Battle of Otlukbeli

Coordinates: 39°58′25″N 40°01′20″E / 39.97361°N 40.02222°E / 39.97361; 40.02222
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Battle of Otlukbeli
Part of the Aq Qoyunlu–Ottoman wars

17th century Turkish miniature depicting the battle
Date11 August 1473
Location
Otlukbeli, Erzincan, Turkey
39°58′25″N 40°01′20″E / 39.97361°N 40.02222°E / 39.97361; 40.02222
Result Ottoman victory[1]
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire Aq Qoyunlu
Commanders and leaders
Mahmud Pasha[5]
Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha[6]
 Uzun Hasan
Ughurlu Muhammad
Zayn-al-Abidin Mirza †
Gâvur İshak
Pir Ahmad of Karaman
Mirza Mehmed Bakır
Pir Mehmed Bey (POW)
Strength
70,000–100,000
Janissaries)[8]
 70,000 (40,000 spearman,30,000 cavarly) [9]
Casualties and losses
4,000[7] 10,000

The Battle of Otlukbeli or Otluk Beli was fought between Aq Qoyunlu and the Ottoman Empire on August 11, 1473.

Background

In autumn of 1463,

mercenaries from his Muslim and Christian subjects.[10]

Letters and developments

At this time when the war preparations began, Uzun Hasan increased his courage and sent a letter to the Ottomans, asking for

sultanate and independence in my time. It was because we ignored the pride and grandeur you showed in your own land, and even all your power and enthusiasm, that you overcame a few like yourself through violence. Despite this, we are aware that he tortured people by forgetting about my privacy and living comfortably under my just will by sending soldiers to Tokat
and then to Karaman countries. That's why we decided to move in the spring of this year to kill you and destroy your country. Forgiving you is definitely not considered. Don't bother in vain. Do you think that destroying provinces is sultanate? Our sword must be stained with blood on your chest because you violated our lands without hesitation or fear. Come to the square if you are brave. Don't go from one hole to another like a woman, make your preparations and don't say you weren't informed.

In this letter, Mehmed also informed Uzun Hasan when he would move. Mehmed, who had always taken care to hide his wars from even his closest friends, did the exact opposite this time. He did not hesitate to announce this not only to Uzun Hasan but also to others.[11]

Walking and battle

Mehmed the Conqueror's bilingual (Ottoman and Chagatai) Fetihname (Declaration of conquest) after the battle

Preparations for war began in all provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans, who spent the autumn and winter of 1472 making preparations, decided on Bursa Yenisehir as the meeting place of the main army. The forces gathered from Rumelia passed to Anatolia from Gallipoli. Just as their collection was over, the sultan set out at the head of his forces in Istanbul and came to Yenişehir on April 11, 1473. The governor of Karaman, Prince Mustafa, and the governor of Amasya, Prince Bayezid, joined the army with their forces. In this way, the Ottoman army reached 85,000 people.[12]

The army's arrival in Sivas created great satisfaction in the people of

snowstorm.[13]

Even though the army traveled for more than 40 days, there was still no news from Uzun Hasan. However, Turkish raiders were attacked by Uzun Hasan's forces in Niksar. The Ottoman army, which threw them back, came to Koyulhisar and Şebinkarahisar, whose inhabitants had fled to the mountains, and after making some raids in this vicinity, came to Erzincan. Here Uzun Hasan's force of 5,000 men was encountered. But an Ottoman force of 5,000 men under the command of Turahanoğlu Ömer Bey defeated the Aq Qoyunlu. When it came to Tercan, many people who had taken refuge in the mountains came and surrendered to the Ottomans, who took booty and captives from them.

At this time, while the Ottoman army was marching eastwards following the Euphrates, Uzun Hasan's forces appeared on the opposite shores. But there were also some sandy shores in these places where the river widened. The Ottoman camp was established on the edge of one of them. Because it was estimated that Uzun Hasan's forces, encamped on the opposite shore, would pass back from one of these sandy places.[14]

The Ottomans decided to cross without leaving time for this. Has Murat Pasha would pass through the gate first. However, since he was very young and enterprising, Mahmud Pasha became his companion. But a disagreement started between Mahmud Pasha and Has Murad Pasha. Because when Uzun Hasan's forces made a fake retreat in front of the Ottoman forces that crossed to the opposite shore, Mahmud Pasha, thinking that this was a trick, told Murad Pasha to stay in place. When Mahmud Pasha retreated against the enemy's superior forces, he could not find Murad Pasha where he left him. Because he had gone forward recklessly, deceived by the enemy's fake draw. The enemy was ambushed in several places.Their aim was to turn Murat Pasha's back, but on the other hand, Aq Qoyunlu made a fake retreat against Murat Pasha's forces. Murad Pasha could not understand the meaning of this and started to attack. Meanwhile, Uzun Hasan's forces, which surrounded him from behind, suddenly appeared and the retreating forces turned back. Murad Pasha now understood the situation. However, he had no choice but to fight. Murad Pasha's army had reached 3 hours in the face of superior forces. This victory was an important event for the Aq Qoyunlu. Because it caused a terrible demoralization on the Ottomans.[15]

After this incident, Uzun Hasan and his forces disappeared again. That's why Mehmed headed towards

janissaries he had with him. Seeing these on the battlefield, Uzun Hasan's hope was completely crushed. Uzun Hasan realized that it was unnecessary to resist and left the battlefield. In order to escape, Uzun Hasan had to resort to trickery and leave someone very similar to him, Pir Mehmed Bey, in his place. In this way, he provided himself with the opportunity to escape. Soon Pir Mehmed Bey was captured and Uzun Hasan's standard was brought to the presence of the sultan. The war became one-sided when Uğurlu Mehmed could not resist and started to run away. Aq Qoyunlu were running away and the Ottomans were killing them. If the Ottomans had not gone into plunder, almost no one would have survived the enemy forces.[16]

The number of people killed on the battlefield was 50,000 people. The number of prisoners taken was also high. They were chained and brought before the Sultan.

Sultan Mehmed took many captives, but released the leaders of the Qara Qoyunlu, who had joined the war by force, and the descendants of Timur and he released the descendants of his son Miran Shah.[17]

Aftermath

Following the defeat of Uzun Hasan, Mehmed took over Şebinkarahisar and consolidated his rule over the area. From Şebinkarahisar he sent a series of letters announcing his victory, including an unusual missive in the Uyghur language addressed to the Turkomans of Anatolia.[18]

The decree (yarlık) had 201 lines and was written by Şeyhzade Abdurrezak Bahşı on 30 August 1473:[19]

Completed when Karahisar was reached on the date of eight hundred and seventy eight, 5th day of the month Rebiülahir, the year of the Snake.

Ibn Kemal made the following statement on the capture of Şebinkarahisar:[20]

On Wednesday 24 August we, the Ottomans, marched to Şebinkarahisar. When we set up cannon and began to destroy the fortifications ... (the governor) Dara Bey came out, seeking peaceful surrender ... We did not remove the existing townspeople ..., but we left there one-thousand of our men with abundant supplies.

Abu Bakr Tihrani in the Kitab-i Diyarbakriyya:[21]

When the Karahisar area became the accommodation place of countless armies, Darab Beg-i Purnak, the owner of that castle, took shelter in the castle. Rum (Ottoman) soldiers surrounded the castle. Darab Beg surrendered the castle out of fear of the Rums.

Ottomans nearly destroyed the power of the Aq Qoyunlu in the East. Aq Qoyunlu would later be destroyed completely by

Safavid Empire. This victory would create a new enemy for the Ottoman Empire in the East. The race between the two empires ended with the fall of the Safavid dynasty
from power in the 18th century.

See also

Primary sources

References

  1. ^ Somel, Selçuk Akşin, Historical dictionary of the Ottoman Empire, (Scarecrow Press Inc., 2003), xc.
  2. ISBN 978-0-691-01078-6
    . Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  3. ISBN 978-90-04-10180-7
    . Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  4. ^ "Gedik Ahmed Pasha".
  5. ^ "Mahmud Pasha".
  6. ^ "Çandarlı İbrahim Paşa".
  7. ^
    TDV Encyclopedia of Islam (44+2 vols.) (in Turkish). Istanbul: Turkiye Diyanet Foundation
    , Centre for Islamic Studies.
  8. ^ Tansel, Selahattin. Osmanlı Kaynaklarına Göre Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Askerî Faaliyetleri (PDF) (in Turkish). p. 313-314.
  9. ^ Kitab-i Diyar Bekiriyye [Uzun Hasan ordered the army to be counted. Uzun Hasan had 40 thousand soldiers using spears. He had 30 thousand more cavalry.] (in Persian, Azerbaijani, and Turkish). p. 373. {{cite book}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  10. ^ Halil İnalcık (1973). The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300–1600. p. 28.
  11. ^ Tansel, Selahattin. Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Siyasi ve Âskerî Faaliyetleri (PDF). p. 310.
  12. ^ Tansel, Selehattin. Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Siyasi ve Âskerî Faaliyetleri (PDF). p. 313.
  13. ^ Tansel, Selehattin. Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Siyasi ve Âskerî Faaliyetleri (PDF). p. 314.
  14. ^ Tansel, Selehattin. Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Siyasi ve Âskerî Faaliyetleri (PDF). p. 315.
  15. ^ Tansel, Selehattin. Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Siyasi ve Âskerî Faaliyetleri (PDF). p. 316-317.
  16. ^ Tansel, Selehattin. Fatih Sultan Mehmed'in Siyasi ve Âskerî Faaliyetleri (PDF). p. 319-320-321-322.
  17. ^ Jorga, Nicolae. Büyük Türk Fatih Sultan Mehmed. p. 191.
  18. ISBN 0-691-09900-6
    .
  19. ^ Ayşe Gül Sertkaya (2002). "Şeyhzade Abdurrezak Bahşı". In György Hazai (ed.). Archivum Ottomanicum. Vol. 20. p. 112.
  20. ^ Colin Imber (1990). The Ottoman Empire 1300–1481. p. 217.
  21. ^ Ebu Bekr-i Tihrani (2014). Kitab-ı Diyarbekriyye (in Turkish). Translated by Mürsel Öztürk. Turkish Language Association. p. 380.
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