Early Janissaries without a Sultan

I've been doing some research for a TL for a while, but I'm curious as to what would happen if in the early days of the Janissaries (i.e. before 1500) if suddenly there were no (free to claim the throne) Sultans all of a sudden.

No heir, etc.

A perfect example would be Orhan Celebi, if for some reason he was captive and Mehmed and his only child Bayezid were dead/imprisoned, who would the Janissaries serve?
 
@LSCatilina - any ideas?

At the moment my assumption would be either "Whosoever controls Celebi", "Themselves", or "Whoever seizes the Sultanate".

The major reason it is interesting to me is that Janissarie were the ones who were in place at the Bosporan forts. So whoever controls the Janissaries, controls the trade.
 
I've been doing some research for a TL for a while, but I'm curious as to what would happen if in the early days of the Janissaries (i.e. before 1500) if suddenly there were no (free to claim the throne) Sultans all of a sudden.

No heir, etc.

A perfect example would be Orhan Celebi, if for some reason he was captive and Mehmed and his only child Bayezid were dead/imprisoned, who would the Janissaries serve?

A new Sultan would be chosen, possibly from the Turkmen beyliks. Or Orhan manages to flee his captors.
 
I've been doing some research for a TL for a while, but I'm curious as to what would happen if in the early days of the Janissaries (i.e. before 1500) if suddenly there were no (free to claim the throne) Sultans all of a sudden.

No heir, etc.

A perfect example would be Orhan Celebi, if for some reason he was captive and Mehmed and his only child Bayezid were dead/imprisoned, who would the Janissaries serve?
Could a Byzantine convert rule the Empire ?
 
I've been doing some research for a TL for a while, but I'm curious as to what would happen if in the early days of the Janissaries (i.e. before 1500) if suddenly there were no (free to claim the throne) Sultans all of a sudden.

No heir, etc.

A perfect example would be Orhan Celebi, if for some reason he was captive and Mehmed and his only child Bayezid were dead/imprisoned, who would the Janissaries serve?

Well baring the agreement that would pass the Ottoman throne to the Giray's of Crimea, what would stop the Janissaries from becoming like the Mamluks or Ghulams, which they do not seem that far from.
 
Well baring the agreement that would pass the Ottoman throne to the Giray's of Crimea, what would stop the Janissaries from becoming like the Mamluks or Ghulams, which they do not seem that far from.

Nothing, in fact there were several occasions when that nearly happened in OTL.
 
For a while, lest us not forget, the Ottoman Empire was indirectly ruled by a 'Sultanate of Women' during which the most influential individual in the Empire would likely have been a powerful lady of the Imperial Harem. Who knows you could have had the Janissaries align with one of them?
 
For a while, lest us not forget, the Ottoman Empire was indirectly ruled by a 'Sultanate of Women' during which the most influential individual in the Empire would likely have been a powerful lady of the Imperial Harem. Who knows you could have had the Janissaries align with one of them?

At the time Candarli Halil was Grand Vizier so he is the most powerful man. Considering he know he has no prestige to become Sultan he might as well take a Turkmen bey, Someone from the Crimea or even a Roman from the Imperial dynasty requiring him to be Muslim. An influental women requires an existent male ruler first.
 
In theory yes. If he also marries an Ottoman princess he has a headstart. But if it is during Candarli Halils time he really will have the last say who will become Sultan.

I wonder if he'd set himself up in Bursa, since that is where (to my knowledge) the Candarli were strong. I could see him being ambitious enough to declare himself Sultan. Maybe not the Ottoman Sultan, but certainly the Sultan of Rum.
 
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