TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Battle · 1389
The Battle of Kosovo took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman state under the command of Sultan Murad I. It was one of the largest battles of the Late Middle Ages. The battle was fought on the Kosovo field in the territory ruled by Serbian nobleman Vuk Branković, in what is today Kosovo, about 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) northwest of the modern city of Pristina. The army under Prince Lazar consisted mostly of his own troops, a contingent led by Branković, and a contingent sent from Bosnia by King Tvrtko I, commanded by Vlatko Vuković. Additionally, Lazar was also supported by a Christian coalition from various European ethnic groups.
| Date | 15 June 1389 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kosovo field, District of Branković, |
| Result | Inconclusive |
| Belligerents | Ottoman state Beylik of Isfendiyar | Moravian Serbia District of Branković Kingdom of Bosnia Principality of Muzaka Jonima Family |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Murad I † Şehzade Bayezid Yakub Çelebi | Prince Lazar † Vuk Branković Vlatko Vuković |
| Strength | 27,000–30,000; higher estimates up to 40,000 | 12,000–20,000; higher estimates up to 25,000 |
The event of the battle quickly became known in Europe. Not much attention was paid to the outcome in these early rumors which circulated, but they all focused on the fact that the Ottoman Sultan had been killed in the battle. Some of the earliest reports about the battle come from the court of Tvrtko of Bosnia who in separate letters to the senate of Trogir (August 1) and the council of Florence claimed that he had defeated the Ottomans in Kosovo. The response of the Florentines to Tvrtko (20 October 1389) is an important historical document as it confirms that Murad was killed during the battle and that it took place on June 28 (St. Vitus day/Vidovdan).
Took place during the reign of Bayezid I (1389–1402). Bayezid I
Open the reign of Bayezid I on the mapText: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.