Battle of Maritsa
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Maritsa, or Battle of Chernomen, took place at the Maritsa River
near the village of Chernomen
(today Ormenio in Greece
) on September 26, 1371 between the forces of the Ottoman
sultan Murad I
's lieutenant Lala Şâhin Paşa
and the
Serbian army numbering some 70,000 men under the command of the self-proclaimed king of the Serbs and the Greeks Vukašin Mrnjavčević
and his brother despot Uglješa.
Despot Uglješa
wanted to make a surprise attack on the Ottomans in their capital city, Edirne
, while Murad I
was in Asia Minor
. The Ottoman army was much smaller, but due to superior tactics (night raid on the allied camp), Şâhin Paşa was able to defeat the Serbian army and kill King Vukašin and despot Uglješa. Macedonia
and parts of Greece
fell under Ottoman power after this battle.
The battle was a part of the Ottoman campaign to conquer the Balkans
and was preceded by the Ottoman capturing of Sozopol
and succeeded by the capture of the cities of Drama
, Kavála
and Serrai
in modern Greece
. The battle preceded the later 1389 Battle of Kosovo
, and was one of many in history of the Serbian-Turkish wars
.
Maritsa
The Maritsa or Evros , ) is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...
near the village of Chernomen
Ormenio
Ormenio is the northernmost place in all of Greece. It is located in the municipal unit of Trigono in the Evros Prefecture of Thrace, immediately south of the Bulgarian border. Ormenio is located west-northwest of Orestiada, about 200 km north of Alexandroupoli, about 40 km west of...
(today Ormenio in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) on September 26, 1371 between the forces of the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
sultan Murad I
Murad I
Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...
's lieutenant Lala Şâhin Paşa
Lala Shahin Pasha
Lala Shahin Pasha was the first Beylerbey of Rumelia. He was one of commanders in Battle of Maritsa and the leader of the Battle of Bileća ....
and the
Serbian army numbering some 70,000 men under the command of the self-proclaimed king of the Serbs and the Greeks Vukašin Mrnjavčević
Vukašin Mrnjavcevic
Vukašin Mrnjavčević was a Serbian ruler in modern-day central and northwestern Macedonia, who ruled from 1365 to 1371. According to 17th-century Ragusan historian Mavro Orbin, his father was a minor noble named Mrnjava from Zachlumia, whose sons Vukašin and Uglješa were born in Livno in western...
and his brother despot Uglješa.
Despot Uglješa
Jovan Ugljesa
Jovan Uglješa Mrnjavčević was a 14th-century Serbian noble and brother of Serbian ruler Vukašin Mrnjavčević.-Life:Uglješa was the son of Mrnjava, a treasurer of Helen of Anjou, the queen consort of Stephen Uroš I of Serbia....
wanted to make a surprise attack on the Ottomans in their capital city, Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
, while Murad I
Murad I
Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...
was in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. The Ottoman army was much smaller, but due to superior tactics (night raid on the allied camp), Şâhin Paşa was able to defeat the Serbian army and kill King Vukašin and despot Uglješa. Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
and parts of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
fell under Ottoman power after this battle.
The battle was a part of the Ottoman campaign to conquer the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and was preceded by the Ottoman capturing of Sozopol
Sozopol
Sozopol is an ancient seaside town located 35 km south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Today it is one of the major seaside resorts in the country, known for the Apollonia art and film festival that is named after one of the town's ancient names.The busiest times of the year...
and succeeded by the capture of the cities of Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
, Kavála
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
and Serrai
Serres, Greece
Sérres is a city in Macedonia, Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki. The Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city...
in modern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The battle preceded the later 1389 Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
, and was one of many in history of the Serbian-Turkish wars
History of the Serbian-Turkish wars
The Serbian-Turkish wars were a series of armed conflicts and wars fought between the Serbia and the Ottoman Empire.-Early encounters:*Battle of Gallipoli in 1312*Battle of Stephaniana in 1344-Fall of the Serbian Empire:...
.