The Battle of Köse Dag was fought between the Seljuk Turks of Rum and the Mongols on June 26 1243 at the field of Köse Dag, a ___location near cities of Sivas and Erzincan (Northeast of Turkey), and ended in a decisive Mongol victory.
| Battle of Köse Dag | |||||||
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| Part of the Mongol invasion of Anatolia | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Mongols | Sultanate of Rüm, Georgian and Trapezuntine auxiliaries | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Bayju | Kay Khusrau II | ||||||
The Mongols attacked the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum in 1241. Led by Bayju, they seized Erzurum. Sultan Kay Khusrau II called for his neighbours to organize a joint army to resist the Mongol invasion. A number of auxiliaries were provided by Georgian nobles who left their country following the Mongol occupation. The Empire of Trebizond also sent a detachment. A decisive battle was fought at Köse Dağ on June 26 1243. The Mongols inflicted a major defeat on the Seljuks and their allies, and took control of the cities of Sivas and Kayseri. The sultan fled to Antalya but was subsequently forced to make peace with Bayju and pay a substantial tribute to the Mongol Empire.
The defeat at Köse Dağ ('Köse' Mountain) resulted in a period of turmoil in the Anatolia which saw further decline and disintegration of Seljuk state.
In fact, Sultan had left the field after he saw his forces were doubling that of Tatars and Mongols. He probably thought it would be an easy victory. However, soldiers saw him leaving the field and they started to retreat as a result[dubious – discuss].
At the end, Sultanate of Rum became a vassal of Ilkhanate Mongol Empire which eventually let birth of a new Turkic Great Power in the west Anatolia, The Ottomans. The Era between 1244 - 1299 is believed in Turkey, the only era in Turkish History of Anatolia that Turks had no state; though Sultanate of Rum kept existing under Tatar supervisors. On the other hand, During those decades the only power that was able to resist Mongols in all western Eurasia was Turkish Mameluke state in Egypt.