Battle of Chalagan

The Battle of Chalagan was fought between the Kara Koyunlu and the alliance of Kingdom of Georgia and Shirvanshah at Chalagan, Azerbaijan, in December, 1412, and resulted in Kara Koyunlu’s victory.

The conflict was preceded by the fall of Timurid empire immediately after the great conqueror’s death (1405) and subsequent clashes between the various clans in Azerbaijan. Having taken control of Azerbaijan (around 1406), the Kara Koyunlu tribal federation leader, Abu Nasr Qara Yusuf, launched an offensive against Ibrahim I (1382-1417) of Shirvanshah who struggled against the Timurids in Northern Azerbaijan. Shirvan's former ally the Karabakh ruler Yar Ahmed Qaramanli sided with Abu Nasr Qara Yusuf, while Ibrahim joined his forces with the ruler of Shaki, Syed Ahmed Orlat and the Georgian king Constantine I, who marched in the head of 2,000 Georgian cavalry to support the Shirvanese.

A major battle was fought at the village Chalagan in December 1412 and ended in a decisive defeat of the allies. Ibrahim and Constantine fell in the hands of the fierce enemy. The Georgian king, his brother, and 300 Georgian officers were beheaded by the orders of Abu Nasr Qara Yusuf.

Victorious in the battle, Abu Nasr Qara Yusuf was able to secure his positions against the threats from north, and focused now on Baghdad.