220 honored by the glory of islam
Yet the grand vizier mounted his horse when the Polish king and his troops
marched toward the black banner. He made battle-ready his retinue, Vani Meh-
med Efendi, and the sword bearers and cavalry. As the generals on each fl ank
were beginning to lose, the grand vizier and his troops at the heart of the mili-
tary formation held their ground. But the opponents’ attacks increased, and the
furious battle waged for fi ve to six hours. Knowing that his failure would lead
to his execution, the grand vizier refused to fl ee his position even as the enemy
occupied the Ottoman military camp. The defenders’ cannon fi re and rockets
fell on the army of Islam like rain. At that point the Muslims understood it
was too late, that there was no chance of being saved from defeat. The troops
around the grand vizier were both fi ghting and trying to fl ee. The grand vizier
and his closest men withdrew to the tents, carrying the banner of the prophet.
At this point, the “enemies of religion” entered headquarters and the treasury.
The grand vizier continued to do battle. He took a lance and with a few of his
men began again to fi ght.^38 He did not want to withdraw due to his courageous
zeal and mad stubbornness. Yet he saw the writing on the wall. Saying that it
was better to die than see that day, he decided to die on the battlefi eld. But the
men around him disagreed. Pained for his brother in religion and wanting to
save the banner, sipahi commander Osman Agha began to plead with Kara
Mustafa Pasha. He told him that it was too late, that he was the heart of the
army; if he was sacrifi ced, the entire army of Islam would cease to exist. He
begged him to withdraw at last. The grand vizier and Vani Mehmed Efendi fl ed
with the banner.^39
In the words of the book of miniatures he had commissioned, Kara Mus-tafa Pasha was the representative of a fortunate dynasty that made the world
bow to its commands, but he lost his tent and the miniatures to the forces
of the Polish king. As the anonymous western European source relates, “In a
short time the Turkish Guards of their Trenches giving way, put all the rest into
confusion: Upon which the Grand Vizier fl ed with his Horse, leaving all his
Foor [ force], to the number of 25000 to be cut in pieces, together with all his
Artillery, Baggage, and Treasure, with the Spoil of his own Pavilion, to reward
the Courage of the Victor.”^40 The forces allied with the Habsburgs took three
hundred cannons and even the grand vizier’s treasury, which included the
sumptuous cloaks, daggers, and swords used in the elaborate ceremonies prior
to the ultimate battle, as well as the book of miniatures containing the striking
portrait of a bold Mehmed IV. Osman Agha took Muhammad’s banner and the
survivors of his routed army began to withdraw toward Buda by way of Yanık.
They took only what was light, leaving the rest; utterly defeated and in mourn-
ing, saving only their souls, “spilling bloody tears,” they withdrew. They arrived
at Yanık exhausted, in shock, destitute, and ashamed. Most had no tents; they