Battle of Urmia (1604)
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The Battle of Urmia (or, Urumiyeh) was fought near
Lake Urmia Lake Urmia; az, اۇرمۇ گؤلۆ, script=Arab, italic=no, Urmu gölü; ku, گۆلائوو رمیەیێ, Gola Ûrmiyeyê; hy, Ուրմիա լիճ, Urmia lich; arc, ܝܡܬܐ ܕܐܘܪܡܝܐ is an endorheic salt lake in Iran. The lake is l ...
in north-western Persia between the Safavid and Ottoman empires and resulted in a decisive Safavid victory. The Ottomans were fooled into an ambush by the
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
army where many of them were killed or captured in an encirclement manoeuvre. Over the next three years all of western and northern Persia was recaptured and the Safavids even re-established their suzerainty over their former vassals in the Caucasus.


Background

In 1603, Shah Abbas I of Safavid Iran realised the vulnerability of the Ottoman Empire and undertook a campaign to regain the lost territories of his Empire. His attack in 1603 saw him easily defeating the Ottoman garrisons surrounding Tabriz, following up on the success and effectively punching the Ottoman armies back into a well-fortified Yerevan (The capital of modern Armenia) and Eastern Anatolia.


Battle

Shah Abbas I approached with a force of an estimated 62,000 men, while the Ottomans held nearly 100,000 men. The Battle of Urmia, Urumiyeh or alternatively known as the Battle of Sis began with Allahverdi Khan's cavalry raid. The Ottoman commanders mistook this raid for the entirety of the Safavid offensive and turned about to give battle to them, leaving their flanks exposed. Seizing the opportunity, the Shah struck the Ottoman line with all the might of his hidden army, and sent a contingent to turn the remaining Ottomans defending the camp away. That Safavid contingent then turned about and sealed the remaining Ottoman units on the field in an encirclement, during which the entrapped Ottoman troops were either killed, injured or captured. It is believed that the Ottomans suffered some 20,000 dead.


Aftermath

With the only force capable of retaking Tabriz now disorderly and effectively routed, the Safavid offensive into the Caucasus was a success. After the defeat of Canbulatoğlu Hüseyin Pasha, Shah Abbas I liberated Ganja, Baku, Shamakhi and Shirvan.


References

Urmia Urmia or Orumiyeh ( fa, ارومیه, Variously transliterated as ''Oroumieh'', ''Oroumiyeh'', ''Orūmīyeh'' and ''Urūmiyeh''.) is the largest city in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran and the capital of Urmia County. It is situated at an al ...
Urmia Urmia or Orumiyeh ( fa, ارومیه, Variously transliterated as ''Oroumieh'', ''Oroumiyeh'', ''Orūmīyeh'' and ''Urūmiyeh''.) is the largest city in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran and the capital of Urmia County. It is situated at an al ...
Urmia 1604 History of West Azerbaijan Province 17th century in Iran {{Iran-hist-stub