the Janissary Corps are a well-known military institution, but they originally began as a group of former Christians, slaves to the Ottoman Sultan. From humble beginnings, Janissaries were a unique type of hero in the Ottoman Empire because of their Christian roots.

https://mediakron.bc.edu/ottomans/objects/janissary-hat-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janissary http://www.theottomans.org/english/campaigns_army/index_3.asp