Battle of Jalula

Khuzestan Central Persia Caucasus Pars Khorasan Other geographies The Battle of Jalula was fought between the Sasanian Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate soon after conquest of Ctesiphon.

Several strong Persian armies were still active north-east of Ctesiphon at Jalula and north of the Tigris at Tikrit and Mosul.

The Caliph decided to deal with Jalula first; his plan was first to clear the way north before any decisive action against Tikrit and Mosul.

Strong Persian garrisons north-east of Ctesiphon at Jalula and north of Tigris at Tikrit and Mosul, posed a threat to Muslim invaders.

Some time in April 637, Hashim marched at the head of 12,000 troops from Ctesiphon and made contact with Persians outside Jalula fort.

Broken ground was unsuitable for cavalry and even the movement of infantry en masse was difficult and would have exposed them to Persian Fire-Power.

Mihran deployed his army in classical defensive formation with the intention of launching the attack when Muslims had suffered enough and the nucleus of their power had been destroyed.

Hashim, the Muslim commander, on reaching the battlefield, analyzed that the Persians could not be attacked from the flanks due to those natural barriers and approaching them from the front would be costly.

Generally, the overall troops were consisting of prominent figures of the Ansar and Muhajireen during the first battles of Muslims and portions of Bedouin who formerly rebelled during Ridda wars[4] Ahmad ibn A'tham provides a slightly different version from Tabari's composition, namely: Baladhuri also mentions very briefly a composition which is similar to that of Ahmad ibn A'tham's, except he includes Jarir bin Abdullah.

Persian emperor Yazdegerd III was in no position to set a relief force to Jalula and the fortress surrendered to Muslims seven months later on the terms of annual payment of Jizya (tribute).

After the conquest of Iraq (region west of Zagros Mountains) Umar decided to consolidate the conquered territory.