What was the Ottoman system of recruiting Christian boys called?

The Ottoman system of recruiting Christian boys for state service was called devshirme.

The term comes from a Turkish word meaning “to collect.” Under the system, Ottoman officials periodically levied boys—mainly from Christian communities in the Balkans—and brought them into state service. The recruits were converted to Islam, trained and assigned according to ability.

Some became Janissary infantrymen, while others entered palace schools or administrative careers. The system produced military commanders, provincial governors and grand viziers, including the powerful Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. Its purpose was to create servants directly loyal to the sultan and reduce the influence of hereditary Turkish aristocratic families.

Devshirme is often confused with the Janissaries, but the terms describe different things: devshirme was the recruitment system, while the Janissaries were one military corps that received recruits. Jizya was a tax on certain non-Muslim subjects, and timar was a land-revenue arrangement for supporting cavalry service. The practice gradually declined and was effectively ended in the 17th century.