Battle of Balanjar (650s)

Battle of Balanjar
Part of the First Khazar-Arab War

Khazar warrior with captive, based on reconstruction by Norman Finkelshteyn
Date 650 CE
Location Outside Balanjar
Result Khazar victory
Belligerents
Khazar Khaganate The Islamic Caliphate
Commanders and leaders
Unknown (possibly Irbis) Abd ar-Rahman ibn Rabiah
Strength
? ?
Casualties and losses
? ?

The Battle of Balanjar was a battle that took place during the First Khazar-Arab War between the armies of the Khazar Khaganate and the Caliphate, whose commanding general was Abd ar-Rahman ibn Rabiah.

Ibn Rabiah, probably the brother of Salman ibn Rabiah, governor of Armenia, was charged with the task of conquering the Khazars and, to this purpose, invaded the northern Caucasus for in the late 640s CE. In 652 (or according to some sources, 642) Abd ar-Rahman and his army met a Khazar force outside Balanjar and were annihilated. According to Arab historians such as al-Tabari, both sides in the battle used catapaults against the other.

See also

References