osprey, 1995, has in a list of Ortas of the Bölük Division:
"32nd (or 33rd): commanded by the Kâhya Yeri or deputy Kâhya"

Dr Chris Flahery comments on this

There is currently no explanation as to why is this particular costume is so elaborate for the senior officer in the 32nd Janissary Orta (Left: there were two – the 32nd Orta, and the Boluk 32nd Orta [3]). The only notes provided by Nicolle is that the "32nd (or 33rd): commanded by the Kahya Yeri or deputy Kahya" [4]. However, this is a complete fantasy attribution, when it is understood that the phrase 'Kahya Yeri', simply means itself "Commander" [5]. Whereas, Nicolle in his sentence – "commanded by the Kahya Yeri … " (attempts to suggest this is some special title, which is a fantasy).

[1] David Nicolle's 1995 The Janissaries (Elite #58, Osprey).
[2] Stuart, W. Pyhrr (1989) European Armor from the Imperial Ottoman Arsenal (Metropolitan Museum Journal 24): 87.
[3] Illustrations extracted from the book by Mahmud Sevket Pasha ‘L'Organisation et les Uniformes de l'Armee Ottomanne (1907).
[4] Nicolle, ibid.
[5] "local commander of troops (Sipah Kahya Yeri), the commander of Janissaries". See Pierre Mackay Acrocorinth in 1668, A Turkish Account: American School of Classical Studies at Athens (Oct.-Dec., 1968): 388.

Dr Flaherty uses so few sources that I would not be surprised if there is something he is unaware of, but, he is adamant. Fantasy seems to be one of his favourite words.
A quick Google translate gives:
Kâhya = butler
Yeri = place of (so could be lieu, vice, deputy etc.)
So it does not simply mean "Commander", it is more complicated. It is not unknown for the position of servant to an important Ottoman to become a much more important position. For example see the Rijkmuseum's text to a painting of Mehmet Kâhya of Kul Kâhyasî, adjudant van de Aga by Vanmour and my attempt at translation.

Anyone have any more information on this?

MIRROR SITE
Rijkmuseum's text to a painting of Mehmet Kâhya of Kul Kâhyasî, adjudant van de Aga by Vanmour

Druzhina
Paintings of Ottomans by Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, 1699-1737

Here are two extracts where the Kâhya Yeri is a common position:

p218, A Historical and Economic Geography of Ottoman Greece, The Southwestern Morea in the 18th Century, by Fariba Zarinebaf, ‎John Bennet, ‎Jack L. Davis – 2005
A written account of the low-lying castle of Anavarin-I cedid
This is a fine castle built by the hand of Kiliç Ali Pasha in the year 977, during the reign of Sultan Murad Khan the third. It is administered by a voyvode as part of the Governate of Morea, and is a district of the jurisdiction of Modon. There is a chief Mufti, a Marshal (of the descendants of the Prophet), a Local Commander ([Sipâh] Kâhya Yeri), a Captain of Janissaries, and a Castle Commandant with … personnel. There is an Inspector of Commerce, a Collector of Transit Dues, a Commissioner of Tribute Taxes, a chief Architect, a City Intendant, and twelve garrison officers with a rank of Ağa as [276a/30] well.

and

p229, History of Macedonia 1354-1833 by A. Vacalopoulos

Kavála belonged to the eyelet of the Aegean Islands and came under the control of the 'kapudan pasha' (Chief Admiral). In times of war the bey of the city was obliged to go on campaign with two galleys. Other eminent figures in the city were the seyh-ül-islam, the nakib-ül-eşraf, the chief of the district police and the military governor, the kâhya yeri of the sipahis, the commander of the Janissaries, and the commander of the artillery and of Kapı Kulları ('Slaves of the Porte', i.e. a corps of non-feudal auxiliaries). The military forces based on Kavála exceeded 2.000 men. Their presence was imperative, since Venetian ships made frequent appearances off that part of the coast [3]. Çelebi's French contemporary, Robert de Dreux, no doubt with Belon in mind, believed that Kavála (or 'Cavallos', as he writes it) stood on the site of the ancient city of 'Bucephala', which had been built by Alexander the Great in honour of his horse Bucephalus [4].

1. Moschopoulos, Ἡ Ἑλλὰς κατὰ τὸν Ἐβλιὰ Τσελεμπῆ, ΕΕΒΣ 14 (1938) 512.
2. Hadschi Chalfa, Rumeli und Bosna, p. 71. See also Moschopoulos, ibid., p. 512.
3. Moschopoulos, ibid., ΕΕΒΣ 14 (1938) 510, 512.
4. R. de Dreux, Voyage, p. 90.

I have received some information from Turkish sources from Tulun:

first of all, forgive me, military history is not my strength and i can be wrong, i hope an Ottomanist or a Turkish forumer will correct my errors.

kahya is a "corrupted" Turkish form of the word kethüda, originally a Persian word, literally meaning something like "housekeeper", "chamberlain" or butler is also a good translation. You can also find it as kiaya in some European publications. i've seen this used quite frequently in 16th century Ottoman paylists, not only in janissary units but also other military units.

Now maybe the kethüda yeri could mean deputy kethüda in general, but the "kethüda yeri" as an office i found 2 different ones under this name:
1. my understanding from Turkish sites, the sipahi kethüda yeri was an official supervising the kapikulu cavalry (the Six Divisions of Cavalry) units stationed in provinces outside the city of Istanbul. the kethüda yeri (or cay-i kethüda KETHÜDAYERI ne demek? – kethüdayeri anlami nedir? – TDK Türk Dil Kurumu Gayr? Resmi Sözlü?ü ) means "local kethüda" here, and it refers to that it was a provincial office, found in eyalet and sancak seats. A Turkish blog entry about various kethüda "offices" Mecmûa-yi Tevârih-i Osmânî: KETHÜD (KÂHYÂ)
You can also find these kethüda yeris mentioned in Evliya Çelebi's Seyahatname when he lists the officials in the major towns.

2. But maybe in your case, you are looking for another "kethüda yeri", a high ranking janissary official. for example mentioned in the Islam Ansiklopidesi article written by prof Abdulkadir Özcan ( .:: TDV Islâm Ansiklopedisi – OSMANLILAR ::. ), from there: the highest ranking officer of the Janissary corps was the janissary aga (yeniçeri ağası) under them the high ranking officers were the sekbanbaşı, kul kethüdâsı*, zağarcıbaşı, saksoncubaşı, turnacıbaşı, haseki ağas and the başçavuş. Under these were the devecis, yayabaşıs, muhzırbaşı, kethüdâ yeri and the bölükbaşıs.

*The kul kethüdasi was the same as the kul kahyasi in your post (also called kethüda bey, kahya bey, ocak kethüdasi etc in other places).

another Turkish language blog YENIÇERI OCAGININ ÜYELERI (KUMANDANLARI, AGALARI) – aarsay – Blogcu.com includes a little more details.

the kethüda yeri was the deputy of the kul kethüdasi and held the defters and registers of the Janissary corps in the name of the kul kethüdasi.

The kul kethüdasi was originally the 3rd highest ranking officer ("general") in the janissary corps, and from 17th century became the 2nd (when the importance of the sekbanbaşi declined). This blog entry says his deputy, the kethüda yeri was the "3rd colonel" in rank in the janissary corps (there were 9 "general" level offices according to it, so basicly our guy was the 12th most important official in the janissary corps .)

But to confuse things further, Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli in his L'Etat militaire de l'empire Ottoman also mentions this kethüda yeri, but in his description it is one of the 8 generals (!) of the janissary corps (the 6th). Maybe its importance increased by this time?

See L'Etat militaire de l'empire ottoman, ses progres et sa décadence – Luigi Ferdinando Marsili – Google Könyvek p 69. as "Chiaja-jery" also check on the same page, something he writes about "kiaja-jery" and "musur aga" but i don't speak neither French nor Italian to understand exactly.

The Mebde-i Kanun-ı Yeniçeri Ocağı Tarihi (laws of the Janissaries) from 1606 also mentions the kethüda yeri some times but unfortunetly i don't have it at hand, next time i'm near a library i will try to look up what does it say about this office.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

Amazing discovery! I sometimes feel that Mr. Flaherty's page, while beautifully crafted and full of information, sometimes tries heavy-handedly to prove his own thesis and disprove those he does not agree, even if some contemporary or academic sources say otherwise.

Agreed.

---------
L'etat militaire de l'empire ottoman : ses progrès et sa décadence by Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, Amsterdam, 1732, has a list of Janissary officers on page 69:

JENIZER-AGASY.
SEYMEN-BASSY.
JENIZER-EFFENDI.
MUSUR-AGA
CHIAJA-JERY.
BAS-CHIAUS,
& ORTA-CHIAUS.

There follows on p70 a paragraph for each, but, in the place of the CHIAJA-JERY is instead "CHIAJA-BEGH".

The most interested bit is earlier on p69. The French text (there is also the same in Italian) [long 's' has been replaced with standard 's']:

Les BOLUKIS sont encore privilègiés, mais non pas tant; leurs Capitaines sont indispensablement obliges de porter des bottines rouge, ce qui marque qu'ils n'ont pas droit de paroitre à cheval dans les fonctions. Le KIAJA-JERY, & le MUSUR-AGA sont privilègiés a cet égard, & peuvent aller à cheval, non pas à cause qu'ils sont Capitaines de deux Compagnies des BOLUKIS; mais à cause de leur emploi, qui a raport à tout le Corps des Janissaires, & ils ont encore la permission de porter des bottines jaunes.

A basic translation:
The BOLUKIS are still privileged, but not so much; their Captains are indispensably obliged to wear red boots, which marks they have no right to appear on horseback in functions. The KIAJA-JERY, and the MUSUR-AGA are preferred over others, and can go on horseback, not because they are captains of two companies of BOLUKIS; but because of their jobs, who report to the whole body of the Janissaries, and they still are allowed to wear yellow boots.

So it seems that as well as being a general title "Kâhya Yeri" (Kethüda Yeri, Kiaja-Jeri, Chiaja-Jeri or Chiaja-Begh) is also a specific, high ranking officer in the Janissary corps. He is also described as a colonel and as commanding a Janissary unit in the Bölük Division. What is missing is the name of the orta.

All these sources may be inaccurate, but, David Nicolle did not dream this up, it is not "complete fantasy".

If the unit commanded by the Kâhya Yeri is the 32nd in the Bölük Division, could this be an explanation for the more than usually elaborate costume in the image displayed by Dr Flaherty, as the commander may be a much more important figure than the average orta commander?

Druzhina
Illustrations of Ottoman Costume & Soldiers

The section has now been removed from Dr Flaherty's site.
The plate was from:

turquie-culture.fr

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

The image above may be based on a French illustration:

Which kismata gives a date of 1680s and the Vinkhuijzen collection has in 1820-25.
Does anyone know what publication(s) these are from?

If it is then the colours used may not be reliable.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Ottoman Costume & Soldiers

The section is now back and says:

Whereas, Nicolle in his sentence – "commanded by the Kahya Yeri … " (attempts to suggest this is some special title, which is a fantasy attribution i.e. 'creating a unit called the 'KEHYA YERI', who is commanded by this particular officer).

Dr Flaherty is now in fantasy land.

Among others, a bullet point has been added:

• Red boots: Indicating he is foot Colonel in the Janissary (See discussion on Mounted Janissary Colonels/Yellow boots – 1600 till 1800 Part 1: Ottoman Military Rank System).

Are the boots of the central figure red, like the shoes of the attendants, or are they yellow-brown?

Druzhina
Illustrations of Ottoman Costume & Soldiers