Battle of Nihawand
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Nahāvand (also Nihāvand or Nahāwand) (Arabic
:معركة نهاوند) Battle of Nahāwand was fought in 642
between Arab Muslims and Sassanid armies. The battle is known to Muslims as the "Victory of Victories." The History of Tabari mentions that Firuzan, the officer serving the Persian King Yazdgerd III
had about 50,000 men, versus a Muslim army of about 30,000. The Persians were outmanoeuvered, trapped in a narrow mountain valley, and lost many men in the ensuing rout. Yezdigerd escaped to the Merv
area, but was unable to raise another substantial army. It was a decisive victory for the Rashidun Caliphate
and the Persians consequently lost the surrounding cities including Sephahan (renamed Isfahan). The Khan of the Turks
later lent him some soldiers, but the soldiers mutinied in the year 652.
The former Sassanid provinces, in alliance with Parthia
n and White Hun
nobles, resisted for a few more years in the region south of the Caspian Sea
, even as the Rashidun Caliphate
was replaced by the Umayyad
s, thus perpetuating the Sassanid court styles, Zoroastrian religion, and Persian speech.
Various versions are told about Nahāvand and how the battle was ensued in the early stages. Some note that the Muslim
Arabs managed to deceive the Persians through a ruse, that Caliph Omar
had died. The Persian cavalry, full of confidence mounted an ill-prepared pursuit of the bedouin
s who swiftly retreated to a safe area and eventually surrounded and trapped the Persian force before assailing it from all sides, and decisively defeating it.
As the historian Tabari mentions, the Persians were never again able to unite their men in such numbers and many were already talking of dissolving the Empire and going their separate ways when the battle was commencing. Many of Yazdegerd's military and civilian officials had abandoned him.
Nahāvand marked the total dissolution of the Sassanian Imperial army, with the fall of the last of the grand marshals of the army and the rise of warlord
ism among the Persians. The Emperor Yazdegerd III attempted to raise troops by appealing to other neighbouring areas such as the princes of Tukharistan and Sogdia and eventually sent his son Pirooz II to the Tang
court, but without any success.
Yezdegerd hurriedly fled towards the east where he was ill-treated by several Marzban (provincial governors) in the north as well as in Merv
, where the governor Mahoye openly showed his hostility to the Emperor. According to non-Muslim
sources, Yazdegerd completely failed to rally support in Eastern Persia where the Sassanians were unpopular with the locals. Muslim sources like Tabari reported that the province of Khorasan
revolted against Sassanian rule, just as it had years earlier when it had sided with Khosro Parviz' uncle Bistam. When Yazdegerd was crowned in Istakhr, Persia had in fact three Kings ruling in different regions and this province had not given its support to Yazdegerd at first.
Before Yazdegerd had a chance to receive help from the Hepthalites and Turkish tribes
, he was assassinated by a local miller in Merv
at 652. Thereafter, Yazdegerd's, son Pirooz II, attempted to re-establish the Sassanid empire
against the Rashidun Caliphate
and its succesor, the Umayyad Caliphate, though the plan did not develop, as Pirooz II ultimately died in China
.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
:معركة نهاوند) Battle of Nahāwand was fought in 642
642
Year 642 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 642 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* August 5 – In the Battle of...
between Arab Muslims and Sassanid armies. The battle is known to Muslims as the "Victory of Victories." The History of Tabari mentions that Firuzan, the officer serving the Persian King Yazdgerd III
Yazdgerd III
Yazdegerd III or Yazdgerd III was the twenty-ninth and last king of the Sassanid dynasty of Iran and a grandson of Khosrau II . His father was Shahryar, whose mother was Miriam, the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Maurice...
had about 50,000 men, versus a Muslim army of about 30,000. The Persians were outmanoeuvered, trapped in a narrow mountain valley, and lost many men in the ensuing rout. Yezdigerd escaped to the Merv
Merv
Merv , formerly Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana , was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today's Mary in Turkmenistan. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of...
area, but was unable to raise another substantial army. It was a decisive victory for the Rashidun Caliphate
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...
and the Persians consequently lost the surrounding cities including Sephahan (renamed Isfahan). The Khan of the Turks
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
later lent him some soldiers, but the soldiers mutinied in the year 652.
The former Sassanid provinces, in alliance with Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
n and White Hun
Hephthalite
The Hephthalites or Hephthalite is a pre-Islamic Greek term for local Abdali Afghans, who's famous ruler was Nazak Abdali . Hephthalites were a Central Asian nomadic confederation of the AD 5th-6th centuries whose precise origins and composition remain obscure...
nobles, resisted for a few more years in the region south of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
, even as the Rashidun Caliphate
Rashidun Empire
The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...
was replaced by the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
s, thus perpetuating the Sassanid court styles, Zoroastrian religion, and Persian speech.
Various versions are told about Nahāvand and how the battle was ensued in the early stages. Some note that the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Arabs managed to deceive the Persians through a ruse, that Caliph Omar
Omar
Omar can refer to:-Name:* Omar , including a list of people with the given name or surname Omar, Omer or Umar as well-Places:* Omar, Konar, a village in Afghanistan...
had died. The Persian cavalry, full of confidence mounted an ill-prepared pursuit of the bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
s who swiftly retreated to a safe area and eventually surrounded and trapped the Persian force before assailing it from all sides, and decisively defeating it.
As the historian Tabari mentions, the Persians were never again able to unite their men in such numbers and many were already talking of dissolving the Empire and going their separate ways when the battle was commencing. Many of Yazdegerd's military and civilian officials had abandoned him.
Nahāvand marked the total dissolution of the Sassanian Imperial army, with the fall of the last of the grand marshals of the army and the rise of warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
ism among the Persians. The Emperor Yazdegerd III attempted to raise troops by appealing to other neighbouring areas such as the princes of Tukharistan and Sogdia and eventually sent his son Pirooz II to the Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
court, but without any success.
Yezdegerd hurriedly fled towards the east where he was ill-treated by several Marzban (provincial governors) in the north as well as in Merv
Merv
Merv , formerly Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana , was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today's Mary in Turkmenistan. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of...
, where the governor Mahoye openly showed his hostility to the Emperor. According to non-Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
sources, Yazdegerd completely failed to rally support in Eastern Persia where the Sassanians were unpopular with the locals. Muslim sources like Tabari reported that the province of Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
revolted against Sassanian rule, just as it had years earlier when it had sided with Khosro Parviz' uncle Bistam. When Yazdegerd was crowned in Istakhr, Persia had in fact three Kings ruling in different regions and this province had not given its support to Yazdegerd at first.
Before Yazdegerd had a chance to receive help from the Hepthalites and Turkish tribes
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
, he was assassinated by a local miller in Merv
Merv
Merv , formerly Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana , was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today's Mary in Turkmenistan. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of...
at 652. Thereafter, Yazdegerd's, son Pirooz II, attempted to re-establish the Sassanid empire
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
against the Rashidun Caliphate
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate , comprising the first four caliphs in Islam's history, was founded after Muhammad's death in 632, Year 10 A.H.. At its height, the Caliphate extended from the Arabian Peninsula, to the Levant, Caucasus and North Africa in the west, to the Iranian highlands and Central Asia...
and its succesor, the Umayyad Caliphate, though the plan did not develop, as Pirooz II ultimately died in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.