Battle of Marj Ardebil
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Marj Ardabil or the Battle of Ardabil was a battle fought on the plains surrounding the city of Ardabil
in northwestern Iran
in 730 CE. An Khazar army led by Barjik
, the son of the Khazar khagan
, invaded the Umayyad
provinces of Jibal
and Adharybaydjian in retaliation for Caliphate
attacks on Khazaria during the course of the decades-long Khazar-Arab War of the early 700s.
Barjik's expedition into northern Iran (and later into Kurdistan and northern Mesopotamia
) may have been an attempt to establish Khazar rule south of the Caucasus Mountains
.
An outnumbered force led by the Umayyad general al-Djarrah al-Hakami engaged the Khazars for three days. Ultimately, abandoned by many of their mawali
auxiliaries
, the Caliph's forces were overwhelmed and defeated. During the course of the battle, al-Djarrah was killed. The victorious Barjik mounted his head on top of the throne from which he commanded the battles of his Middle East
ern campaign. According to the historian Agapius
, the Arabs suffered 20,000 dead and twice that number captured, a figure which probably includes the population of Ardabil and the surrounding territories.
Following their victory, the Khazars occupied Ardabil. The next year, however, Barjik led an army to Mosul
and was defeated. According to Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
and other Arab historians, the Muslims were so enraged by Barjik's desecration of their commander's head that they fought with extra vigor. The Khazar army at Mosul was defeated and withdrew north of the Caucasus Mountains
.
Ardabil
Ardabil is a historical city in north-western Iran. The name Ardabil probably comes from the Zoroastrian name of "Artavil" which means a holy place. Ardabil is the center of Ardabil Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 412,669, in 102,818 families...
in northwestern Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in 730 CE. An Khazar army led by Barjik
Barjik
Barjik was a Khazar prince who flourished in the late 720s. He is described by al-Tabari as "the son of the Khagan"; his exact status and position is unknown though he may have been the Bek....
, the son of the Khazar khagan
Khagan
Khagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
, invaded 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...
provinces of Jibal
Jibal
Jibāl was a short-lived Arab-ruled province located in western Iran, under the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad. It was roughly coterminous with the ancient country of the Medes. In 10th century it came back under Persian rule ....
and Adharybaydjian in retaliation for Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
attacks on Khazaria during the course of the decades-long Khazar-Arab War of the early 700s.
Barjik's expedition into northern Iran (and later into Kurdistan and northern Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
) may have been an attempt to establish Khazar rule south of the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
.
An outnumbered force led by the Umayyad general al-Djarrah al-Hakami engaged the Khazars for three days. Ultimately, abandoned by many of their mawali
Mawali
Mawali or mawālá is a term in Classical Arabic used to address non-Arab Muslims.The term gained prominence in the centuries following the early Arab Muslim conquests in the 7th century, as many non-Arabs such as Persians, Egyptians, and Turks converted to Islam...
auxiliaries
Auxiliaries
An auxiliary force is a group affiliated with, but not part of, a military or police organization. In some cases, auxiliaries are armed forces operating in the same manner as regular soldiers...
, the Caliph's forces were overwhelmed and defeated. During the course of the battle, al-Djarrah was killed. The victorious Barjik mounted his head on top of the throne from which he commanded the battles of his Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern campaign. According to the historian Agapius
Agapius the historian
Agapius son of Constantine was a 10th century Arabic Christian writer, best known for his lengthy Kitab al-'Unwan . He was the Melkite bishop of Manbij .He was contemporary with the annalist Eutychius , also a Melchite...
, the Arabs suffered 20,000 dead and twice that number captured, a figure which probably includes the population of Ardabil and the surrounding territories.
Following their victory, the Khazars occupied Ardabil. The next year, however, Barjik led an army to Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
and was defeated. According to Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari was a prominent and influential Sunni scholar and exegete of the Qur'an from Persia...
and other Arab historians, the Muslims were so enraged by Barjik's desecration of their commander's head that they fought with extra vigor. The Khazar army at Mosul was defeated and withdrew north of the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
.