Battle of Kletsk
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Kletsk was fought on August 6, 1506 near Kletsk
(now Belarus
) between the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
led by Court Marshall of Lithuania Michael Glinski
and the army of the Crimean Khanate
, led by Fetih I Giray and Burnaş I Giray, sons of the Khan of Crimea Meñli I Giray
. It is considered one of the greatest Lithuanian victories against the Tatars
.
, founder of the Crimean Khanate
. However, in 1480s his son Meñli I Giray
allied with the Grand Duchy of Moscow
, a long-standing Lithuanian enemy. During the Muscovite–Lithuanian War of 1503, the Crimean Tatar armies pillaged Grand Duchy's southern towns of Slutsk
, Kletsk
and Nyasvizh and even threatened the capital in Vilnius
. Therefore Alexander Jagiellon
, Grand Duke of Lithuania, ordered to build the defensive city wall of Vilnius, which was completed in 1522. About the same time conflicts in the Lithuanian Council of Lords
began to emerge between quickly-rising Michael Glinski
and Jan Zabrzeziński
. In summer 1506, Alexander's health deteriorated and he decided to convene a Seimas
in Lida
so that he could transfer the Lithuanian throne to his brother Sigismund I
. However, on July 25, the convention was disrupted by the news of Tatar invasion. According to scout reports, about 20,000 Tatars looted surroundings of Slutsk
and approached Navahrudak and Lida. Alexander evacuated to Vilnius leaving Stanisław Kiszka, Great Hetman of Lithuania, and Glinski in charge of defense.
and sent half of their force in smaller groups to loot surrounding areas. On August 3, the Lithuanians learned the location of the Tatar camp and marched about 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) all night towards Kletsk. The march exhausted Kiszka, he fell ill, and command of the army passed to Glinksi. The Tatar camp was in a strong defensible position between the Lan River and its tributary Tsapra. The Tatars were warned about the approaching Lithuanian army and were ready for battle. The heavy Lithuanian cavalry could not cross the rivers and their swampy shores. Therefore Glinski ordered that the army split in half and built two pontoon bridges across the rivers while the enemies exchanged artillery fire. He planned to attack the Tatas from two sides.
However, his political rival Jan Zabrzeziński
did not trust Glinki's command and attacked first as soon as one of the bridges was completed on August 6. The small detachments of Zabrzeziński's men was quickly defeated and the Tatars mockingly displayed their severed heads. This enraged the right wing of the Lithuanian army, which promptly attacked in full force. That prompted the Tatars to concentrate their full force against the Lithuanian right wing leaving only weak defenses against the Lithuanian left wing, which delayed its attack. When Glinski commanded the left wing to begin the assault, the Lithuanians easily broke through the defenses and attacked the main Tatar forces from the rear. The Tatar army was split in half: one half was surrounded and defeated while the other retreated. The Lithuanians pursued the retreating Tatars; it was said that more Tatars died retreating across Tsapra than in the battle. The Lithuanians achieved a victory and recovered much loot and prisoners taken by the Tatars. For few more days, the Lithuanians waited for Tatar contingents returning to the camp after their looting expeditions.
entered Vilnius. In honor of the victory, Mikołaj II Radziwiłł sponsored Church of St. George on the bank of Neris
River. When Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon
died on August 19, Zabrzeziński accused Glinski of conspiracy to murder Alexander. Glinski lost royal favors and began an anti-Lithuanian revolt, murdering Zabrzeziński and allying with the Grand Duchy of Moscow
. The revolt became part of the renewed Muscovite–Lithuanian War. This time Khan Meñli I Giray
broke off his long-standing alliance with Moscow due to its campaign against Kazan
and allied with Lithuania. Lithuanian Grand Duke Sigismund I
received an iarlyk for the Russian territories of Novgorod, Pskov
, Ryazan
.
Kletsk
Kletsk is a city in the Minsk voblast of Belarus, located on the Lan river. , it had ca. 10,000 inhabitants.- History :The town was founded in 11th century by the Dregovichs, who erected a large fort and a tribal centre there...
(now Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) between the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
led by Court Marshall of Lithuania Michael Glinski
Michael Glinski
Michael Glinski was a noble from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of distant Tatar extraction who was also a tutor of his nephew, Ivan the Terrible. As a young man, Glinski served in the court of Emperor Maximilian I and earned distinction for his military service. Around 1498 he returned to Lithuania...
and the army of the Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
, led by Fetih I Giray and Burnaş I Giray, sons of the Khan of Crimea Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray , also spelled as Mengli I Giray, was a khan of the Crimean Khanate and the sixth son of the khanate founder Haci I Giray....
. It is considered one of the greatest Lithuanian victories against the Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
.
Background
The Lithuanians were allies with Hacı I GirayHaci I Giray
Hacı I Giray Angel was the founder and the first ruler of the Crimean Khanate. He is sometimes referred to as Hacı Devlet Giray or Devlet Hacı Giray...
, founder of the Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
. However, in 1480s his son Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray , also spelled as Mengli I Giray, was a khan of the Crimean Khanate and the sixth son of the khanate founder Haci I Giray....
allied with the Grand Duchy of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
, a long-standing Lithuanian enemy. During the Muscovite–Lithuanian War of 1503, the Crimean Tatar armies pillaged Grand Duchy's southern towns of Slutsk
Slutsk
Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...
, Kletsk
Kletsk
Kletsk is a city in the Minsk voblast of Belarus, located on the Lan river. , it had ca. 10,000 inhabitants.- History :The town was founded in 11th century by the Dregovichs, who erected a large fort and a tribal centre there...
and Nyasvizh and even threatened the capital in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. Therefore Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jagiellon...
, Grand Duke of Lithuania, ordered to build the defensive city wall of Vilnius, which was completed in 1522. About the same time conflicts in the Lithuanian Council of Lords
Lithuanian Council of Lords
The Lithuanian Council of Lords was the main permanent institution of central government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania active in its capital city of Vilnius....
began to emerge between quickly-rising Michael Glinski
Michael Glinski
Michael Glinski was a noble from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of distant Tatar extraction who was also a tutor of his nephew, Ivan the Terrible. As a young man, Glinski served in the court of Emperor Maximilian I and earned distinction for his military service. Around 1498 he returned to Lithuania...
and Jan Zabrzeziński
Jan Zabrzeziński
Jan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński or Zaberezhsky was a noble of Leliwa coat of arms from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, who achieved height of his influence during the reign of Alexander Jagiellon...
. In summer 1506, Alexander's health deteriorated and he decided to convene a Seimas
Seimas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Seimas was an early parliament in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was active from 1445 to 1569, when it was officially abolished by the Union of Lublin. The Seimas was an irregular gathering of the Lithuanian nobility, called as needed by the Grand Duke or during an interregnum the Lithuanian...
in Lida
Lida
Lida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
so that he could transfer the Lithuanian throne to his brother Sigismund I
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
. However, on July 25, the convention was disrupted by the news of Tatar invasion. According to scout reports, about 20,000 Tatars looted surroundings of Slutsk
Slutsk
Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...
and approached Navahrudak and Lida. Alexander evacuated to Vilnius leaving Stanisław Kiszka, Great Hetman of Lithuania, and Glinski in charge of defense.
Battle
The Lithuanians quickly gathered 7,000 men in Navahrudak. Meanwhile the Tatars established their main camp near KletskKletsk
Kletsk is a city in the Minsk voblast of Belarus, located on the Lan river. , it had ca. 10,000 inhabitants.- History :The town was founded in 11th century by the Dregovichs, who erected a large fort and a tribal centre there...
and sent half of their force in smaller groups to loot surrounding areas. On August 3, the Lithuanians learned the location of the Tatar camp and marched about 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) all night towards Kletsk. The march exhausted Kiszka, he fell ill, and command of the army passed to Glinksi. The Tatar camp was in a strong defensible position between the Lan River and its tributary Tsapra. The Tatars were warned about the approaching Lithuanian army and were ready for battle. The heavy Lithuanian cavalry could not cross the rivers and their swampy shores. Therefore Glinski ordered that the army split in half and built two pontoon bridges across the rivers while the enemies exchanged artillery fire. He planned to attack the Tatas from two sides.
However, his political rival Jan Zabrzeziński
Jan Zabrzeziński
Jan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński or Zaberezhsky was a noble of Leliwa coat of arms from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, who achieved height of his influence during the reign of Alexander Jagiellon...
did not trust Glinki's command and attacked first as soon as one of the bridges was completed on August 6. The small detachments of Zabrzeziński's men was quickly defeated and the Tatars mockingly displayed their severed heads. This enraged the right wing of the Lithuanian army, which promptly attacked in full force. That prompted the Tatars to concentrate their full force against the Lithuanian right wing leaving only weak defenses against the Lithuanian left wing, which delayed its attack. When Glinski commanded the left wing to begin the assault, the Lithuanians easily broke through the defenses and attacked the main Tatar forces from the rear. The Tatar army was split in half: one half was surrounded and defeated while the other retreated. The Lithuanians pursued the retreating Tatars; it was said that more Tatars died retreating across Tsapra than in the battle. The Lithuanians achieved a victory and recovered much loot and prisoners taken by the Tatars. For few more days, the Lithuanians waited for Tatar contingents returning to the camp after their looting expeditions.
Aftermath
On August 12, 1506, victorious Michael GlinskiMichael Glinski
Michael Glinski was a noble from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of distant Tatar extraction who was also a tutor of his nephew, Ivan the Terrible. As a young man, Glinski served in the court of Emperor Maximilian I and earned distinction for his military service. Around 1498 he returned to Lithuania...
entered Vilnius. In honor of the victory, Mikołaj II Radziwiłł sponsored Church of St. George on the bank of Neris
Neris
Neris is a river rising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius and becoming a tributary of the Neman River at Kaunas...
River. When Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jagiellon...
died on August 19, Zabrzeziński accused Glinski of conspiracy to murder Alexander. Glinski lost royal favors and began an anti-Lithuanian revolt, murdering Zabrzeziński and allying with the Grand Duchy of Moscow
Grand Duchy of Moscow
The Grand Duchy of Moscow or Grand Principality of Moscow, also known in English simply as Muscovy , was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow, and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia....
. The revolt became part of the renewed Muscovite–Lithuanian War. This time Khan Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray , also spelled as Mengli I Giray, was a khan of the Crimean Khanate and the sixth son of the khanate founder Haci I Giray....
broke off his long-standing alliance with Moscow due to its campaign against Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
and allied with Lithuania. Lithuanian Grand Duke Sigismund I
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
received an iarlyk for the Russian territories of Novgorod, Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
, Ryazan
Ryazan
Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
.