Questions: 14. What was a purpose of the devshirme system? A. To provide soldiers and bureaucrats B. To establish fair land distribution C. To convert Shi'a Muslims to Sunni D. To enable efficient tax collection

The answer is A. To provide soldiers and bureaucrats.

The devshirme system was primarily designed to recruit and train young Christian boys from the Balkans and other parts of the Ottoman Empire to serve as soldiers in the elite Janissary corps and as bureaucrats in the Ottoman administration. This system allowed the Ottoman Empire to create a loyal and efficient administrative and military class that was directly tied to the Sultan.

The devshirme system was not related to land distribution. It was focused on human resource management for military and administrative purposes.

The devshirme system targeted Christian populations, not Shi'a Muslims. Its purpose was not religious conversion but rather the recruitment of capable individuals for state service.

While the devshirme system contributed to the overall efficiency of the Ottoman administration, its primary purpose was not tax collection. Tax collection was managed through other systems and officials within the empire.