Draft:Transylvania Campaign (1613)

Transylvanian Campaign (1613)
The Varad fortress where Báthory was killed
Date September–October 1613 Location Transylvania Result Ottoman victory
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate Wallachia Moldavian Principality	Principality of Transylvania
Commanders and leaders
İskender Pasha Macaroğlu Ali Pasha Canibek Giray Radu Mihnea	Gabriel Báthory †
Strength
60,000–80,000	20,000–25,000

Transylvania Campaign, military campaign of the Ottoman Empire against its subject Principality of Erdel in 1613.

Beylerbeyi of Kanije (province) The Ottoman army under the command of İskender Pasha (Beylerbeyi of Ozi) entered Transylvania, deposed Prince Batori Gabor (1608-1613), restored order in the Principality and placed Betlen Gabor (1613-1629) on the throne.

Before the campaign

Betlen Gábor came to Istanbul in 1613 and filed a complaint against his brother, Prince Báthory Gábor, through İskender Paşa, accusing him of various cruelties, including molesting young girls and promoting noblemen who handed over their wives to him. The Ottomans had also not forgotten that Báthory Gábor had invaded Wallachia in 1611, demanding recognition as the Prince of Wallachia from Istanbul and seeking compensation for "damages" during his conquest, which led them to label him as the "Mad King." In response to this, the Ottomans had forced Gábor to retreat in the 1611 campaign and now sought to end the unrest in Transylvania once and for all by dispatching İskender Paşa in 1613

Campaign

İskender Paşa, with an army of 25,000, advanced with Betlen Gábor and joined forces with Özi Beylerbeyi Macaroğlu Ali Paşa. Meanwhile, Báthory Gábor commanded a force of approximately 15-20,000 men at Sebeş. On September 19, 1613, the Ottoman army crossed into the Transylvanian territory from the Demirkapı region. While continuing their advance, İskender Paşa distributed proclamations as far as the remote villages of Transylvania, informing the people of the Sultan Ahmed I's decree to remove the Prince of Transylvania.

Simultaneously, Radu Mihnea, the Prince of Wallachia, and Crimean Tatars under Canıbek Giray began invading Transylvania from the south and east. The Crimean forces, numbering around 40,000 cavalry, crossed through Moldavia and entered Transylvanian lands, setting up camp in Hermannstadt. To avoid being caught between the Ottoman and Crimean armies, the rebellious Prince Báthory Gábor fled northward toward Cluj.

The Ottoman and Crimean forces then moved toward Cluj, where the Crimean cavalry, with its speed, caught up with Báthory Gábor's forces and defeated them in the Kaloşvar Battle (1613), taking a significant number of prisoners. Faced with this danger, Báthory Gábor fled further north with a small number of soldiers, and Canıbek Giray, the Crimean Khan, sent the prisoners from Transylvania to Istanbul.

After these developments, İskender Paşa entered Cluj and convened the Transylvanian Diet, electing Betlen Gábor as prince. It was promised that the symbols of authority would be sent to him as long as he maintained good relations with the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. Additionally, the towns of Yanova and Lipova, which had been taken by Transylvania in 1595, were returned to Ottoman control by placing them under the administration of the Timișoara Beylerbeylik.

Báthory Gábor, having gathered some forces, attempted to return to Transylvania, but was ambushed and killed on October 27, 1613, near Oradea.

After the campaign

İskender Paşa stayed in Transylvania for a while to consolidate Ottoman rule over the principality.

Betlen Gábor, the prince installed by the Ottomans, first visited Budin and then sent his brother Ștefan Báthory to Istanbul to request confirmation of his principality. On June 14, 1614, Ahmed I issued a sultan's decree guaranteeing the security of Transylvania as long as Betlen Gábor and the nobility faithfully performed their duties to the Sublime Porte. On July 17, 1614, İskender Paşa also issued a supplementary decree addressing issues such as border disputes, the return of prisoners, and relations with neighboring principalities.