Defeat of the Infidel Fleet by Kapudán Chávush Zádeh.
This Kapudán brought to Constantinople three gallies and a gallion, which he had taken from the fleet of the despicable infidels.
Attack on the Cossacks, by Mohammed Gheráï Khán, at Oczakov.
The result of this expedition by this brave Tátár, was the capture of one hundred and fifty thousand prisoners. In the same year, Kalghá Sultán made an inroad upon Moldavia, penetrating as far as Yassy, Fokshan, and Hotín, and carrying off one hundred and fifty thousand prisoners, and one hundred thousand head of cattle of various kinds. The Cossacks were also defeated near Varna by Melek Ahmed Páshá, who, attacking their boats which had been left upon the shore, took twenty of them, but the rest escaped. Of the men who were on shore, seven hundred were made prisoners and a thousand killed. This took place in the year 1064 (1650). The castle Gúnieh, on the mouth of the river Júrúgh on the Black Sea, was delivered by Ketánjí-zádeh Mohammed Páshá in the year 1065. In the same year the Khán of Betlís, Abdál Khán, was subdued by Melek Ahmed Páshá, who also, in the following year, delivered the castle of Oczakov from the Cossacks. The castle of Tenedos was delivered from the Venetians by Kopreïlí Mohammed Páshá.
Defeat of Rakoczy.
Rakoczy, who had been named King of Poland by the grand vezír Boyúní, Egrí, but was not acknowledged as such by his successor Kopreïlí, assembled two hundred thousand men, in order to support his claim against the Poles, who had sent an envoy to request the assistance of the Ottoman arms. In consequence of this application, the Tátár Khán, Melek Mohammed Gheráï, and Melek Ahmed Páshá, the governor of Oczakov, took the field against Rakoczy, who was defeated, and fled with three hundred horsemen to the mountains of Szeklers in Transylvania. In the engagement, forty thousand infidels were slain, and seventeen princes, with Rakoczy’s minister, taken prisoners, after which, the armies of the Tátár Khán, and Melek Ahmed Páshá, marched victoriously to Ak-kermán. I, the humble Evliyá, who composed a chronograph for this occasion, received seventeen prisoners, twenty horses, ten sable pelisses, a pair of silver stirrups, and other silver articles, as my share of the booty. The Hungarians seeing the defeat of Rakoczy, assembled an immense army composed of various nations, with which they attacked Temisvar, Lippa, Cianad, Gulia, and Fecsat. Complaints from these places having reached the Porte, the governor of Buda, Kana’án Páshá, received orders to march against the invading enemy. On the banks of the Maros, between Lippa and Arád, the Páshá encountered eighty thousand of the hostile army and was routed, but saved himself and some thousands of his cavalry by a flight to Slankament. In this defeat the Ottoman army lost no less than eleven thousand men. Kana’án Páshá was in consequence removed from Buda, and the government was given to Seidí Ahmed Páshá of Bosnia; whilst the government of Bosnia was conferred upon Melek Ahmed Páshá. In the same year, Seidí Ahmed Páshá, with twelve thousand brave horsemen, entered the province of Transylvania by Demir-kapú (the Iron Gate), gave battle to the detested Rakoczy’s army, who defended the castle of Koljovar, and defeated them, with the assistance of Husain Páshá, the brother of the governor of Temisvar, Síávush Páshá. The white bodies of the infidels were strewed upon the white snow; and the carriages, cannon, and tents were sent to Constantinople; where, however, no thanks were voted to Seidí Páshá for the victory, nor was even a “well done” said on the occasion, although it was a victory not less brilliant than that of Erla by Mohammed III.; for Seidí Páshá had no more than eleven thousand men opposed to a hundred and sixty thousand infidels, now inhabitants of hell. The vile Rakoczy escaped to the castle of Koljovar, where he began to collect a new army.
The emperor having heard of the depredations committed by the infidels in Bosnia, appointed Melek Ahmed to the command of an army against Zara. The Páshá assembled his troops under the walls of this fortress, but not being able to reduce it, he plundered the neighbouring country, attacked the castle of Rinjisi, which he took after a storm of seven hours, and carried off the inhabitants.
In the same year Rakoczy having refused to pay the tribute due by Transylvania, and having encamped with two hundred thousand men under Koljovar, was attacked a second time by Seidí Páshá with forty thousand chosen troops of Buda, Erla, Temisvar, and Kanisa. Rakoczy was beaten, wounded, and obliged to fly to Kalova, where he expired, calling out, “Receive me, O Jesus!” Jesus however would not receive him, but he was seized by the angel Azraïl. Seidí Páshá carried an immense booty, with several thousand heads to Constantinople; but even by this signal exploit he could not gain the emperor’s favour.
The fortresses of Lippa, Jeno, and Lugos were conquered by Kopreïlí Mohammed Páshá, who also repaired the fortifications of Arad and Jeno, and was on the eve of undertaking an expedition against the Transylvanian fortresses, when he received repeated imperial rescripts, intimating that it was not the emperors wish to continue the war any longer in that country, and that should the Páshá even bring the king of Transylvania or the emperor of Germany prisoners to Constantinople, it would not meet his Majesty’s approbation; but he was desired to proceed with all possible speed to the Porte, because Kara Husain Páshá in Anatolia, Sárí Kana’án Páshá, Sayár Mohammed Páshá, and forty rebellious Begs were marching against Brúsa. Kopreïlí, on receiving this khatisheríf, exclaimed, “Well done, Kara Husain, to come at this moment to the aid of the Hungarian infidel; may the result be fortunate!” Preparations for departure were immediately commenced, and it was proclaimed that all who valued their bread and honour should repair to Constantinople in order to engage in the religious war (ghazá). Sinán Páshá and Seidí Páshá were left to protect the castle of Jeno, whilst Kopreïlí marched with the greatest possible haste towards Constantinople, in the vicinity of which, at Kiaght-Kháneh, he encamped. The troops were daily paid, and three thousand Sipáhís and seven thousand Janissaries, who were absent from the review, had their names struck off the lists. The emperor of the seven climates then moved his camp to Scutari; fetvás of the muftis of the four orthodox sects were circulated throughout Anatolia, and firmáns were sent to Kara Murtezá Páshá, the governor of Díárbekr, to Gúrjí Mustafá Páshá, governor of Erzerúm; and to Tútsák Alí Páshá, governor of Haleb (Aleppo), who were all summoned to march against Abáza Kara Hasan Páshá. The latter in the same year defeated Murtezá Páshá, the governor of Díárbekr, in the field of Ulghún, and obliged him to fly to Haleb. He then collected his Segbáns and Saríjehs, and excited such a terror in the four vezírs, who were, besides, much distressed by a scarcity of provisions, that they sent messengers to Constantinople to obtain pardon for the rebels, who, at the same time, had taken possession of Aleppo.
In the same year Melek Ahmed Páshá of Bosnia sent seven thousand heads to the Porte, and announced the reduction of the fortresses of Kámín, Kirád, and Rinja. Alí Páshá, who had the government of the Dardanelles, was removed, and sent against the castle of Arad, which surrendered.