A rare and fine Ottoman oil-painted and embroidered silk panel depicting Basi Bozuic, 18/19th C.

Dim.: 120 x 128 cm

A bashi-bazouk (Ottoman Turkish: باشی بوزوق başıbozuk, IPA: [baʃɯboˈzuk], literally “damaged head” or “crazy-head”, loosely meaning “leaderless” or “disorderly”) was an irregular soldier in the Ottoman army, typically recruited during times of war. While Albanians and occasionally Circassians were most commonly enlisted, bashi-bazouks were drawn from various ethnic groups across the Ottoman Empire, including enslaved individuals from Europe and Africa.

Known for their lack of discipline and brutal behavior, bashi-bazouks gained notoriety for looting and mistreating civilians. This reputation stemmed largely from the absence of formal regulation and the expectation that they would sustain themselves through pillaging rather than receiving a regular wage or supply. (Wikipedia)

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