Part 18

Hormuz wanted to cut the fight short by murdering Khalid treacherously. So, no sooner had the two armies engaged in battle than he challenged Khalid to fight a duel. Hormuz instructed some of his men to remain close to him, so that when he gave a signal they should fall on Khalid and kill him. Khalid at once dismounted and before long his foe was killed.

The death of Hormuz had demoralized the Persians, but nevertheless, they fought hard. The Muslims assailed vehemently, but the chain-linked Persian infantry withstood all attacks. The Muslims redoubled their attacks, and the Persians were forced to fall back. The Persians found their chains to be a death trap, and as they retreated held together in chains they suffered heavy causalities. Before the night set in, the Muslims had won the battle.

Thousands of Persians were killed. and thousands of them were taken captives. The war booty that fell into the hands of the Muslims comprised wagons, armor, stores, costly garments, horses and a good amount of money. Four-fifth of the booty was distributed among the Muslim soldiers and one-fifth was sent to the Caliph at Madeenah. So large was the booty that the share of each cavalryman came to a thousand dirhams. The booty included the 100,000-dirham cap of Hormuz studded with diamonds and pearls. The Caliph offered this cap as a present to Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed. The battle of the Chains at Kazima unchained for the Muslims the gate of Iraq. The so-called uncivilized Arabs had defeated the Persians so proud of their civilization extending over a thousand years.

The Battle of Madhaar:

When Hormuz knew of the march of Khalid and his forces to Kazimah, he sent to the king of Persia, Aradesheer, seeking help and reinforcement. The king dispatched an army from Madaa'in, the capital, under the command of Qaarin Ibn Quryans. The Persian army marched along the left bank of the Tigris. They crossed the Tigris at Madhaar, and there they came to know of the defeat of the Persians at Kazimah. Qaarin camped at Madhaar, and soon the remnants of the army of Hormuz who had escaped from Kazimah joined the camp.

Qaarin was shocked that the imperial army of Persia under such a General as Hormuz should have been defeated by the uncouth Arabs. He resolved that he would avenge the defeat of Kazimah and drive the Arabs to the desert.

In the meantime, the advance guard of Al-Muthanna, who scoured the countryside, came to know of the Persian concentration at Madhaar. Al-Muthanna sent news of the situat..n to Khalid and halted opposite the Persians at Madhaar. O the other hand, Qaarin got information that some Muslim forces were lurking in the neighborhood, and his plan was to fall on this Muslim force and destroy it, before it could get help from the main Muslim army.

Khalid realized the danger that beset the column of AlMuthanna. Khalid was keen that he should destroy the Persian force under Qaarin while the impact of the defeat at Kazimah was still fresh in the Persian mind. By forced marches, Khalid reached Madhaar in the month of Safar, 12 AH, before Qaarin could take any action against the column of Al-Muthanna. The Persian forces fought with great tenacity, but the Muslims finally achieved victory. Qaarin and almost 30,000 soldiers of the Persian army were killed in the battle. It was also the second victory the Muslims won against the Persians. Heavy spoils were won in the battle, which exceeded the booty gained at Kazimah. Four-fifths of the spoils were distributed among the soldiers and one-fifth share was sent to Madeenah.

The Battle of Walajahh:

Being weakened by two successive defeats, the Persian king, Ardsheer, ordered the assembling of two more Persian armies to fight the Muslims, One army was placed under the

command of Andarzaghar, a military Governor of considerable standing who had grown up among the Arabs, and was familiar with the Arab way of fighting. He commanded considerable popularity among the Arab tribes allied with the Persians. In addition to the regular Persian army, Andarzaghar was commissioned to raise contingents from the Arab auxiliaries. The other force was placed under the direct command of Bahman, the Commander-in-Chief of the Persian forces.

Andarzaghar was required to move with his army to grapple with the Muslims. The other force under Bahman was to follow after some time. The strength of the army of Andarzarghar was very considerable, and if the army of Bahman reinforced it, the Persian army would likely to assume formidable dimensions.

Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed, may Allah be pleased with him, weighed up the situation and worked out his strategy. He left two battalions in ambush, so as to attack the enemy from the rear at the right moment. Khalid's strategy, therefore, was that he should tackle the army of Andarzaghar before the main army under Bahman could join it.

By forced marches, Khalid reached Walajah. As Andarzaghar surveyed the field, the Muslim army did not consist of more than 10,000 persons, and the Muslim cavalry was nowhere to be seen. The strength of the Persian army, on the contrary, was thrice the strength of the Muslim army, and Andarzaghar thought that in no time he would be able to make mince meat of the Muslim force and thus avenge the defeats of Kazimah and Madhaar.

The two armies met with a clash of steel, and the battle raged with unabated fury. The Muslims struck at the heavily armed Persians, but the Persians stood their ground, and

repulsed all attacks. Then Andarzaghar ordered a counter attack. The Muslims were able to hold the attack for some time, but as the Persians intensified their pressure, the Muslims began to lose ground and fell back. Andarzaghar exhorted his men to step up their pressure for victory was very much in sight.

At that critical juncture, Khalid gave a signal. The next moment over the crest of the ridge that stretched behind the Persian army appeared columns of mounted Muslim warriors. Raising shouts of "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Greatest), the Muslim cavalry charged at a gallop, and the plain of Walajahh shook under the thundering hooves of the Arab horse. The Persians who were pressing forward were now caught in a trap. When they turned their face to meet the charge of the Muslim cavalry, the main Muslim army delivered a furious charge. The ring of steel became tighter round the Persians, and in whatever direction they turned, sword and dagger struck them down. Andarzaghar fled from. the battlefield and penetrated deep into the desert where he lost his way and died of thirst.

The battle of Walajah ended in a victory for the Muslims. That was the third consecutive victory of the Muslims over the Persians. The victory of Walajah established the superiority of the Muslim fighting forces. Once again a large booty fell into the hands of the Muslims. Four-fifth of the spoils were distributed among the Muslim warriors on the spot, and the remaining one-fifth were sent to Madeenah. Khalid's remark was: "Behold the incredible heap of spoils! We have attained two goals! Victory in Allah's Cause, and amazing wealth,"

The Battle of Ulays: After their defeats in the battles of Kazimah, Madhaar

and Walajah, the Persians felt that it was necessary to change 104

their strategy. They decided to settle Christian Arabs in preference to Muslim ones. In pursuance of this policy, after the battle of Walajah the Christian Arabs mustered at Ulays, which was 10 miles from Walajah in another bid to drive the Muslims from Iraq. Ardasheer gave orders to Bahmaan to lend them full support. Also, the Persian commander-in-chief decided to send another Persian force to Ulays to reinforce the Christian Arabs. This force was commanded by Jabaan.

When the Muslims heard of the assembling of Christian Arabs and Persians at Ulays, Khalid mustered his forces to encounter them. The Muslims launched an attack against the Persians, but the latter stood as a rock and showed no signs of weakness. The Muslims renewed the charge, but expecting help from Bahmaan the Persians proved stubborn and persistent and offered stiff resistance. The Muslim attack did not yield the desired result, and as they appeared to lose force, a counter attack from the Persians was expected. In view of the limited space, there were no possibilities of a maneuver here, and Khalid was afraid that in a frontal attack, the Persians in view of their superiority of strength had the advantage and were likely to carry the day.

At this critical situation, Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed, may Allah be pleased with him, resorted to Almighty Allah and prayed for victory: "O Allah, if you grant us victory, I shall see that no enemy warrior is left alive until the river runs red with their blood." It was a typical soldier's pledge, and it inspired Khalid and his men to greater sacrifice and fighting. The Persian resistance ultimately broke down. By the afternoon a greater part of the Persian and Christian Arab army had been shattered, and the battle was over. The Muslims had secured a brilliant victory against the Persians for the fourth time.

Of all the battles fought by Khalid, the battle of Ulays was the toughest and the fiercest. According to At-Tabari, 70,000 Persian and Christian Arabs lost their lives as a result of the battle of Ulays. The Ulays disaster unnerved the Persian and the Christian Arabs. The local inhabitants of the region of Ulays entered into a pact with the Muslims. They agreed to pay the Jizyan in lieu of Muslim protection. They also undertook to act as in ormers and guides for the Muslims.

The Conquest of Al-Heerah:

After the battle of Ulays, the road to Al-Heerah lay open. Khalid and his army immediately took the road to Al-Heerah.

This city had been the capital of the Iraqi Arabs since the second century of the Christian era. After the battle of Ulays all the rebels took refuge there. Its Persian governor, AlMarzabaan (Azarbeh), came to know of the advance of the Muslim force and so he set about defending the city. He sent forward a cavalry group commanded by his son to hold the advance of the Muslims. This cavalry group was commissioned to dam the Euphrates in order to hold the advance of the Muslim army.

In the advance to Al-Heerah, while the main Muslim army marched by riding on camels and horses, the heavy military loads were carried by boat on the river. The Muslim forces had traversed a short distance only, when due to the damming of the river, the water level fell, and the boats carrying the military loads were grounded. Seeing this situation, Khalid dashed off at great speed on the road to Al-Heerah at the head of a cavalry detachment. At Badgalah, some twelve miles from Al-Heerah, the son of Azarbeh and his column were surprised, and were cut down to one man. Khalid thereafter