_ 338 _ and plenty of artillery, about which neither the Sheikh nor his troops had any report until then. When the former learned about the Sheikh’s departure, he strengthened his battalions and stayed thirty leagues from Tabriz, where both were marshalling their troops. The Turk led one hundred and sixty thousand men whom he formed into three battalions, one of them surrounded by artillery, where he took up his position, and likewise two more in the vanguard. Sheikh Ismael formed his troops into two battalions. When they were drawn up, he committed them against the Turk with such daring and such force that he crushed and routed the two battalions with great loss of Turkish life and continued on against the other artillery battalion. This battalion began to join battle with such vigour that, as the Sheikh’s troops knew nothing about them nor had ever seen anything like it, they continued onwards eager for victory and many men were killed. The horses fled in terror with their riders, so that there was great confusion and slaughter among Sheikh Ismael’s soldiers. The Sheikh was captured during the battle but one of his captains, in a bid to save him, pretended to be very distressed and, showing great courage, shouted that he was
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