Battle of Basiani

Battle of Basiani
Part of the Georgian–Seljuk wars

The plan of the battle
Datec. 1202
Location
Near Basiani (present-day Pasinler, Turkey)
39°58′47″N 41°40′32″E / 39.97972°N 41.67556°E / 39.97972; 41.67556
Result Georgian victory
Belligerents
 Kingdom of Georgia
Zakarid Armenia[1]		 Sultanate of Rum
Mengujekids[2]
Commanders and leaders
David Soslan
Zakaria Mkhargrdzeli
Shalva Akhaltsikheli
Ivane Akhaltsikheli
Ivane Mkhargrdzeli[3]		 Süleymanshah II
Tughril Shah Surrendered
Fahrettin Behramşah[2]
Strength
65,000[4]–90,000[5] 150,000[5]–400,000[4][6][7]
Casualties and losses
Heavy[8][7][5] Heavy[8][7][5]

The Battle of Basiani was fought between the armies of the Kingdom of Georgia and the Seljukid Sultanate of Rum in the Basiani Valley, 60 km north-east of the city of Erzurum in what is now northeast Turkey. The date of the battle has been debated, but recent scholarship tends to favor the years 1203 or 1204. According to modern Turkish historians, the site of the battle is usually identified as the castle of Micingerd (Mazankert).

  1. ^ Lortʻkʻipʻaniże, Mariam. Georgia in the XI-XII Centuries. Georgia, Ganatleba Publishers, 1987.
  2. ^ a b Peacock 2006, p. 135.
  3. ^ Rayfield 2012, p. 114.
  4. ^ a b Javakhishvili, Book 2, p. 247
  5. ^ a b c d Mikaberidze 2007, p. 186.
  6. ^ Lordkipanidze 1994, p. 162.
  7. ^ a b c Salia 1983, p. 180.
  8. ^ a b Mikaberidze 2011, p. 196.