Second Battle of the Meander Valley

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The Battle of the Meander Valley
Part of Byzantine-Seljuk Wars
A map showing the Nicaean Empire.
Date c 1211 Location Asia Minor Result Nicaean victory
Belligerents
Empire of Nicaea	Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
Commanders
Theodore Laskaris	Kai-Khusrau I
Strength
2,000 men[1]	Unknown

The Battle of the Meander Valley, also known as the Battle of Antioch in Pisidia was the successful defence of the nascent Nicaean Empire against the invading forces of the Seljuq Turkish Sultanate of Rûm.

[edit] Background

Following the fall of Constantinople to the forces of the Fourth Crusade (1204) and the partition of the Byzantine Empire the Seljuq Sultan of Rūm, Kai-Khusrau I, had given asylum to the Byzantine ex-emperor Alexios III. The sultan used the pretext of assisting Alexios back to power to attack Theodore Laskaris, crowned emperor in 1208, who had built up a powerbase in the former Byzantine territory of western Anatolia. This new polity was to become known as the Empire of Nicaea, though its emperors always claimed to be the rightful 'Emperor of the Romans' (Byzantine Emperor). Having failed to persuade Theodore to abdicate in favour of Alexios, the sultan invaded Theodore’s territory in the spring of 1211.

[edit] Battle

Kai-Khusrau was to pay dearly for his invasion as he was defeated and killed in a battle near Pisidian Antioch in the Meander Valley. The Seljuk army was initially victorious but its troops stopped to plunder the Nicaean camp, allowing Theodore's forces to rally and counter-attack the now disorganised Turks. The Seljuk forces were routed; Alexios, who was Theodore Laskaris' father-in-law, was captured during the battle and was subsequently imprisoned.

[edit] Citations

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.