Battle of Vrtijeljka

Battle on Vrtijeljka

Date	7 May 1685
Location	Vrtijeljka hill near Cetinje, Sanjak of Montenegro
Result	Decisive Ottoman victory

Belligerents

Venetian irregular force

Ottoman Empire

Commanders and leaders

Bajo Pivljanin †

Süleyman

Units involved

Bay of Kotor-based Hajduks
Montenegrins
Mainjani
Primorci

Sanjak of Scutari

Strength

ca. 1200

Large

Casualties and losses

500

The Battle on Vrtijeljka (Serbian: бој на Вртијељци/boj na Vrtijeljci) was fought on a hill near Cetinje between a Venetian irregular force and an advancing Ottoman force, on 7 May 1685 at the start of the Morean War. The Venetian force was made up of fighters from the neighbouring areas, including the band of acclaimed hajduk Bajo Pivljanin, and several Christian tribes. The large Ottoman force was led by sanjak-bey Süleyman of Scutari.

Süleyman Pasha of Scutari readied to punish the Montenegrins (Ottoman subjects), who had helped the Republic of Venice, the Ottomans' main enemy in the Morean War. Süleyman sent word to the Montenegrins that, "due to their relations with Morlachs and Hajduks," he would exterminate them all. The leaders of the Kuči, Klimenti, and other tribes of the Highlands (Brda) were called and visited by Süleyman, who took 12 hostages from them and jailed these in Scutari. The Montenegrins were located in the immediate Venetian–Ottoman frontier (krajina), east of the Bay of Kotor (a Venetian territory) and west of the Sanjak of Scutari.

The acclaimed hajduk Bajo Pivljanin had served the Republic of Venice with his band in the Bay of Kotor in the Cretan War (1645–69), and was once again dispatched to the bay (in 1684) in order to protect the area against the Ottomans.

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