[On Stefan’s heroism at the Battle of Ankara]
And to continue the story of the great battle. [The Battle of Ankara was fought on July 28, 1402, between the Mongol army led by Timur (Tamerlane), and the Turkish army, headed by Sultan Bayezid. The Turks were defeated in this battle, and Bayezid was captured and taken into captivity, where he died on March 8, 1403.] There is, therefore, a land, on the border of India, lying on the northern and eastern side of it, called Orar. And that region is an interfluve surrounded by two rivers. In that land lived a man, the son of the elder of some place. And this man, named Demir, was fierce and a great oppressor. This man, going on a raid, encountered some shepherds, defeated them, and took their sheep, where he was also shot in the leg, which left him lame. And thus, having set forth, he acquired possessions. He gathered a thousand men under him and with them deceitfully attacked a local leader named Kamaradin, who had ten thousand soldiers under him. And having defeated him, he seized that land and suddenly with those ten thousand attacked the very leader of the Persians, also deceitfully entered into Persia itself, where the Persian leader climbed a tower, captured him and suddenly ruled over all the Persians, and had an army of one hundred and fifty thousand. After this, he subdued all the surrounding lands and from there, emboldened by plunder, surpassed even Darius, and holding around, spread like many-pointed springs, killing everything that was found…
…Having thus strengthened and fortified himself, he sent envoys to the lightning-fast emperor [i.e., Bayezid], who boasted that he would soon conquer the Reigning City [Constantinople], demanding from him tribute and obedience, which was devouring and exhausting both east and west. And he, upon hearing such (words) and becoming enraged, declared war and prepared for battle, speaking evil and hurling fierce words, ‘if, he said, you do not come to fight’…
…But the Emperor of Persia [Emperor Tamerlane] [Timur (Tamerlane) – a Mongol ruler (1336-1405)], enraged by evil words, furiously raged, covering mountains and fields with his army. And Bayezid gathered all his army from both eastern and western rulers and sent to the ever-mentioned Prince Stefan to come with his chosen army as much as possible. And Tamerlane, thus entering the regions, plundered. And this one [Bayezid], chasing, unknowingly passed [Tamerlane], and finding him in Ankara, struck at him. In the clash, they trampled each other. And the chosen Persian army separated and struck at the ever-mentioned [despot Stefan]; for, as it had been previously determined, they struck at him; and they, shouting out loud, struck and were immediately defeated and perished from the blades of swords and the Serbian army’s spears. And seeing where many tens of thousands had surrounded the emperor [Bayezid], an inexpressible multitude, and [Stefan] wanting to liberate him, thrice engaged in battle, cutting down and conquering. And when he saw that the number of his army was diminishing, he returned. For what could he have done among so many thousands and tens of thousands without God’s will! And about the greatness of his victory at that time, everyone spoke and it is quite famous. And he returned after the barbarians had spread and had everywhere dispersed; he defeated individual pursuers and had a bloodied right hand…
