DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.25694#0041
26
AMURATH I.
began the encounter with incredible fury. The advantage appeared to be, for a short time, on the
side of Aladin, who had nearly penetrated the centre of Amurath’s line, when Bajazet, advancing
with a celerity and vigour not to be resisted, recovered the advantage which had been lost, and
made a dreadful carnage among the enemy’s ranks. From the rapidity of his charge on this occasion,
he obtained the name of Yilderim, or Lightning. Aladin fearing the loss of his whole army, fled,
in great disorder, to his strong city of Iconium, in which he was immediately besieged by the
Turkish army. The Sultan was preparing to give the assault, when Aladin sent his Queen, the
daughter of Amurath, to supplicate for pardon and peace ; which were at length granted, but on
terms of almost unconditional submission. This great victory completed the triumph of the Ottoman
arms in Asia; the confederates being so discouraged, that they sued for peace, and consented to place
themselves under the protection of Amurath.
The princes of Asia now retired, and the Servian auxiliaries were dismissed ; but on the return
of these last to their own country, they complained so loudly of the injustice and tyranny of Amurath,
and boasted so highly of the services they performed in the Caramanian war, that, encouraged by
the alliance of the King of Bosnia, Lazarus resolved to shake off the Turkish yoke. When the
Sultan heard of the meditated invasion of his territories, he raised an army which he thought fully
equal to the subjugation of Servia ; and which was indeed the most powerful that the Turks had
ever brought into Europe. Yet Lazarus, in addition to his own subjects, procured such auxiliary
supplies from the Christian princes, his neighbours, that his army exceeded in numbers even
that of the Sultan. As Amurath was marching towards Servia, his tributaries joined him with
their forces, and having passed the river Morova, he drew so near to the plains where the army of
Lazarus lay, that, with his son Bajazet, he had a distant view of the Christian camp. It was so
numerous, as to cover entirely the extensive plains of Cossova ; and the order and martial ap-
pearance of the enemy struck the Sultan with astonishment. For several hours the Servians had
the advantage, which entirely arose from a close and steady manner of fighting, that rendered their
ranks almost impenetrable. The Turks then, from defeat, or by stratagem, gave way ; and the
Christians followed up their success with so much eagerness, that, losing the advantage they had
derived from the closeness of their ranks, they were, in their turn, thrown into confusion ; and
Bajazet appearing with a chosen body of reserve, renewed the contest with such impetuosity, that
they were routed in every quarter. Lazarus himself was slain during the heat of the battle, together
with his son, both fighting resolutely to the last. This great and destructive battle took place on
the fourth of May, in the eighty-ninth year of the fourteenth century. The carnage having ceased,
Amurath, with some of his chiefs, surveyed the field of battle, when a Christian soldier who lay
among the dead, almost fainting under his wounds, rose up with difficulty, and staggered towards
the Emperor: the attendants would have repulsed him, but the Sultan thinking he wished to sue
for his life, suffered him to approach his person, when the soldier suddenly drew a concealed
dagger, and gave the Emperor a mortal wound, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, and thirty-first
of his reign.
The life of Amurath is a list of battles, but it must be remembered, that all his battles were vic-
tories : and although his conquests were less extensive than those of his predecessors, yet, by
subduing the rival princes of Asia, he consolidated the power of his rising empire, and prepared
the way for the future grandeur of his successors on the Ottoman throne. The creation of the
Janissaries is alone sufficient to signalize the reign of Amurath in the annals of his country.
The Vignette represents Amurath and his son Bajazet reconnoitring the camp of Lazarus, and his
Christian auxiliaries, whose immense armies covered the plains of Cossova.
AMURATH I.
began the encounter with incredible fury. The advantage appeared to be, for a short time, on the
side of Aladin, who had nearly penetrated the centre of Amurath’s line, when Bajazet, advancing
with a celerity and vigour not to be resisted, recovered the advantage which had been lost, and
made a dreadful carnage among the enemy’s ranks. From the rapidity of his charge on this occasion,
he obtained the name of Yilderim, or Lightning. Aladin fearing the loss of his whole army, fled,
in great disorder, to his strong city of Iconium, in which he was immediately besieged by the
Turkish army. The Sultan was preparing to give the assault, when Aladin sent his Queen, the
daughter of Amurath, to supplicate for pardon and peace ; which were at length granted, but on
terms of almost unconditional submission. This great victory completed the triumph of the Ottoman
arms in Asia; the confederates being so discouraged, that they sued for peace, and consented to place
themselves under the protection of Amurath.
The princes of Asia now retired, and the Servian auxiliaries were dismissed ; but on the return
of these last to their own country, they complained so loudly of the injustice and tyranny of Amurath,
and boasted so highly of the services they performed in the Caramanian war, that, encouraged by
the alliance of the King of Bosnia, Lazarus resolved to shake off the Turkish yoke. When the
Sultan heard of the meditated invasion of his territories, he raised an army which he thought fully
equal to the subjugation of Servia ; and which was indeed the most powerful that the Turks had
ever brought into Europe. Yet Lazarus, in addition to his own subjects, procured such auxiliary
supplies from the Christian princes, his neighbours, that his army exceeded in numbers even
that of the Sultan. As Amurath was marching towards Servia, his tributaries joined him with
their forces, and having passed the river Morova, he drew so near to the plains where the army of
Lazarus lay, that, with his son Bajazet, he had a distant view of the Christian camp. It was so
numerous, as to cover entirely the extensive plains of Cossova ; and the order and martial ap-
pearance of the enemy struck the Sultan with astonishment. For several hours the Servians had
the advantage, which entirely arose from a close and steady manner of fighting, that rendered their
ranks almost impenetrable. The Turks then, from defeat, or by stratagem, gave way ; and the
Christians followed up their success with so much eagerness, that, losing the advantage they had
derived from the closeness of their ranks, they were, in their turn, thrown into confusion ; and
Bajazet appearing with a chosen body of reserve, renewed the contest with such impetuosity, that
they were routed in every quarter. Lazarus himself was slain during the heat of the battle, together
with his son, both fighting resolutely to the last. This great and destructive battle took place on
the fourth of May, in the eighty-ninth year of the fourteenth century. The carnage having ceased,
Amurath, with some of his chiefs, surveyed the field of battle, when a Christian soldier who lay
among the dead, almost fainting under his wounds, rose up with difficulty, and staggered towards
the Emperor: the attendants would have repulsed him, but the Sultan thinking he wished to sue
for his life, suffered him to approach his person, when the soldier suddenly drew a concealed
dagger, and gave the Emperor a mortal wound, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, and thirty-first
of his reign.
The life of Amurath is a list of battles, but it must be remembered, that all his battles were vic-
tories : and although his conquests were less extensive than those of his predecessors, yet, by
subduing the rival princes of Asia, he consolidated the power of his rising empire, and prepared
the way for the future grandeur of his successors on the Ottoman throne. The creation of the
Janissaries is alone sufficient to signalize the reign of Amurath in the annals of his country.
The Vignette represents Amurath and his son Bajazet reconnoitring the camp of Lazarus, and his
Christian auxiliaries, whose immense armies covered the plains of Cossova.