Battle of Caldiran
The Battle of Chaldiran, fought in 1514, was a significant military engagement between the Ottoman Empire, led by Sultan Selim I, and the Safavid forces under Shah Ismāʿīl I. This battle marked a pivotal moment in the power dynamics of the region, as it effectively diminished Persian influence in the area. Selim I commanded an army of approximately 60,000 troops, consisting of elite Janissaries and Sipahis, alongside irregular soldiers. The two forces met on the plains of Chaldiran after a challenging march through mountainous terrain.
The battle began with the Persians launching an attack that initially gained ground, but they were ultimately unable to overcome the disciplined Ottoman forces. The Ottomans had established a strong defensive position, utilizing artillery and a strategic arrangement of troops to withstand the Persian onslaught. The outcome saw the Ottomans successfully repel the Persians, leading to Shah Ismāʿīl's retreat. Following this victory, Selim I expanded Ottoman territories by annexing parts of Anatolia and Kurdistan, solidifying the empire's dominance in the region. The battle is not only a key military event but also a reflection of the ongoing struggles for power between two of the era's major empires.
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Battle of Caldiran
Type of action: Ground battle in the Turko-Persian Wars
Date: August 23, 1514
Location: çaldiran, Persia (now Turkey)
Combatants: 60,000 Turks vs. fewer than 60,000 Persians
Principal commanders:Turks, Sultan Selim I (1470–1520); Persians, Ismāʿīl I (1487–1524)
Result: Destruction of the Persian forces under Ismāʿīl I
Persia’s power in the sixteenth century was virtually destroyed by the Ottoman armies of Selim I, whose military achievements would largely create the Ottoman Empire.
In the summer of 1514, Selim I headed east, with 60,000 men, to face the Persians under Ismāʿīl I who had supported Selim’s brother, Ahmed, during the succession struggle. Selim’s troops included large numbers of Janissaries (some of the best infantry in Asia) and Sipahis (highly trained cavalry), though most were levied and irregular soldiers. To keep up morale through the torturous march into Persia, he executed Janissaries who complained of hardship. Morale hardened as they came toward Ismāʿīl’s forces.
After passing through the rugged mountains of Khvoy, they encountered Ismāʿīl on the plains of çaldiran. Selim deployed his irregular infantry and behind them were the Janissaries, armed with bow and arquebus, behind a roughly cut trench. The flanks were protected by wagons chained together, and in front of the carts, to the right and left of the Janissaries, stood Turkish artillery roped wheel to wheel. On this pseudofortification’s sides were the Sipahis and Timariots (light cavalry) extending the flanks.
The Persians, slightly outnumbered, attacked, gaining early victory against the irregular cavalry and routing the Timariots on the Turkish right but finally being repulsed by the Timariots on the left. The Sipahis and Janissaries held fast against repeated sorties, and the Turkish left then came down on the remaining Persian forces, with an injured Ismāʿīl ordering retreat.
Significance
Selim followed çaldiran with the annexation of Anatolia and Kurdistan.
Resource
Inalick, Halil. The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age, 1300–1600. London: Phoenix, 1994.