Everything about Battle Of Walaja totally explained
Khalid ibn Walid's variation of the
double envelopment tactical manoeuvre at
Battle of Walaja. The Muslims surrounded and destroyed the Persians.]]
Khalid formed up the rest of his army, about 10,000 strong, in front of the
Sassanid Persian army. The strategy of the Persian commander in chief, Andarzaghar, was to go on the defensive and let the Muslims charge first. He planned to hold off their attacks until they were worn out, and then launch a
Counter-attack to rout the weary Muslim army. The first phase of the battle went according to Andarzaghar's plan. Khalid ordered a general attack. The
Sassanid army had reserves which they employed to replace their men in the front line, giving them the upper hand over the Muslim army and helping them to carry out their scheme to wear out the Muslim army. During this time, Khalid is said to have dueled with a Persian champion of gigantic proportions known as
Hazar Mard and killed him, which was a psychological victory for the Muslims.
The first phase was over. The second phase of the battle began with the
counter-attack of the
Sassanid Persian army. Perhaps seeing signs of fatigue from the Muslim soldiers, Andarzaghar judged that this was the right moment for his counter-attack. At his command the Sassanians supported by Persian
heavy cavalry surged forward and struck at the Muslims.
The Muslims were able to hold them for some time, but the Persians pressed on. The vaguely retreating Muslim army had to hold back the attack until further instructions from
Khalid ibn Walid.
Khalid eventually gave the signal to press forward. The next moment, over the crest of the ridge which stretched behind the Sassanian army appeared two divisions of mounted warriors-one behind the Persian left, the other behind the Persian right. Muslims
light cavalry, that could charge at incredible speed, and could successfuly attack retreat maneuver and attack again, was no match for Persian heavy cavalry. Routing the Persian cavalry, the two mounted columns started encircling the Persian army. The main body of Muslim army under Khalid ibn al-Walid resumed the attack against the Persian front, at the same time extending its flanks to join hands with the cavalry and completely surround the Persians. The army of Andarzaghar was caught in a trap and couldn't escape.
Recoiling from the assaults that came from all directions, the
Sassanid army gathered in an unwieldy mass, unable to use their weapons freely or avoid the blows of their assailants. Those who wanted to fight didn't know whom to fight. Those who wanted to flee didn't know where to go. The battle was over, with heavy casualties inflicted on the
Sassanid army. Only a few thousand imperial warriors managed to escape. Andarzaghar himself managed to escape, but he moved towards the
Arabian desert instead of the
Euphrates region and died of thirst.
Aftermath
After the battle Khalid brought his exhausted men together. He realized that the battle had imposed a terrible strain upon his troops, despite their sound victory over the
Sassanians. The battle of Walaja had been the longest and fiercest of the battles that the
Muslims had so far fought in
Iraq, so
Khalid ibn al-Walid sought to ensure that
Muslim morale remained high.
Khalid is said to have addressed his men in thefollowing words. He started by praising
Allah and calling his blessings upon
Muhammad.
After annihilating another army of
Sassanid Persians and their
Christian Arab allies at the
Battle of Ullais, the Muslims
conquered Hira, the capital city of
Mesopotamia in late May 633 A.D. There followed the
conquest of Al-Anbar and the successful
siege of Ein-al-Tamr. With the fall of the main cities the whole of southern and central Iraq, with the exception of
Ctesiphon, came under Muslim control. In
634 A.D Abu Bakr ordered
Khalid ibn Walid to proceed to
Syria with half of his army to command the
invasion of the Byzantine Empire.
Misna bin Haris was left as the successor of Khalid. The Persians, under their new emperor
Yazdgerd III, raised new armies and defeated the
Muslims in the
Battle of the Bridge, and re-captured
Iraq. The second invasion of Iraq was undertaken under
Sa`d ibn Abī Waqqās who, after defeating the
Sassanid army at the
Battle of al-Qādisiyyah in 636 A.D, captured
Ctesiphon. This was followed by the whole scale invasion of the
Sassanid Persian Empire.
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