In the summer of 1596, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III set out from Istanbul to embark on a military campaign. The young sultan, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Suleiman the Magnificent, sought to revive the old tradition of ghaza (holy war). He made the first move against Austria by laying siege to the fortress of Eger. On October 12, Eger surrendered, but this victory alone was not deemed sufficient. During the siege of Eger, the allied forces of Austrian Archduke Maximilian and the rebellious Transylvanian Voivode Sigismund Báthory had mobilized to attack Eger. However, Báthory’s delay thwarted this plan. The sultan and his advisors decided to send advance forces to the area of Haçova. These forces clashed with the Austrian allies but were forced to retreat unsuccessfully. As the battle drew near, it was suggested that the sultan should withdraw. However, encouraged by Hoca Sa’deddin Efendi, Mehmed III decided to remain on the battlefield. On October 24, they moved from Eger to Haçova and encountered the enemy on October 25. On the first day of the battle, there were minor skirmishes, but the main battle took place the next day, October 26. The Ottoman army took its traditional formation, with the sultan and his viziers in the center, and the Anatolian and Rumelian soldiers on the right and left flanks. To provoke the enemy, who were positioned behind the Haçova marsh, the Ottoman forces advanced. However, the Austrian army, with their artillery and muskets, halted this advance. During the attacks, the right flank, where the Rumelian forces were positioned, collapsed, and the enemy began looting the treasury in the center. Grand Vizier İbrahim Pasha urged the sultan to withdraw from the battlefield. However, with the support of Hoca Sa’deddin Efendi, Mehmed III chose to stay. This decision boosted the morale of the Ottoman soldiers, allowing them to launch a counterattack. Eventually, the enemy fled in panic, with a large portion being driven into the marsh and destroyed. Although the victory was achieved, this battle did not play a decisive role in the overall fate of the Ottoman-Habsburg wars. After the battle, the soldiers who fled from Haçova or did not participate in the battle had their timars (land grants) confiscated and joined the Celali rebel groups in Anatolia, exacerbating the unrest in the region.
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