Battle of Sich (1674)
| Battle of Sich | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1672–1681) and Ottoman-Cossack Conflict | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Zaporozhian Cossacks |
 Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Ivan Sirko |
Mehmed IV Selim I Giray | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
150–350[1][2] Estimated garrison: 2,000[3] |
15,000[3][4][5] 40,000[6] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
50 killed 80 wounded[4][7][8] |
13,500 killed; 150 captured[4][7][9] Heavy[8][10][11] | ||||||
The Battle of Sich took place between the Ottoman-Crimean army and the Zaporozhian Cossacks, during the Ottoman-Crimean campaign into the Sich, at night on 19 December 1674.[12] Detailed description of this battle only appears in Velychko's chronicle.[3]
Prelude
[edit]Sultan Mehmed IV and Khan Selim I Giray planned a campaign into the Sich with the goal of destroying it, thus ending the frequent Cossack campaigns and raids of Ivan Sirko into their lands.[3] In autumn of 1674, Sultan sent 15,000 Ottoman Janissaries to Crimea.[4][5] In total, 15,000 Janissaries and 40,000 Tatars were to take part in the campaign.[6][3][13]
Battle
[edit]Turkish-Tatar army launched their campaign into the Sich once the rivers froze, at night to avoid getting detected.[6][2] The Khan used captured Cossacks to gain access into Sich, expecting to take Cossacks by surprise as they were asleep.[14][15] However, they were noticed by a Cossack named Shevchuk or Chefchika, who alerted his comrades, and made the presence of intruders in the Sich known to the other 150–350 Cossacks, which allowed them to react on time and equip their guns.[3][16][2] Cossacks launched an attack on the Turkish-Tatar army, firing at them with muskets from all directions, which put the Turkish-Tatar army into the state of disorganized panic. Each shot killed 2–3 Janissaries due to lack of space between the Sich Kurins, not allowing Janissaries to move freely.[4][1] Janissaries couldn't fire back either.[17] Cossacks took advantage of the panic among Janissaries, taking out their sabres and getting into hand combat with them.[4] As a result, nearly all Ottoman Janissaries were wiped out.[4][8][18] Khan Selim I Giray hastily retreated back to Crimea with remnants of Turkish-Tatar army before the 2,000 Cossack cavalrymen could catch up to them.[7][8]
Aftermath
[edit]Cossacks came out victorious.[19] 13,500 Turks were killed and 150 were captured.[4][9] Tatars also suffered heavy losses.[8][10] Cossacks suffered 50 killed and 80 wounded.[4][7][8] Cossacks disposed of enemy corpses by throwing them in wholes of frozen river, under the ice.[20][8] As a result of this battle, Ottomans ceased their attempts of destroying Cossacks militarily.[21] Later, Ivan Sirko with Cossacks sent a reply to Khan Selim I Giray. They wrote:
We, the Cossack troops of the Sich, would never have conceived the idea of entering upon this war had you not commenced hostilities. You have sent against us (what treachery!) not only your savage Tartars, but also the troops of that old fool, the Sultan. Had it not been for the intervention of our constant friend, the great Lord Jesus — we might all have perished in our sleep! Now, since your disloyal ways have brought upon you disaster — refrain from troubling us. Otherwise, we will treat you after our fashion, and that of our noble Cossack ancestors, by beating down your own gates! We wish your Majesty a long and prosperous reign.[22]
Nonetheless, Sirko agreed to the Khan's request to release 150 Janissary captives as part of ransom. Initially, Sirko blamed Petro Doroshenko for the attack in a separate letter, but Doroshenko in his reply assured Sirko he has nothing to do with it.[9] Ivan Sirko wanted revenge for the attack on Sich, this inspired his Crimean Campaign in 1675.[23][10]
Historicity
[edit]The historicity of this battle initially risen doubts due to its only mention appearing in Velychko's chronicle. However, it was later discovered that this battle is also mentioned in chronicle of Rigelman, but in less detail.[24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Sobchenko 2020, p. 323.
- ^ a b c Chronicle of Samiilo Velychko. Volume II. Chapter XVI.
- ^ a b c d e f Penn 1919, p. 39.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Андреев, Александр (2021). История Крыма (in Russian). Белый волк. p. 110. ISBN 5457026310.
Осенью 1674 года из Константинополя в Крым прибыл пятнадцатитысячный отряд турецких янычар с приказанием хану объединенными силами уничтожить Запорожскую Сечь. [In the autumn of 1674, a fifteen thousand strong detachment of Turkish Janissaries arrived in Crimea from Constantinople with orders to the Khan to use their combined forces to destroy the Zaporizhian Sich.]
- ^ a b Андреев; Андреев, Александр; Максим (2021). Настоящая история казацкой Украины (in Russian). ЛитРес. ISBN 5457024865.
На это дело он прислал осенью 1674 года на кораблях из Константинополя в Крым 15 000 отборных стамбульских янычар и велел крымскому хану с этими янычарами и совсей крымской ордой, при наступлении зимы, постараться выбить всех запорожцев до конца, а самую Сечь разорить до основания. [For this purpose, in the autumn of 1674, he sent 15,000 select Istanbul Janissaries from Constantinople to Crimea on ships and ordered the Crimean Khan, with these Janissaries and the entire Crimean Horde, to try to drive out all the Zaporozhians to the end when winter came, and to raze the Sich itself to the ground.]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c "Cossacks wrote the letter ... ["Was there such a letter, really?"]". kpi.ua/en. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ a b c d Penn 1919, p. 41.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sobchenko 2020, p. 324.
- ^ a b c Yavornytskyi 2004, p. 249.
- ^ a b c Ригельман; Бодянский 1847, p. 167.
- ^ Velichko 1851, p. 361.
- ^ "Козаки перемогли турецьке військо, втративши 50 людей". gazeta.ua. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
- ^ Sobchenko 2020, p. 320.
- ^ Yavornytskyi 2004, pp. 245–246.
- ^ Sobchenko 2020, p. 321.
- ^ Sobchenko 2020, pp. 322–323.
- ^ Yavornytskyi 2004, p. 247.
- ^ Penn 1919, p. 40.
- ^ Ригельман; Бодянский 1847, p. 166.
- ^ Yavornytskyi 2004, p. 248.
- ^ Yavornytskyi 2004, p. 250.
- ^ Penn 1919, p. 42.
- ^ Kostomarov 1995, pp. 351–352.
- ^ Kostomarov 1995, p. 351.
Bibliography
[edit]- Velichko, Samoylov (1851) [1720]. Летопись событий в юго-западной России в XVII-м веке [Chronicle of events in Southwestern Russia in the 17th century] (in Russian). Vol. 2. Опубликовано временной комиссией для разбора древних актов (Published by temporary commission for reviewing ancient acts). Kiev: Типография Иосифа Вальнера. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- Ригельман; Бодянский, Александр Иванович; Осип Максимович (1847) [1785]. Летописное повествование о Малой России и ее народе и козаках вообще [The chronicle narrative about Little Russia and its people and the Cossacks in general] (in Russian). Vol. 4. Moscow: О-во истории и древностей рос. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Sobchenko, Ivan Sergeevich (2020). Kosh Otaman of Zaporozhian Sich I.D. Sirko (in Russian). Moscow: Ваш формат.
- Penn, William (1919). The Cossacks;. Palala Press. ISBN 1355521025.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - Yavornytskyi, Dmytro (2004). Tvory (in Ukrainian). Vol. 1. Tandem-U. ISBN 966-7482-31-6.
- Kostomarov, N. (1995). Ruina (in Russian). Moscow Charli. ISBN 586859018X.