How were Ghazis and Janissaries similar?

While they were part of different cultures, ghazis and janissaries were both warriors. The Ghazi are from an Arabic background who were specifically trained within the means of military expeditions and raids. After the emergence of Islam occurred, the Ghazi took on a new connotation of religious warfare. The Ghazi were never ones to go marching out into the battle field, but avoided head-on confrontations and worked more in secret, emphasizing in raiding and looting, usually in livestock.

Janissaries were considered to be the elite infantry that made up the Ottoman Sultan’s household troops and bodyguards. The Janissaries were first made up of kidnapped young Christian boys who were forcibly converted to Islam, and was one of the most established form of protection during the reign of Murad I.