Modern Janissaries: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps

   In the early 14th century, the Ottoman Empire was engaged in a massive jihad against Europe, especially the long-troublesome Byzantine Empire that held the key position between Asia and Europe. At the vanguard of this effort stood the Janissaries, a word which comes from the Turkish term for "new soldier", the most elite fighting unit of their day (1). Taken from their families in occupied Europe as young boys, the Janissaries had their Christian identities erased through immersion in a culture of warfare and Islamic doctrine. In the early days of the Janissary Corps, all warriors were heavily indoctrinated in Islamic theology and were expected to remain celibate, similar to the Christian military orders such as the Knights Templar or the Order of St. John of the Hospital (2). Their unswerving loyalty to the sultan alone provided him with a force that he could trust to protect him in the event of civil war or armed mutiny by the normal army, made up as it was of dozens of feuding tribes and ethnic groups.

   For around three hundred years the Janissaries were the most disciplined and focused warriors in the Ottoman Empire. But, as with the Praetorian Guard of ancient Rome before them, the Janissaries began using their military might and political influence with the sultan to pick who would be appointed to positions of power. They oversaw the rise and fall of grand viziers and even sultans (2). In addition, when the jihad was temporarily stalled in the Balkans around the turn of the 17th century, the Janissaries started to seriously take advantage of bribery and corruption in Istanbul as a way to replace the income that they normally would have made plundering the lands of the infidel. They began to terrorize the populace and murdered several minor officials who had stood up to their cruelty. But the sultan of the time, Murad III, was unconcerned about any events outside of his harem. The Janissaries had free reign (2).

   This corruption and decadence proved to be the downfall of the Janissaries. Because they had dominated the battlefield for so long, the Janisarries loosened training standards and permitted their members to marry (up to four wives, as is Islamic custom). They believed that their mere presence on the battlefield would scare away any who would oppose them. But the Europeans had been fighting this war for a long time and had adapted their tactics to take advantage of weaknesses in Janissary battle formations. The next few centuries saw a series of stunning reversals, including the crushing Ottoman defeat at Vienna in 1683. The Janissaries limped on until 1826 when they were totally disbanded by Sultan Mahmoud II after they had set his predecessor on fire (2). The Janissaries, once the most feared fighting force in the world, vanished from history.

   Fast forward to 1979. With the Iranian Revolution in full swing, Khomeini issues a decree to establish a force to guard the revolution itself and to enforce Islamic law and morality codes as put forth by the Iranian clerics (3). Khomeini also wanted a brand-new unit to avoid using one of the existing units that may still be loyal to the shah. The Revolutionary Guard rapidly grew, acquiring their own air, naval, and intelligence assets separate from the Iranian military. In the early 1980's the Revolutionary Guard got their first taste of combat against Saddam Hussein's forces in the Iran-Iraq war.

   As with the Janissaries, the Revolutionary Guard found themselves drifting for a short time after the conclusion of the war with Iraq. Crackdowns on "immodesty" and "corrupt gangs" soared within Iran. The Revolutionary Guard also responded with brutal force to anti-government riots in various cities across Iran (4). The Revolution Guard's Qods Force poured money, training, and material support to terrorist groups in Egypt, Turkey, Chechnya, the Sudan, Jordan, and Lebanon. The terror group Hezbollah, in particular, is heavily influenced by the Revolutionary Guard in Iran (4).

   But decades without a proper enemy to fight may have left the Revolutionary Guard as corrupt as the Janissaries in the latter centuries of their existence. The Revolutionary Guard was given the task of rebuilding Iran after the war with Iraq. Consequently, they have ties to dozens of construction and engineering firms and have the final say in which firms get the contracts for the reconstruction efforts worth billions of dollars (3). The Revolutionary Guard is also a major player in Iran's black market, especially alcohol, which is ironic considering the Revolutionary Guard's role as enforcer of Islamic morality.

   The controversy and public outcry regarding the 2009 re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has caused fractures within the once fanatically loyal Revolutionary Guard. Over a dozen senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guard were arrested in June of 2009 (5). This was the most overt sign of the dissent within the ranks of the Revolutionary Guard. Numerous high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Guard have defected to the West, bringing important information about just how much power they wield in Iran as well as the Revolutionary Guard's divided opinion on how to deal with the anti-Ahmadinejad protesters in the streets of Tehran (6). The Revolutionary Guard have also begun taking steps toward consolidating power for themselves, edging out the clerics who they are supposed to serve. Some experts believe that, if faced with a serious dispute with the ruling clerics, the Revolutionary Guard will attempt to seize power (3). This situation is eerily similar to that of the Janissaries in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire.

   The West faces an interesting situation. The Revolutionary Guard could be pushed into a conflict with the ruling clerics, helping to destabilize the regime. However, without someone else to take power, from the current anti-government movement for example, Iran could easily turn into a military dictatorship. On the other hand, the Western powers may not be given another opportunity like this before Iran becomes a full-fledged nuclear power. The Revolutionary Guard play a substantial role in keeping the current regime in power, and the best way to facilitate regime change and avoid all-out war may be to play the guards against the guarded.

References1. "Janissary (Turkish military)." Britannica Online Encyclopedia.
2. Fregosi, Paul. Jihad in the West: Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries (1998). Prometheus Books; Amherst, New York
3. Bruno, Greg. "Iran's Revolutionary Guards." The Council on Foreign Relations; June 22, 2009.
4. "Qods (Jerusalem) Force." Global Security; April 26, 2005.
5. Robbins, James S. "Revolutionary Guards Arrested in Iran." The Watercooler Blog, The Washington Times Online; June 15, 2009.
6. Mauro, Ryan. "Dissent in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards." FrontPage Magazine; July 7, 2010. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/300350/Janissary-corps; accessed December 17th, 2010http://www.cfr.org/publication/14324/irans_revolutionary_guards.html#p6; accessed December 18, 2010http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iran/qods.htm; accessed December 18, 2010http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2009/jun/15/revolutionary-guards-arrested-iran/; accessed December 17th, 2010http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/07/dissent-in-the-iranian-revolutionary-guards/; accessed December 17th, 2010