Battle of Sırp Sındığı

Part of the Ottoman wars in Europe
Serbian–Ottoman Wars

Date	1364
Location	Maritsa River, Sarayakpınar village near Adrianople
Result	Decisive Ottoman Victory Adrianople Becomes a Capital

Belligerents

Serbian Empire

Bulgarian Empire
Banate of Bosnia

Wallachia

Kingdom of Hungary Crusaders

Ottoman Empire

Commanders and leaders

Vukašin Mrnjavčević

Hacı İlbey

Strength

30,000 to 60,000

5000-10,000

Casualties and losses

Over thousands died and the rest fled

Unknown

Sırp Sındığı was a sudden night raid by an Ottoman force led by Hacı İlbey on a Serbian contingent at the banks of the Martisa river about 15 kilometres from the city of Adrianople. It occurred in 1364 between an expeditionary force of the Ottomans and a Serbian army that also included crusaders, sent by the Pope. The Ottomans destroyed the Serbian army, which is why the battle was known as "sırp sındığı" (destruction of Serbs). The battle was the first attempt to throw the Ottomans from the Balkans with an allied army.

In Old Turkish sındık means "destruction", hence sırp sındığı means "destruction of Serbs" or 'Rout of the Serbs' that symbolises the casualties of Serbian soldiers in this battle. On the other hand, this battle occurred in Sarayakpınar village near Adrianople, the old name of that village was "Sırp sındığı".

At the instigation of Pope Urban V, a crusading army of Hungarians, Serbians, Bosnians and Wallachians was formed and in 1364 it set forth to recapture Adrianople. It marched undisturbed to the Maritsa, but there it was surprised by a night attack and cut to pieces. ...Nevertheless the Serbs resolved to stop Turks in the valley of the Maritsa and marched as far as "Chernomen" between Philippolis and Adrianople. There at dawn on September 26, 1371, a greatly inferior Turkish force surprised them and slaughtered large numbers...

When the Ottomans captured Adrianople in 1362; a strategic main road from Constantinople to Europe was cut. A large number of Turkish immigrants began to settle in Thrace very quickly. Also the Ottomans attacked Serbian, Bulgarian and Byzantine Empire lands. The enlargement policy of the Ottomans caused fear and counter reactions of the other nations in the Balkans. When Ottomans captured Plovdiv in 1363, a Byzantine garrison commander in Plovdiv fled to Serbia. He constantly advised and encouraged the Serbians and Bulgarians to attack the outnumbered Ottoman forces quickly with an allied force before the Ottomans fortified their positions.So the Serbians and Bulgarians therefore agreed to send an allied force to push the Ottomans from the Balkans. With the encouragement and efforts of the Pope Urban V, the Principality of Wallachia and the Ban of Bosnia agreed to send some troops to support that allied force. Also the Kingdom of Hungary which was fighting for leadership in the Balkans,also supported that army by sending troops led by Louis I of Hungary.

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Wikipedia