page_title: Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
section_title: Day 1
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of al-Qadisiyyah / The battle / Day 1
context_page_description: The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah also spelled Qadisiyah, Qadisiyya, Ghadesiyeh or Kadisiya, fought in 636, was a decisive battle between the Arab Muslim army and the army of the Sasanian Empire of Persia during the first period of Muslim conquests.
  Although the description of this battle has had an important place in Islamic historiography, much of the material has little historical value. The battle took place at an uncertain date at the small frontier town of Qadisiyyah. The larger Sasanian army was headed by the important military and political figure Rostam Farrokhzad, who died in uncertain circumstances during battle, and a collapse of the Sasanian army led to an Arab Muslim victory.
  The Muslim victory was key to the conquest of Asorestan, and was followed by major engagements at Jalula and Nahavand. The battle also saw the alleged alliance of Emperor Yazdegerd III with Byzantine emperor Heraclius, who married his granddaughter Manyanh to Yazdegerd as a symbol of alliance.
context_section_description: On 16 November 636, an intervening canal was choked up and converted into a road on Rostam's orders and before dawn the entire Persian army crossed the canal. Rostam now armed himself with a double set of complete armour and requisite weapons. Both armies stood face to face about 500 meters apart. The Rashidun army was deployed facing northeast, while the Sassanid army was deployed facing southwest and had the river at its rear. Just before the battle started, Sa'd sought to encourage the soldiers: “This is your heritage, promised to you by your God. He made it available to you 3 years ago and you have been profiting from it until now, capturing, ransoming and killing its people.” Asim ibn 'Amr told the riders: “You are superior to them and God is with you. If you are persistent and strike in the proper way, their riches, women and children will be yours.”
  The battle began with personal duels; Muslim Mubarizun stepped forward and many were slain on both sides. Muslim chronicles record several heroic duels between the Sassanid and Muslim champions. The purpose of these duels was to lower the morale of the opposing army by killing as many champions as possible. Having lost several in duels, Rostam began the battle by ordering his left wing to attack the Muslims' right wing.
  The Persian attack began with heavy showers of arrows, which caused considerable damage to the Muslims' right wing. Elephants led the charge from the Persian side. Abdullah ibn Al-Mutim, the Muslim commander of right wing ordered Jareer ibn Abdullah (cavalry commander of the right wing) to deal with the Sassanid elephants. However, Jareer's cavalry was stopped by the Sassanid heavy cavalry. The elephants continued to advance, and the Muslim infantry began to fall back.
  Saad sent orders to Al-Ash'ath ibn Qays, commander of the center right cavalry to check the Sassanid cavalry advance. Al-Ash'ath then led a cavalry regiment that reinforced the right wing cavalry and launched a counterattack at the flank of the Sassanid left wing. Meanwhile, Sa'd sent orders to Zuhra ibn Al-Hawiyya, commander of the Muslim right center, to dispatch an infantry regiment to reinforce the infantry of the right wing. An infantry regiment was sent under Hammal ibn Malik that helped the right wing infantry launch a counterattack against the Sassanids. The Sassanid left wing retreated under the frontal attack by infantry of the Muslims' right wing reinforced by infantry regiments from the right center and a flanking attack by the Muslim cavalry reinforced by a cavalry regiment from the right center.
  With his initial attacks repulsed, Rostam ordered his right center and right wing to advance against the Muslim cavalry. The Muslim left wing and left center were first subjected to intense archery, followed by a charge of the Sassanid right wing and right center. Once again, the Elephant corps led the charge. The Muslim cavalry on the left wing and left center, already in panic due to the charge of the elephants, were driven back by the combined charge of the Sassanid heavy cavalry and the elephants.
  Sa'd sent word to Asim ibn 'Amr, commander of the left center, to overpower the elephants. Asim's strategy was to overcome the archers on the elephants' and cut the girths of the saddles. Asim ordered his archers to kill the men on elephants and ordered infantry to cut the girths of the saddles. The tactic worked, and as the Persians retired the elephants, the Muslims counterattacked. The Sassanid army's center right retreated followed by the retreat of the entire right wing. By afternoon the Persian attacks on the Muslim left wing and left center were also beaten back. Saad, in order to exploit this opportunity, ordered a yet another counterattack. The Muslim cavalry then charged from the flanks with full force, a tactic known as Karr wa farr. The Muslim attacks were eventually repulsed by Rostam, who plunged into the fray personally and is said to have received several wounds. The fighting ended at dusk. The battle was inconclusive, with considerable losses on both sides.
  In the Musli
caption: A cavalry and infantry regiments from Muslim's right center reinforce Muslim's right wing and fight off Persian's left wing
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