Battle of Ajnadayn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Battle of Ajnadayn | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Muslim conquests and Byzantine-Arab Wars | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Combatants | |||||||
| Eastern Roman Empire | Muslim Arabs | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Wardan (Governor of Emesa), Qubuqlar, Theodoros |
Khalid ibn al-Walid, Amr Ibn al-As, Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, Shurahbil, Yazid Ibn Abi Sufyan |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 90,000 (Al-Waqidi)[1] | 32,000 (Al-Waqidi)[2][3] | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 50,000 (Al-Waqidi)[2][3] | 450 (Al-Waqidi)[2][3] | ||||||
| Byzantine-Arab Wars |
|---|
| Mutah – Tabouk – Dathin – Firaz - Qarteen – Bosra – Ajnadayn – Marj-al-Rahit – Fahl - Yarmouk – Hazir – Aleppo – Iron Bridge - Nikiou – 1st Constantinople – Syllaeum – That Al-Sawari – Carthage – 2nd Constantinople – Akroinon |
| Campaigns of Khalid ibn al-Walid |
|---|
| Conquest of Arabia Uhud – Trench – Mu'tah – Mecca – Hunayn – Ta'if Ridda Wars Yamama – Zafar – Daumat-ul-Jandal – Buzakha – Ghamra – Naqra Conquest of the Persian Empire Chains – River – Walaja – Ullais – Hira – Al-Anbar – Ein-ul-tamr – Daumat-ul-Jandal – Muzayyah – Saniyy – Zumail – Firaz Conquest of the Eastern Roman Empire Mu'tah – Firaz – Qarteen – Bosra – Ajnadayn – Marj-al-Rahit – Fahl – Yarmouk – Hazir – Aleppo – Iron Bridge |
The Battle of Ajnadayn, fought on July 30, 634, was the first major pitched battle between the Roman Empire and the Arab forces of the new religion of Islam. The result of the battle was a decisive Muslim victory. The details of this battle are mostly known through Muslim sources, such as Al-Waqidi.
Contents |
[edit] Background
After the Muslims' conquest of Busra city, their commander Shurahbil's spy came from Ajnadayn with news that soon a strong Imperial army would gather there. At this time Yazeed was still south of the River Yarmuk; Amr bin Al Aas was still at the Valley of Araba; and several detachments of the corps of Abu Ubaidah and Shurahbil were spread over the District of Hauran. Khalid ibn al-Walid wrote to all commanders to march at once and concentrate at Ajnadayn. This act to move towards Ajnadayn was correct; as with a large Roman army poised at the area, the Muslims would have remained tied down to their own land, which in itself was of little importance. This perceived Roman threat, engineered by the general Heraclius, had to be eliminated before the Arab invasion could proceed deeper into Syria. In the third week of July 634, the Muslim army marched from Busra. The Muslims had taken a week to concentrate their army at Ajnadayn, a task which took the Romans more than two months.
[edit] The Battle
Before the start of the battle, both armies were arrayed in extended lines, with their camps to the rear. The Muslims (32,000 strong), and almost certainly the Romans (90,000 strong), were divided into three divisions with a flank guard on each wing. [Mu'az Ibn Jabal] commanded the Muslim centre; Sa'id Ibn 'Amir the left; and ‘Abd ar-Rahman, son of the Caliph Abu Bakr, the right. Shurahbil led the vital left flank guard, but the name of the man who led the right flank guard is unknown. Behind the centre, protecting the Muslim camp, a reserve was led by Yazid. Muslim archers that day were also ordered to fire controlled barrages instead of individual firing. Khalid, Amr and other senior leaders and 'champions' were in the centre. As well, Muslim women were directed to defend the camp if necessary.
[edit] Day 1
Before the battle began, commanders of both armies made morale-boosting speeches while reconnaissance took place on both sides. According to legend, a Christian bishop tried in vain to negotiate a withdrawal from the Arabs, but Khalid retorted by offering conversion to Islam, the payment of jizyah.(tax), or a fight. Another legend tells of Zarrar Ibn al Azwar, a former tax collector but now a renowned warrior, who surveyed the Roman position and slew those who tried to chase him off. Zarrar soon plays an important role in the battle.
The Romans first sent in their light skirmishing infantry, with slingers and archers pelting and firing upon the Muslim army, seemingly at tempting to disrupt cohesion and lower moral. But the Muslims stood firm and did not return fire as ordered,the Roman slingers and archers were out of range of the muslim's archers.This phase of the battle went against the Muslims, several of whom were killed while many were wounded. Khalid Now decided to let individual champions go into combat against Roman champions. In this duelling the Muslims would have the advantage, and it would be useful to eliminate as many of the Roman officers as possible, as this would in turn reduce the effectiveness of the Roman army.[4] Zarrar Ibn al Azwar was sent first by Khalid. Zarrar was known popularly as "the half naked warrior" because he often fought with out his shirt and armour,but he advanced forward in full armor and a Byzantine elephant hide shield taken from a dead soldier,to protect himself against the projectiles. Challenging Byzantine champions to a duel, he yelled out his battle cry:
| “ |
I am the death of the Pale Faces, I am the killer of Romans, I am the scourge sent upon you, I am Zarrar Ibn al Azwar" |
” |
.
As a few of the Roman champions advanced to answer his challenge, zarrar quickly disrobed and the Romans knew him at once as the half naked Champion. He is said to have slain several Roman champions who accepted his duels, including the governors of Tiberias and Amman. Then a group of 10 officers emerged from the Roman army and moved towards Zarrar. At this move, Khalid ibn Walid picked 10 of his stalwarts, and jumped into the combat, intercepted and killed the Romans. Now more champions came forward from both sides, individually and in groups. Gradually, the duelling increased in extent and continued for about couple of hours, during which the Roman archers and slingers remained inactive. This phase more than restored the balance in favour of the Muslims, for most of the Roman champions were killed in combat.
As these duels were still being fought, Khalid ordered a general attack. The fight was ferocious, and continued until the sun set. With no clear victor after the bloodshed, and both armies in their same positions ready to continue the fight.
[edit] Day 2
Theodorus planned to assassinate his formidable rival Khalid ibn Walid. However, fate was not with Theodorus next day when the ambush set to kill Khalid, was defeated by the Zarrar's corps. Theodorus invited Khalid for the duel, he without drawing his sword, sprang at Khalid and held him, at the same time shouting for the 10 Romans to come to his aid 10 Romans, emerge and race towards him. Khalid thought that if Dhiraar had at last met his match. As the group of Romans got nearer, however, Theodorus noticed that the leader of these 'Romans' was naked to the waist it was Zarrar who puts on the garments and armour of the Romans. Later discarded the garments and reverted to his normal fighting dress! Theodorus was killed "apparently by the fearsome Zarrar".
With the Romans losing their commander and the confusion that ensued after the humiliating failed ambush, the Muslims saw a perfect opportunity to attack. They promptly did so, and brutal and merciless combat ensued. Yet the Romans, now at a disadvantage, did not yet collapse. However Khalid now committed his final reserves under Yazid (who were defending the camp) into the fray, desperate to end the long hours of bloodshed of this prolonged battle. The Roman line finally collapsed under the weight of this final push.
It was an exceedingly bloody battle, with more fallen senior Muslim figures than in any other battle in the conquest of Syria. Even across the valley today, one can find many tombstones of this era. But many of the Romans were able to make it safely off the field the Romans turned in three directions, some fled towards Gaza, others towards Jaffa, but the largest group of fugitives made for Jerusalem. Khalid forthwith launched his cavalry in several regiments to pursue the enemy on all three routes, and at the hands of this cavalry the Romans suffered even more grievous damage than in the two days of fighting on the plain of Ajnadayn. [5]
[edit] Aftermath
After the battle of Ajnadayn, Muslim forces conquered all of Palestine and much of Syria, including taking Damascus after two separate sieges. However, Emperor Heraclius realized to what extent he underestimated his Muslim foe and, in the spring of 636, sent another army against Khalid ibn al-Walid. Recognizing the hard price of victory at Ajnadayn against a tenth of the army that now marched against him, Khalid withdrew all the Muslim forces south. Hotly pursued by the Romans, Khalid stopped his advance at the Yarmouk river and finally gave battle.
In the Battle of Yarmuk, Khalid Ibn al-Walid once again fought the Romans, this time under the command of Theodore the Sacellarius and Baänes. This victory led to the total Muslim conquest of Palestine and Syria, the latter soon to become the centre of Islamic civilization (before Baghdad).
[edit] On-line Resources
http://www.swordofallah.com/html/bookchapter29page1.htm
[edit] References
- ^ Many Muslim sources placed the army's strength at around 90,000-100,000, though historian Edward Gibbon placed it at around 80,000.
- ^ a b c Al-Waqidi, Book 1, page 42.
- ^ a b c Lieutenant-General Agha Ibrahim Akram (1970). The Sword of Allah: Khalid bin al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns, page 467. Nat. Publishing House. Rawalpindi. ISBN 978-0-7101-0104-4.
- ^ Al-Waqidi, page 36.
- ^ http://www.swordofallah.com/html/bookchapter29page7.htm
