Battle of Ankara
The major event of Manuel's reign was the arrival of the Central Asian conqueror Tamerlane to Anatolia. This led to the virtual destruction of the Ottoman Empire, which had threatened the existence of Manuel's domain, in the Battle of Ankara. Although the Ottomans reconstituted their state after 10 years of civil war, this defeat extended the life and security of the Empire of Trebizond for several more decades.