The Battle of Mirăslău, or Battle of Miriszló, took place on September 18, 1600, near Miriszló (), Transylvania, between the Wallachian troops led by Michael the Brave supported by ethnic Hungarian Szeklers and the troops of Austrian general Giorgio Basta supported by the Hungarian nobility of Transylvania. In 1599, Michael took control of Transylvania after the Battle of Șelimbăr. In autumn 1599, Michael was elected prince of Transylvania by the Estates of the country. Although the Emperor Rudolf II wanted Michael and his general Basta to govern Transylvania together, Michael, the de facto ruler, despised Basta from their initial meetings. Therefore, at a certain point in 1600, Michael became disgraced at the Habsburg emperor. In 1600, Hungarian noblemen from Transylvania rebelled against Michael and gathered an army near Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia). The troops of Basta joined the Hungarian noblemen rebelling against Michael. The ethnic Hungarian Szeklers, however, kept supporting Michael as he had confirmed Szekler privileges disputed by the Hungarian nobility. Basta marched against the Wallachian army which Michael had gathered in the small village of Miriszló (), a few kilometers north of the river Mureș. The Wallachian army numbered approximately 22,000, consisting mainly of mercenaries of different nationalities, including Hungarian Szeklers, Cossacks, and Poles. Baba Novac led the cavalry at the center of the army. Basta's army of 30,000 consisted of troops of the Hungarian nobility, Austrian and Saxon troops, mostly mercenaries. Michael's forces began the battle with a well-positioned cannonade from a hillside, while his main troops were protected in the town by 2,000 Szekler gunmen. In this first stage, many Hungarian noblemen were killed by cannonballs, and the battle appeared to be setting itself as an easy victory for Michael. However, Basta had set a trap for the Wallachian army; by pretending to retreat from his position, Basta intended for Michael to leave his defensive entrenchments and follow the Austrian. Upon viewing Basta's feigned retreat, Michael supposedly said, "Now the coward dog is running, we should follow him." Michael's army quickly left the fortifications to charge Basta's army, but the general turned his heavy cavalry on the advancing Wallachians and routed them. This defeat caused panic to ensue in Michael's army. The Cossack mercenaries were the first to flee, leading to many of them drowning in the Maros. Baba Novac led a determined resistance in the middle of the line with his cavalry, but it was not