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Battle of Chaldiran

Type Event Region Iran Time 1514

On August 23, 1514, Ottoman sultan Selim I led a large army against Safavid shah Ismail I on the Chaldiran plain in northwestern Iran;…

Timeline

  1. 1514near Chaldiran · IranAfter suppressing the Alevi rebellion in Anatolia and conquering Dulkadir, Selim I declared a jihad against the Safavid with Sunni scholars' endorsement. The army marched east from Sivas, and Ismail I drew up his Safavid cavalry on the Chaldiran plain to meet them.
  2. 1514Chaldiran battlefield · IranThe Ottomans formed a defensive line with chained wagons and artillery positions; Janissary volleys devastated the Safavid cavalry charges. Ismail's guards repeatedly broke into the Ottoman line but were finally routed by superior firepower; Ismail was wounded and withdrew, giving the Ottomans a decisive victory.
  3. 1514Tabriz · East Azerbaijan ProvinceAfter the battle the Ottoman army seized the Safavid capital Tabriz and plundered the palace treasures, then incorporated eastern Anatolia and Upper Mesopotamia into their realm. Ismail largely withdrew from military command thereafter, and the Safavid westward advance was checked.

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