Battle of Ankara
Çubuk plain near Ankara
What happened
Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire, fought the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I. Bayezid demanded tribute from an emir loyal to Timur, and Timur took this as a personal insult. Bayezid stopped his blockade of Constantinople and marched east through the midsummer heat. During the battle on the plain near Ankara, Timur diverted the Çubuk creek that supplied the Ottoman army's water, and some of Bayezid's troops left his side and joined Timur. The Ottoman army was defeated and Bayezid was captured.
Why it matters
Result: Timurid victory. Leaders: Timur / Miran Shah against Bayezid I / Süleyman Çelebi. Why it matters: It is the only time an Ottoman sultan was captured in person. The defeat led to the Ottoman Interregnum, a civil war among Bayezid's sons.
What came next
Bayezid died in captivity in 1403. His sons fought for the throne until 1413.
Did you know?
Timur's name, Temur, means 'iron' in Chagatai, his mother tongue.
Timeline
- 1394 CEBayezid begins to blockade Constantinople.
- 28 July 1402 CETimur defeats Bayezid at Ankara.
- 8 March 1403 CEBayezid dies in captivity.
- February 1405 CETimur dies at Farab while marching toward China.
- 1413 CEThe Ottoman civil war among Bayezid's sons ends.