D’Ohsson gives an account of the ceremonial that used to precede war in Turkey.[145] He says that the Porte never failed to legitimize a war by a _fetva_ from the Sheik‐ul‐Islam given in grand council, after which the sheiks of the imperial mosques met in the Hall of the Divan and listened to the intoning of a chapter from the Koran, consecrated to military expeditions. The first war measure was the arrest of the ambassador of the country to be attacked, who was taken to the Seven Towers. The next day a manifesto was published and sent to each foreign legation; then followed a _Hat‐i‐Shereef_ conferring command on the grand vizir. With the order he received a richly caparisoned steed and a jeweled sabre, at a most brilliant ceremonial. Generally war was declared in the autumn, the winter was occupied in preparation, and the campaign was undertaken in the spring. At the day and hour appointed by the court astrologer, the imperial standard was planted in the court of the grand vizir or the Sultan, while imams[146] filled the air with blessings and chants. Forty days later the first encampment was set up with further ceremonies. The splendor of the Turkish tents, arms and dress were admired by all observers. A Turkish camp was a lively place, crowded by priests, dervishes, adventurers and volunteers, irregular soldiers, servants, tents, and baggage; and, on the homeward way, laden with slaves and booty. The Turkish army was at that time the finest in Europe, both in extent and discipline. The Turks were a fighting people, whose arms had steadily won them place and power from the time when their colonel Othman interfered in a Seljuk quarrel to the time when Suleiman’s armies were the terror of Europe, and the few hundred tents of Othman had become the extensive and powerful Ottoman Empire. The army grew and developed with the demands of the state, for as we have seen above, the army _was_ the state. As Mr. Urquhart puts it:[147] “The military branch includes the whole state. The army was the estates of the kingdom. The Army had its Courts of Law, and its operations on the field have never been abandoned to the caprice of a court or a cabinet.” Mr. Urquhart classifies the Turkish army under three main heads:[148] I. Permanent troops: janissaries, hired cavalry and regimental spahis of the grand artillery, etc. II. Feudal troops. III. Provincial troops (_Ayalet Askeri_). He reckoned the number of troops at the close of the sixteenth century as follows: PERMANENT. Janissaries 50,000 Spahis 250,000 Artillery, armourers, etc. 50,000 Guards besides those drafted from Janissaries and Spahis—war levies: Akinji 40,000 Ayab 100,000 Ayalet Askeri (cavalry) 40,000 Miri Askeri (infantry) 100,000