Battle of Torches

Part of Ottoman–Safavid War (1578–1590)

Date	9–11 May 1583
Location	Baştepe, near Derbent
Result	Decisive Ottoman victory

Belligerents

Ottoman Empire

Crimean Khanate

Safavid Persia

Georgian irregulars

Commanders and leaders

Osman Pasha
Cafer Pasha
Haydar Pasha

Imam Kulu
Rustem Khan
Burhaneddin

Strength

Disputed

50,000+

Ottoman Empire

The Battle of Torches (Turkish: Meşaleler Savaşı) was fought in 1583 during the Ottoman–Safavid War (1578–1590). The name of the battle refers to torches used during night clashes. The battle resulted in an Ottoman victory, and had thereby secured Dagestan and Shirvan until the end of the war.

In the first phase of the war the Ottomans had been able to conquer most of the Caucasus. Özdemiroğlu Osman Pasha (Özdemir Pasha’s son) was appointed as the governor of the newly conquered territories. The capital of his province was Derbend at the Caspian coast. However, after the Ottoman army returned to its main base in Istanbul, the Persians under Imam Kulu began to regain some of their former territories. Although an army from the Crimean Khanate (which was an Ottoman vassal) under Adil Giray Khan was sent to the Caucasus in summer 1579 as a reinforcement, they were routed by Hamza Mirza and Mirza Salman, and Adil Giray Khan was taken prisoner, and put in Qazvin, where he was later executed. Consequently, Osman Pasha had to retreat to North Caucasus. In 1582, the Ottoman Porte sent a second reinforcing force under Cafer Pasha, the governor of Caffa, to restore Ottoman dominance in the area.

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