View source for Battle of Oxus River

{{Short description|Battle within the Muslim conquest of Persia (7th century CE)}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|image=
|caption=
|conflict=Battle of Oxus River
|partof=the [[Muslim conquest of Persia]]|
|date=651
|place=[[Amu Darya]], Turkmenistan.
|result={{ublist|Rashidun victory}}
* Destruction of the [[Sasanian Empire]]
|territory=[[Sasanian Empire]] annexed by [[Rashidun Caliphate]].
|combatant1=[[Sassanian Empire]]<br>[[Göktürk Khaganate]]
|combatant2=[[Rashidun Caliphate]]
|commander1= [[Yazdegerd III]]{{Assassinated}}{{efn|group=infobox|[[Battle of Oxus River#Aftermath|Aftermath of the battle]]; killed at [[Merv]] in 651}}<ref>{{cite web | url=http://p2.www.britannica.com/oscar/print?articleId=106324&fullArticle=true&tocId=9106324 | title=Iran | publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] | access-date=2009-04-24 | archive-date=2013-08-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813184232/http://p2.www.britannica.com/oscar/print?articleId=106324&fullArticle=true&tocId=9106324 | url-status=dead }}</ref> <br>Khan of [[Farghana]]
|commander2=[[Ahnaf ibn Qais]]
|strength1=50,000<ref name=Bombay>{{cite book|title=The Journal, Volume 11|pages=213, 214|publisher=[[The Asiatic Society of Mumbai|Asiatic Society of Bombay]]|year=1969}}</ref>
|strength2=20,000<ref name=Bombay>{{cite book|title=The Journal, Volume 11|pages=213, 214|publisher=[[The Asiatic Society of Mumbai|Asiatic Society of Bombay]]|year=1969}}</ref>
|casualties1=Unknown; Probably heavier
|casualties2=Lighter
|cammpaignbox={{Campaignbox Muslim Conquest Persia}}
}}
{{Campaignbox Muslim Conquest Persia}}
The '''Battle of Oxus River''' was a significant battle in the 7th century, fought between the combined armies of the [[Sassanid]] and [[Göktürk Empire]]s against the Muslim Arab army that [[Muslim conquest of Persia|had overrun Persia]]. Following his defeat, the last Sassanid Emperor, [[Yazdegerd III]], became a hunted fugitive who fled to [[Central Asia]] and then to [[China (region)|China]].
==Prelude==
[[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] was the second largest province of the Sassanid Persian Empire. It stretched from what is now north-eastern Iran, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its capital was [[Balkh]], now in northern Afghanistan. In 651, the mission of conquering [[Khurasan]] was assigned to Ahnaf ibn Qais and [[Abdullah ibn Aamir]]. Abdullah marched from [[Fars Province|Fars]] and took a short and less frequent route via [[Rey, Iran|Rayy]]. Ahnaf then marched north direct to [[Merv]], in present Turkmenistan.<ref>The Muslim Conquest of Persia By A.I. Akram. Ch:17 {{ISBN|0-19-597713-0}},</ref> Merv was the capital of Khurasan and here Yazdegerd III held his court. On hearing of the Muslim advance, Yazdegerd III left for Balkh. No resistance was offered at Merv, and the Muslims occupied the capital of Khurasan without a fight.
==Battle==
Ahnaf stayed at Merv and waited for reinforcement from Kufa.<ref name="ReferenceA">Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War, By Kaveh Farrokh, Published by Osprey Publishing, 2007 {{ISBN|1-84603-108-7}}</ref> Yazdegerd proceeded to Soghd whose ruler supplied him with a large army. The Khaqan of Turks after assembling the troops from [[Ferghana]], crossed the Oxus along with Yazdegerd and marched to Balkh. Ribi' b. Amir meanwhile retired with Kufan troops to Marw al-Rudh where he joined al-Ahnaf.<ref name=Bombay>{{cite book|title=The Journal, Volume 11|pages=213, 214|publisher=[[The Asiatic Society of Mumbai|Asiatic Society of Bombay]]|year=1969}}</ref>
The Sasanian king and the Khakan leading an army of 50,000 cavalry composed of men from Soghd, [[Turkestan]], Balkh and [[Tokharistan]], arrived at Marw al-Rudh. Ahnaf had an army of 20,000 men. The two sides fought each other from morning till evening for two months at a place called Deir al-Ahnaf.<ref name=Bombay>{{cite book|title=The Journal, Volume 11|pages=213, 214|publisher=[[The Asiatic Society of Mumbai|Asiatic Society of Bombay]]|year=1969}}</ref>
The fighting at Deir al-Ahnaf went on until Ahnaf, after being informed of a Turkic chief inspecting the outposts, went there during a particular night and successively killed three Turkic chiefs during their inspection. After learning of their deaths, the Khakan became afflicted by it and withdrew to Balkh, then he withdrew across the river to Turkestan. Yazdegerd meanwhile left from Marw al-Rudh to Merv, from where he took his empire's wealth and proceeded to Balkh to join the Khakan. He told his officials that he wanted to hand himself to the protection of the Turks, but they advised him against it and asked him to seek protection from the Arabs which he refused. He left for Turkestan while his officials took away his treasures and gave them to Ahnaf, submitting to the Arabs and being allowed to go back to their respective homes.<ref name=Bombay>{{cite book|title=The Journal, Volume 11|pages=213, 214|publisher=[[The Asiatic Society of Mumbai|Asiatic Society of Bombay]]|year=1969}}</ref>
==Aftermath==
After being defeated at the Battle of Oxus river, Yazdegerd III was unable to raise another army and became a hunted fugitive. Following the battle, he fled to [[Central Asia]] to the court of the Khan of Farghana. From there, Yazdegerd went to China.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Nevertheless, Yazdegerd III kept on intruding in Persia, using his influence over the notables and chiefs of Persia, thus remained a motivating force behind the Persian rebellion. During Caliph Uthman's reign, Yazdegerd III came back to [[Bactria]] and [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] rebelled against the Caliphate. [[Abdullah ibn Aamir]] crushed the rebellion and defeated Yazdegerd's forces. He fled from one district to another until a local miller killed him for his purse at Merv in 651.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://p2.www.britannica.com/oscar/print?articleId=106324&fullArticle=true&tocId=9106324 | title=Iran | publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] | access-date=2009-04-24 | archive-date=2013-08-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813184232/http://p2.www.britannica.com/oscar/print?articleId=106324&fullArticle=true&tocId=9106324 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==See also==
*[[Islamic conquest of Persia]]
*[[Early Muslim conquests|Muslim conquests]]
*[[Sassanid Empire]]
*[[Rashidun army]]
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{notelist}}
{{coord missing|Turkmenistan}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxus River, Battle Of}}
[[Category:651]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Rashidun Caliphate]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Sasanian Empire]]
[[Category:650s conflicts]]
[[Category:Military history of Turkmenistan]]
[[Category:Muslim conquest of Persia]]
[[Category:Amu Darya]]