The first beginnings of the conquest of Iraq were associated with the end of the apostasy wars, as the Muslims found themselves on the borders of this country, where Al-Muthanna bin Haritha Al-Shaibani chased the remnants of the apostates until he entered southern Iraq, so Abu Bakr sought permission to invade, and asked him to command him over his people to fight the Persians with them, and he had
what he wanted, What made Iraq a flat land, ready for military operations?
Relations deteriorated between the Persians and the Arabs of Iraq, especially the Bakr bin Wael tribe, to which Al-Muthanna belonged. And in talking about the conquests of Iraq, we read in the narrations of the sources that both Al-Muthanna and Khalid bin Al-Walid were keen to start conquering the areas occupied by Arab tribes, Al-Muthanna mobilized an army from his people, and began invading the lower parts of Iraq, the areas of Kasukkar (between Kufa and Basra) at times, and the lower Euphrates at other times, and after several successful operations, it became clear to him that the region was devoid of serious resistance.
Abu Bakr's plan to open Iraq
This initial success caught the attention of Abu Bakr, and he realized the dilapidated situation in which the Persian state was floundering, and that the time had come to invade its lands and annex them to the Islamic state, so he explained a military plan that required the conquest of all towns, starting from Al-Abla in the south to Al-Masikh (on the borders of the Levant, next to Iraq) In the north, in a line parallel to the Euphrates River, and purging the area west of the river from the Persian and Arab forces loyal to the Persians, and thus the Muslim armies became aware of borders not more than fifty kilometers from Al-Madain, which is the ultimate goal.
The implementation of this plan required the dispatch of two armies
One of them would cross the network of rivers to Al-Madain, and the other would help him and protect his back, On the condition that they enter the region from two different sides, and meet in Al-Hirah, so he wrote to Khalid bin Al-Walid, who was at that time in Al-Yamamah, ordering him to go to Iraq to fight the Persians (Iran today) on the condition that he start with Al-Abla, as he wrote to Ayyad bin Ghanem, and he was in Al - fra'd, (Between Basra and Al-Yamamah) He orders him to invade Iraq from above, on the condition that he begins with Al-Masikh until he meets Khalid, provided that the leadership is for those who reach Al-Hira first, and he commanded them not to force anyone to go with them, the two commanders set out, each on the path specified for him, and implemented the caliph's plan in detail but their forces decreased as a result of the unwillingness of some of the soldiers to fight the Persians, so they wrote to the caliph asking for reinforcements, so he provided Khalid with al-Qaqaa ibn Amr al-Tamimi, and replaced them with Abd ibn Awf al-Himyari, and he recommended them to mobilize the killer of the apostates, and forbade them to seek the help of an apostate, just as he sought their assistance with Muthanna bin Haritha.
The battle of the chains or Al - Ablah
Khaled walked to Al-Abla in the month of "Muharram 12 AH / late March 633 AD", and when he approached its outskirts, he wrote to its ruler, Hormuz: He invites him to one of the three characteristics: Islam, tribute, or war, and by this he fulfills two legal pillars: The first: Performing the duty of calling before the war, the second: declaring war in case of refusal. Khalid drew his military plan based on entering Iraq from four axes, provided that the four military divisions meet in Al-Hafir, (The first home from Basra for those who want Mecca), and when Hormuz learned of the advancing Muslims, he acted on two axes: the first: He wrote to Emperor Qubad II Sherawayh, and to Ardashir bin Sherawayh, informing them of the new field situation, the second: He mobilized his forces and marched with them to Al-Hafir to clash with the Muslims. But Hormuz did not enjoy the Islamic army. Because Khaled changed some parts of his military plan for tactical reasons, and he went to Kazima (on the sword of the sea near Basra), so Hormuz followed him there, and collided with him after he tied his soldiers with chains for fear of fleeing, Khalid dueled him and killed him, and his army was defeated, and his remnants fled, so Al-Muthanna chased them. After the battle, Khalid moved to the Basra region, camped in its location, and took control of Al-Khuraiba, It is one of the Masalh of the Persians (the place where the military puts the weapon).
Battle of Al - Mudhar
The ruling circles in Al-Madain learned about the defeat of the Persian army at Kazima, so those in charge of the government realized the extent of its negative impact on their situation in Iraq, and that if they did not move immediately to stop the Islamic advance, their capital would be threatened, so they decided to fight on. Immediately after he received Khalid's book from his governor, Hormuz, the Persian emperor prepared an army led by Qarrin bin Quryans, and he sent reinforcements to Hormuz, but he did not catch him, and when he reached the Madhar, news of the defeat and the death of Hormuz reached him, and the remnants of That Al-Salasil reached him, so he included it in the ranks of his forces, then he held talks with the central command, as a result of which it was decided that the army should camp in Al-Mathar (in Maysan between Wasit and Basra) on the bank of Al-Thani, in preparation for confronting the Muslims, Al-Muthanna, who was touring the region, learned of the stability of the Persian army in Al-Mazar, so he wrote to Khalid, who immediately took the initiative to go there while he was mobilized and he opened during his march in Zandud in the region of Kaskar, Darti and Hormozgerd. In fact, the Mudhar were not on the Al-Abla-Al-Hira axis, which was set for advancement, but the nature of the Persian movement necessitated that Khalid provide the element of security for his advancing army from being struck from his right side, however, it is not a departure from the sermon that Abu Bakr put in place. And based on the military traditions that prevailed in that era, which required the obligation to duel before engagement, one of the soldiers came out from the heart of his army, and called the Muslims to a duel, Khalid and Maqil ibn al-Asha rushed to him, and he was the second fastest in moving, so he dueled and killed him, then the two armies clashed in a terrible battle, which was more intense than what was in the battle of the chains, It resulted in the victory of the Muslims, and about thirty thousand Persians were killed, including two famous leaders, Anoushjan and Qabad, and those who survived resorted to ships to cross, and some of them drowned, the water prevented the Muslims from chasing them due to their lack of ships, and the battle took place in the month of “Safar 12 AH / April 633 AD".
Administrative and military procedures after the battle of the Al - mudhar
Khalid and the Muslims resided in the Mudhar, and they took it as a base for launching, and investigating the news of the Persians, and Khalid bin Al-Walid approved, in a remarkable step, the farmers on their land, and he imposed the tax and the tribute, then prepared to advance towards Al-Hirah, and before taking this step, he implemented an administrative-military measure represented by the following:
- Putting military garrisons towards Al-Abla and Al-Khraibeh in the position of the Basra Bridge on the Shatt Al-Arab, and at the bottom of the Tigris. appointed military governor of the region, he is Suwayd bin Muqrin al-Muzani, to be stationed in al-Hafir in a rear position to protect the rear of the advancing Islamic army.
He appointed emirs in the different districts and linked them to leadership in Al-Hafir, among them we mention: Suwayd bin Qutbah on his side of the houses of Bani Dhahl on the side of Basra, Qahtaba bin Qatada Al-Sadusi on his side, Shuraih bin Amer Al-Qaini Al-Saadi on Al-Khuraiba. This action was taken for reasons including:
- The economic and military importance of the Al-Abla region, as it is the only water route between Al-Madain and the East. - Blocking any Persian counter-movement to regain the area
In the event of an incursion into depth of Iraqi
Ensuring the safety of his forces and maintaining his lines of communication with the city. The Battle of Al-Walaja: Khalid resided in Al-Mathar for some time, investigating news of his enemy, gathering information about him, and observing the course of his movements, on the other hand, the Persian emperor Ardashir prepared two armies after he was informed of the defeat of his army in Al-Mazar, and pushed them to the battlefield. The first army was led by Andarzeggar, while the second army was under the leadership of Bahman Jadawayh, and he ordered them to encamp in Al-Walaja (in the land of Kaskar, which is next to the mainland), and await the Muslim army there, and it seems that Bahman Jadawayh had another military view, In order for the Muslim army to be squeezed between the jaws of a pincer, it headed to the center of the black, and did not join the first army, with the aim of attacking the Muslims from the front at a time when Andrzejr attacked them from behind, When he left the black to the borders of the desert, and due to the importance of the confrontation, the Persians mobilized the Arab tribes loyal to them, especially the Bakr bin Wael and Al-Dahaqin tribes, so they joined the first army, Khalid, while he was on the field, learned of the news of the huge Persian crowds advancing towards Al-Walaja, and in order to avoid the Persian plan, he decided to strike the two Persian armies separately, Indeed, the first army struck in Al-Walaja before the second army arrived, and Andarzeggar fled in the prevailing atmosphere of defeat to the desert, so he died of thirst, and the battle took place on “22 Safar 12 AH / May 633 AD.”
The battle of Alice or the River of Blood
The reason: revenge for their deaths
The Arabs loyal to the Persians were distressed by many of their men in the Battle of Al-Walaja, so they called for revenge, and asked the Persians for urgent help, and they camped in Alice under the leadership of Abdul-Aswad Al-Ajli, some of the Persians who were in the region joined them, and they waited for the arrival of the Persian army that the emperor had promised them. In fact, Ardashir ordered (Bahman Jadweh) to go to Alice (a village of Anbar in the beginning of the land of Iraq in terms of the Badia) some of the Persians who were in the region joined them, and they waited for the arrival of the Persian army that the emperor had promised them. In fact, Ardashir ordered (Bahman Jadweh) to go to Alice (a village of Anbar in the beginning of the land of Iraq in terms of the desert side) To help the Persians and Arabs who met there, and provide him with additional force under the leadership of Jaban. Bahman Jadziweh realized the difficulty and danger of the military situation, so he acted on two axes:
The first: appointed Jaban as the commander of the army and ordered him to advance to Alice, and advised him not to engage in battle with the Muslims until he catches up with him unless they start fighting him.
The second: He left the region and went to Al-Madaen to hold discussions with the pillars of government, to clarify a comprehensive military plan to stop the advance of the Muslims.
When he reached the Persian capital, he found the emperor ill, so he stayed at his side, leaving Jaban to face the Muslim force alone. Meanwhile, Japan has reached Alice, Khalid preceded it, so he encamped there, waiting for his arrival. Khalid was on his way to Alice to fight the Arabs who had gathered there, and he did not know anything about Jaban's arrival there, he was surprised by these huge numbers of fighters, and the Persian soldiers were eating, so he took advantage of this opportunity, and he decided to engage in battle immediately so as not to leave his opponent room for quick thinking and reaction. Indeed, the two armies clashed in a fierce battle, which ended with the victory of the Muslims, The coalition forces suffered seventy thousand deaths, and the battle took place on “25 Safar 12 AH / 11 May 633 AD”.
Open Amgecia
Amghisha was a large country like Al-Hirah, in which no battle took place and no fighting took place in it, but it was booty without a fight, because Khalid came to the town after he had finished with Alice, Its inhabitants left it dispersed in the dark due to the lack of fighters and the possibilities of steadfastness, so the Muslims entered it and seized what was in it of money, furniture and horses, and that was on “28 Safar 12 AH / 14 May 633 CE.”
open Al - Hirah
Al-Hirah was under the rule of the satrap Azadiyah, who was monitoring the movements of the Muslims, so he realized that Al-Hirah was their next target after Amghisha, and he prepared to confront them, however, he did not take the necessary military measures to defeat them, and his fighting plan was limited to obstructing their progress, blocking the course of the Euphrates, and opening the courses of the rivers that feed it in order to prevent the flow of water in it, and he prevents them from crossing, but Khalid succeeded in returning the water to its streams after he defeated the force that protected the dam led by Ibn al-Marziban, blew it up, and moved his army across the water towards al-Hirah on ships, which he had captured from the Persians, and when the satrap learned of these negative developments, he withdrew with his soldiers beyond the Euphrates River, as there was no one to help him after the death of Ardashir, the pillars of government in Al-Madain were preoccupied with choosing a successor for him, leaving the region of Al-Hirah to face its fate, and to be defended by its Arab people, and the Muslims besieged Al-Hirah, Its people fortified themselves with their fortresses, and they refused what Khalid offered them to convert to Islam, or to surrender and pay tribute, and they insisted on resistance, and after military skirmishes outside the walls of the fortresses, the Muslims managed to storm it, and the resistance fighters were forced to surrender, and negotiations took place between the two sides, as a result of which the captains of Al-Hirah agreed to pay tribute, and the peace treaty was drafted in the month of “Rabi’ al-Awwal 12 AH / June 633 CE.”
The results and effects of opening al-Hirah
Al-Hira is the first Persian regional capital to be conquered by the Muslims, and it is an advanced metropolis on the way to Al-Madain, located on the edge of Al-Sawad and the edge of the Badia, and the important part of it is located on the western bank of the Euphrates River, and it is connected to farms and shops coming from India and China. The fall of al-Hirah in the hands of the Muslims led to:
1- The decline in the morale of the Persians.
2- Muslims obtaining an important supply base.
3- The Muslims obtaining a political and military advantage due to its geographical location, as it is a base and a foothold for launching into the Iraqi interior, and it is also a suitable path for any Islamic withdrawal if necessary.
4- The subjugation of the surrounding villages to the control of the Muslims, because the Dahaqis were waiting for the outcome of the struggle over Al-Hirah, and when it fell into the hands of the Muslims, and they learned about the terms of the reconciliation concluded by Khalid with its people. They took control of them in order to spare their villages the scourge of war. We mention among them: Dahaqin al-Malatat (on the Euphrates), He measured al-Natif (on the Euphrates), and the villages between al-Falalij (the villages of al-Sawad), and Hormozgerd (on the outskirts of Iraq).
5- The conquest of Al-Hirah allowed the Muslims to penetrate deep into Iraqi lands beyond the Euphrates River up to the shore of the Tigris, and the Persians no longer had a foothold between Al-Hirah and the Tigris.
6- Khalid bin Al-Walid began to exercise his new powers, both military and civil, as the natural result of making treaties prompted him to do two things:
The first: protecting the beneficiaries from the effects of reconciliation against Persian encroachments.
The second: collecting tribute from them. Therefore, he assigned military garrisons to protect the dhimmis, and sent workers to collect taxes.
7- The conquest of Al-Hirah had a great resonance in the Arabian Peninsula, as it was in the eyes of all Arabs the compass of poetry, and the Muslims rejoiced in this conquest with great joy.
8- Khaled resided in Al-Hirah, and made it the seat of his leadership and the stronghold of his army.
The conquest of Anbar and the battle of That Al-Ayoun
Khalid bin Al-Walid finished implementing the first part of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq’s plan to invade Iraq from the south, and he stayed in Al-Hirah, waiting for Ayyad bin Ghanem to complete the matter of Dumat Al-Jandal, It was the first site that he had to subdue before entering Iraq from its north all the way to the south, but he failed to storm it, and therefore he was late in marching towards his goal, which is to reach Al-Hirah, and the Caliph’s orders were clear that Muslims not storm the land of the Persians, behind them are garrisons fortified, and it is known that the Persians still have garrisons in Ain al-Tamr (a town near al-Anbar, west of Kufa), al-Anbar and al-Farad, all of which pose a threat to the facilitator and the rear of any army advancing from al-Hira into Iraq, these negative developments prompted Khalid bin Al-Walid to undertake the work of Ayyad himself after he obtained permission from the caliph, so he succeeded Al-Qaqa bin Amr Al-Tamimi over Al-Hirah, and he left at the head of the army heading to Anbar, Its people fortified it, and dug a trench around it, in preparation for the resistance, and when he reached it, he circumambulated the trench, examining it, then he ordered the soldiers to start fighting, and he advised them, saying: “I see people who have no knowledge of war, so shoot their eyes and do not seek anything else.” They shot them and hit a thousand eyes, and that is why the battle was called “that of eyes, chaos broke out inside the fort, and its people were preoccupied with those who were injured, so the ruler of Anbar, Sherzad, was forced to surrender after he failed to resist, and the Muslims had buried the trench, they stormed the fort, and Shirzad agreed to Khaled's conditions for the peace treaty, but in return he asked to be allowed to go out with a detachment of cavalry, so Khaled agreed, so he went out to Al-Madain, where he met with Bahman Jadwih, and explained to him the difficulty of the situation, and the conquest of Anbar was on “4 Rajab 12 AH / September 11, 633 AD, Khaled settled in Anbar, and delegations of Arabs and Persians, who reside in the vicinity, came to him asking for reconciliation, so he reconciled with them.
Battle of Ain al-Tamr
Khalid's goal after Anbar was the fort of Ain al-Tamr, where Persian and Arab forces met under the leadership of Mahran bin Bahram Jubin and Aqah bin Abi Aqah, so he left Anbar heading towards him, and when those inside the fort learned of the arrival of the Muslims, they decided, after consultations between them, that the Arabs should be alone in waging the battle, on the basis that it will take place with an Arab party, and that they are more knowledgeable about the fighting methods of the Arabs, so the Arab force, led by Aqah, left the fort, and encamped on the Karkh road, waiting for the arrival of the Islamic forces, while the Persian force remained inside the fort. The Muslims arrived at the place, and Aqah mobilized his forces, Khalid decided to surprise him on his own, so he rushed towards him, embraced him, and captured him, and this affected the morale of his forces, so they turned their backs without turning around, and when Mahran saw what had happened to Aqah, and his soldiers feared for himself, so he left the fort, fleeing with his followers, and headed towards the north, and the Muslims stormed the fort and those inside it surrendered, and Khalid Aqah was killed, and this happened on "11 Rajab 12 AH / September 633 CE.
The open of Dumat al-Jandal
Dumat al-Jandal is a fortified site between Medina and Damascus, and it has commercial and military importance that urges Muslims to conquer it. With regard to its commercial importance, because of its geographical location at the crossroads with Medina, Kufa and Damascus, it could control the traffic of commercial convoys. With regard to its military importance, It is a fortified site on the southern tip of the Levant, adjacent to the northern border areas of the Arabian Peninsula, at a time when the Muslims has a military presence in Iraq and the Levant, which requires southern protection before their armies penetrate deep into the Levant in particular, Ayyad bin Ghanem was on his way to Dumat al-Jandal, and when he reached it, he encountered a tribal bloc of Bahra, Tanukh, Ghassan, Kalb, and al-Daja'im, so he asked for supplies from the caliph, He provided him with Al-Walid bin Uqba, who came from Iraq on behalf of Khalid, and the Muslims laid siege to the fort, and an Arab force of allies managed to get out of the fort, and besieged the Muslims from behind, so they fell between the jaws of the pincers, and their position came out, so they held a council for advice, and it was decided to seek the help of Khalid, so they asked him to come to help them, he responded to the distress call. Khalid arrived at Dumat al-Jandal within ten days, so he assumed command of the Islamic army, and clashed with the coalition forces outside the fort, and the clash resulted in the victory of the Muslims, and in fact the military plan imposed by Khalid on the allies, which led to the distribution of their forces in two opposite and divergent directions, in addition to the withdrawal of Akider bin Abdul Malik, the owner of the fortress, from the coalition forces, due to the difference of views on dealing with Muslims, It affected the outcome of the battle, and the Muslims stormed the fort and killed the fighters inside, and this conquest took place on "24 Rajab 12 AH / 4 October 633 AD."
The battle of Al - Haseed
Khalid resided in Dumat al-Jandal, and sent al-Aqra’ ibn Habis to Anbar, and the Muslims’ rush in Iraq retreated, and the Persians noticed this, so they rose up to recover what they had lost of cities and villages, and expelled the Muslims from the region, and they coordinated with the Arab tribes loyal to them, thus, two Persian armies set out from Baghdad (Baghdad was then a village in the north of Al-Madain) towards Anbar. The first, led by Zarmohar, headed to al-Khanafis (near Anbar), and the second, led by Rouzbah, headed to al-Hasid (a valley between Kufa and the Levant) Al-Zabarqan bin Badr, the ruler of Anbar (al-Aqra’ bin Habis had not yet reached it), was tracking the movements of the Persians and their Arab allies, so he wrote to al-Qa’qa bin Amr in al-Hirah, He explained the field situation to him, so he sent two military forces to Al-Hasid, led by Abd bin Fadaki Al-Saadi, and to Al-Khanafis, led by Urwa bin Al-Jaad. to cut off the Persians, the Persians did not see what necessitated immediately entering into a battle, but rather waited for the arrival of their allies from the Rabia Arabs, so this slowdown in movement gave the Muslims an opportunity they successfully exploited, and Khaled had returned in the meantime to al-Hirah with Ayad bin Ghanem, so he sent a military force led by Abi Laila bin Fadaki Al-Saadi to Al-Khanafis to collide with Zarmohr, and another led by Al-Qa`qaa to Al-Hasied to collide with Rouzbeh, and he went out at the head of a military force to Ain Al-Tamr in preparation for intervention when necessary, Rozbah was surprised by the advancing Muslims, so he sought help from Zarmohr, who helped him. Together, they fought a losing battle against the Islamic forces, where they were both killed, and the battle took place on Sha'ban 10, 12 AH / October 20, 633 CE.
The Battle of the beetles
The remnants of the Persians who survived the Battle of Al-Hasid resorted to Al-Khanafis (near Al-Anbar), and this led to casting terror in the hearts of its inhabitants, and weakened their souls, and some of them fled to Al-Masikh to take refuge there, which facilitated the mission of Abi Laila, so he entered it without a fight on "11 Shaaban 12 AH / 21 October 633 AD" Conquest of Al-Masikh: After these victories, Khalid bin Al-Walid had the opportunity to attack Al-Masikh in an attempt to prevent the allies from the Persians, and the Arabs managed to reorganize their ranks, so he summoned his leaders, and attacked the town from three axes, and surprised their opponents while they were sleeping, on “19 Shaaban 12 AH / 29 October 633 AD, Fath al-Thani and al-Zamil (in the island, east of al-Rusafa): They were the next target after al-Masikh. The Muslims stormed them from three axes, and succeeded in entering them. Ar-Ridab (the site of al-Rusafa before it was built) fell into their hands, on “23 Sha’ban 12 AH / 2 November 633 CE.
The battle of Al Farad
The battle of al-Farad was the last of Khalid ibn al-Walid's great deeds in Iraq, he wanted to secure the protection of the rear of his army, so that if he crossed Al-Sawad to Persia, he would be assured of what he would leave behind, and the lands lie on the common borders between the Byzantines, the Persians, and the Arabs of the Peninsula, and his rush to the point was an incursion into a land ruled by the Byzantines, which provoked them, just as the Persians and Arabs loyal to them hated the Muslims, so they called out for revenge for what befell them, especially Taghlib, Iyad and Al-Nimr, and they crawled towards Al-Farad, and a terrible bloody fight took place between the two sides on “15 Dhul Qi’dah 12 AH / January 21 634 AD”, which ended in the defeat of the allies.
Khaled's departure to the Levant and the leadership of Muthanna
Until the death of Abi Bakr, numerous raids and skirmishes took place in Iraq between the Muslims and the Persians and those who supported them among the Christianized Arabs living there, However, they were unable to stop the Muslim attacks, as was the case, for example, in the battle of Ain al-Tamr, and the Islamic teams roamed the lands of al-Sawad, raiding this or that village. However, in the period between the departure of Khalid bin Al-Walid and the death of Abu Bakr, only limited clashes occurred, Due to the fact that the Iraqi army was weakened in the absence of Khalid (who went to the aid of the Muslims in Yarmouk in the Levant), and especially that he separated more than half of the forces with him, and the Persians, on the other hand, got involved in internal conflicts and competition for power, which led to the stagnation of the Iraqi front, Al-Muthanna bin Haritha (the new commander), despite his fighting prowess, was forced to retreat to al-Hirah and fortify himself there, but he kept all the spoils of the Muslims from the vastness of Iraq, It is true that al-Muthanna defeated a Persian army in Babylon, directed by Shahrbaraz bin Ardashir under the leadership of Hormuz Jadhawayh in "late Rabi` al-Awwal 13 AH / late May 634 CE., However, after his victory, he fortified himself in his first positions, lest he be caught by surprise, realizing that he would not be able to advance, even if he could resist. Indeed, resistance would become impossible if the Persians rallied, And the Arabs who are loyal to them again, in addition to that he cannot keep the achievements achieved, so how if he decides to advance?! Therefore, the Islamic force at his disposal had to be strengthened, so he left Iraq for Medina to discuss with Abu Bakr the field situation on the Iraqi front, and present him with a new project for general mobilization based on the reality of recruiting those whose repentance appeared among the people of apostasy, and when he reached it, he found Abu Bakr ill, and when what he came for came to him, Abu Bakr summoned Omar and instructed him to delegate people with Muthanna if he died.
The links
Comments