In the early 15th century, the most powerful ruler of Central Asia was Amir Tamerlane (Timur). Under his rule he was able by that time to unite all the territories from modern India to the North Caucasus and from the shores of the Aral Sea to the Indian Ocean.
The invasive policy of the “Iron Hammer” faced opposition in the west from the Jalairid state (modern territories of northern and eastern Iraq, as well as part of western Iran, ruled by a dynasty of sultans descended from the Mongol tribe Jalair) and the Ottoman Sultanate, ruled by the powerful and ambitious Bayezid I Lightning. In 1400 Tamerlane’s army conquered Syria, and in the summer of 1401 stormed Baghdad. Now there were no intermediate territories between the powers of Timur and Bayazid I.
Tamerlane (Timur)
While Tamerlane dealt with his opponents, Bayazid concentrated all his forces and attention on another attempt to capture Constantinople. The ruler of the Ottomans was unable to assess in time the danger threatening his sultanate. In May 1402 the army of Timur overcame the spurs of Transcaucasia and descended to the Anatolian plain (modern Central Turkey), capturing the city of Sivas.
Ambassadors of the Ottoman sultan arrived here for negotiations. Tamerlane had no intention of making peace or negotiating in any way. The parties failed to reach a compromise, so fighting resumed. Timur continued moving deep into the sultan’s possessions and soon besieged the fortress of Angara (modern Turkish capital Ankara).
Here also hurried with his army and hitherto invincible Bayezid. “Iron Hammer” pretended to retreat from the walls of the fortress to lure the enemy to the plain. On its expanses heavy selected and numerous light cavalry Emir could realize all their main trump cards and advantages.
Bayezid I Lightning
Bayezid succumbed to the ruse of the enemy and brought his forces to the plain east of the Angara. The Sultan positioned his army as follows. The left flank, blocking the road between Anatolia and the western part of the Ottoman Sultanate, was headed by Suleiman (son of the Sultan). He was subordinated to the detachments of Anatolian beys (local princes) totaling 18,000 men.
To strengthen the positions of the left wing, Suleyman was given mounted detachments of the Horde nomads who roamed in the steppes of the Northern Black Sea region and the foothills of the Caucasus, also numbering 18,000 men. In the center stood the Janissaries — the elite of the Ottoman army and mounted detachments of heavy cavalrymen — “sipahs”. On the right flank was a detachment of Serbs. In the rear of the Ottoman forces were mountain elevations.
The total number of Bayezid’s army medieval historians and chroniclers determine differently — from 70 000 to 200 000 people. These figures, as always, are overestimated and far from the truth. At the Battle of Kosovo, the Ottomans had no more than 30,000 men — an army that Sultan Murad had been gathering for months from all of his then-power. In the battle of Nikopol Bayezid I had even less soldiers — 12-18 thousand.
Serbs for the defense of the fatherland in the same battle of Kosovo field gathered about 15-17 thousand people. It is clear that not the whole Serbian army and not half of it, but only a part of it — 7000-8000 at most — was sent for forced service to the Sultan. Bayezid had about 10,000 Janissaries and “sipahs” at Nikopol, and it is unlikely that there were more of them now. The left flank of the Ottoman army had 36,000 men.
Thus, the maximum number of the Ottoman army could be 55-57 thousand men. In the modern historiography of the Ottoman Empire one can find higher estimates of the size of the army of Bayezid I — 80,000 people (including 65,000 Turkish infantrymen and cavalrymen, 5,000 Serbs, 10,000 maid servants and non-combatants).
Tamerlane’s army lined up in five rows. In the first were mounted archers and light cavalry in a scattered formation. In the second row — 32 war elephants captured in India, in the third — infantry, in the fourth — cavalry, arranged in the form of a crescent, the concave part of which was turned towards the enemy; in the fifth — selected cavalry of Timur. The flanks were led by Tamerlane’s sons: the right — Miran Shah, and the left — Shahrukh.
The Battle of Angora was the last major battle of the Middle Ages, in which were used war elephants
The army of the Iron Hammer medieval chroniclers estimate 140,000 people. In fact, Tamerlane did not have half of the forces attributed to him. The number of parties, most likely, was equal. It seems that the emir also gathered under his banners up to 55-60 thousand people. This is evidenced by the course of the campaign as a whole and the battle itself.
The battle of two great and still unbeaten by anyone commanders of the East of that epoch took place on July 20, 1402. Tamerlane started the battle. His mounted archers galloped forward and showered a lava of arrows on the front lines of the Ottoman positions. After that, the light cavalry went forward.
Timur thought that the “weak link” of the enemy army would be the Serbs — Christians, defeated by Bayazid, oppressed by him and forcibly brought to the battlefield. However, the Balkan warriors showed unprecedented courage and bravery. Not so long ago, Serbs fiercely and courageously fought against Ottoman oppression with Bayazid’s soldiers. Now the soldiers of Stefan Lazarevic fought on the side of the Sultan with the same enthusiasm and persistence.
On the left wing things were much more sad and dramatic for Bayezid. After the first onslaught of the enemy, the Tatar cavalry defected to Timur’s side. The great Tamerlane was not only an outstanding commander of the world history, but also a brilliant diplomat.
Emir even before the beginning of the battle through his spies bribed the Horde, promises and gifts, and they immediately betrayed their former master — the Ottoman Sultan. After the treason of the Horde Horde Anatolian beys did not last long and led by Suleiman began to retreat to the uplands.
The Ottoman sultan should have immediately thrown to the aid of his son reserves from the center, but the sultan could not or did not have time to do it. But Timur immediately threw forward the third and fourth lines of his military orders, and the main axis of blow was directed against the Serbs.
The scheme of Angora battle (battle at Ankara) on July 20, 1402
Christians and this time showed steadfastness and courage, not allowing themselves to surround and defeat. Balkan warriors cut their way to the center of the Ottoman army, however, there Bayezid’s position was already almost hopeless. The Janissaries and Sipahs, huddled together in a single mass, barely fought off Tamerlane’s warriors.
At this time, the Anatolian beys also hurried to Tamerlane’s side. Suleiman, cut off from his main forces began to hastily retreat into the mountains. The Serbs, who did everything possible and impossible in this battle, undertook an organized withdrawal to the west. The Emir sent his selected cavalry to attack, which completed the defeat of Bayezid’s army.
The Janissaries and Sipahs were almost entirely cut down and exterminated. The Sultan himself was taken prisoner. The defeat of the Ottoman army was complete. Only the surviving Serbs and a couple thousand warriors led by Suleiman managed to escape. More than 20,000 warriors of Bayezid went over to Timur’s side, and the same number were killed or captured.
The losses of Tamerlane’s army could be approximately 5000-6000 killed and wounded. Taking into account the addition of Anatolians and Tatars, the emir’s army became more numerous than before the battle. According to modern Russian historian Svetlana Oreshkina, the Ottoman Sultan lost from 15,000 to 40,000 men, and the army of the “Iron Hammer” 15-25 thousand.
The defeat at Angara undermined the power of the Ottoman Sultanate for several decades. Its rulers humbly recognized the greatness of Tamerlane, ceding to him part of their Middle Eastern possessions. Bayezid I soon died in a foreign land while in captivity. The sons of the Ottoman sultan started a quarrel over the division of their father’s inheritance. As a result of infighting, the Ottoman Sultanate temporarily broke up into several feuding independent territories.
Timur did not continue the conquest of Ottoman lands. Soon after the victory, Tamerlane began preparations for a campaign against his eastern foes and potential opponents. It should be noted that the defeat of the Ottomans at Angara made it possible to postpone for half a century the inevitable conquest of Byzantium by the Ottoman Turks and the fall of Constantinople.