Battle of Köse Dağ

Part of the Mongol invasions of Anatolia

The Mongols chasing the Seljuqs. Hayton of Corycus, Fleur des histoires d'orient.

Date	June 26, 1243
Location	Kösedağ (about 60 km east of Sivas)
Result	Decisive Mongol victory The Sultanate of Anatolia and the Empire of Trebizond became vassals of the Mongols.

Belligerents

Mongol Empire
Armenian & Georgian mercenaries

Sultanate of Rum
Georgian auxiliaries
Trapezuntine auxiliaries
Latin mercenaries

Commanders and leaders

Baiju

Kaykhusraw II
Pharadavla of Akhaltsikhe

Dardin Sharvashisdze †

Strength

30,000-40,000

60,000-80,000
(20,000–25,000 participated, the rest deserted)

Casualties and losses

unknown

3,000 killed

The Battle of Köse Dağ was fought between the Sultanate of Rum ruled by the Seljuq dynasty and the Mongol Empire on June 26, 1243 at the defile of Köse Dağ, (Armenian: Չման-կատուկ Ch'man-katuk), a location between Erzincan and Gümüşhane in modern northeastern Turkey; the Mongols achieved a decisive victory.

During the reign of Ögedei Khan, the Sultanate of Rum offered friendship and a modest tribute to Chormaqan, a kheshig and one of the Mongols' greatest generals. Under Kaykhusraw II, however, the Mongols began to pressure the sultan to go to Mongolia in person, give hostages and accept a Mongol darughachi.

Under the leadership of Baiju, the Mongol commander, the Mongols attacked Rum in the winter of 1242-1243 and seized the city of Erzurum. Sultan Kaykhusraw II immediately called on his neighbours to contribute troops to resist the invasion. The Empire of Trebizond sent a detachment and the sultan engaged a group of "Frankish" mercenaries. A few Georgian nobles such as Shamadavle of Akhaltsikhe also joined him, but most Georgians were compelled to fight alongside their Mongol overlords.

The decisive battle was fought at Köse Dağ on June 26, 1243. The primary sources do not record the size of the opposing armies but suggest that the Mongols faced a numerically superior force. Baiju brushed aside an apprehensive notice from his Georgian officer regarding the size of the Seljuq army by stating that they counted as nothing the numbers of their enemies: "the more they are, the more glorious it is to win, and the more plunder we shall secure".

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Wikipedia