PEOPLEwere defeated by Khalid; when the citadel fell, all of the remaining
defenders were killed.^65 At Anbar, after an engagement outside the
city, the soldiers of the garrison under Shirziidh were allowed to with-
draw, leaving all of their possessions behind.^66 Along the Syrian bor-
der, the three strongholds of Husayd, Khanafis, and Musayyakh were
reduced. At Husayd, large numbers of Persians were killed, along with
the two commanders Zarmihr and Riizbih, while at Musayyakh the
entire garrison under Mahbiidhiin was killed in a dawn attack.^67 On
the other hand, Anoshagiin, son of Gushnaspmah, came to terms with
Khiilid for the people in his stronghold near Kaskar.68
Khiilid's raid was followed by a Persian counterattack in the Sawad.
Many of the temporary arrangements made by the local authorities
with the Muslims were annulled (forcibly or otherwise) by the Persians,
who tried to restore the border and rally their forces for the defense
of the Sawad. N arsi was made personally responsible for the protection
of the interests of the royal family in lower Iraq. There, along with
his cousins Bindawai and TIrawai, the sons of of Bistiim the uncle of
Parviz, he attempted to raise local resistance to protect Kaskar from
Muslim raids.^69 The Persian riposte was crowned with success at the
Battle of the Bridge, where the Muslim army under Abii 'Ubayd was
decisively defeated, and Abii 'Ubayd himself was killed. Thereafter,
the leadership of the Muslim forces passed to a local Arab, Muthannii
ibn f:liiritha, who was able to weaken the Persians by a series of raids
and finally defeated them at the Battle of Buwayb. Only then were the
remaining Persian border posts (Ar. manazir) along the desert frontier,
particularly Hisn Maliqiya and the positions at Taff, reduced,7°
The conflict in the Euphrates districts was decided by the Battle of
Qadisiyya, a military disaster for the Persians in which the general,
Rustam, fell on the battlefield and the army was routed. The fugitives
were pursued by the Muslim captains Zuhra and Qa'qa', who are
said to have killed them in every village, reed thicket, and river bank.71
The remnants of the Persian army gathered at Babil under Nakhirjiin,
Mihran ar-Riizi, Hurmuziin, and Fayruziin and attempted to make a
stand. Fayruziin was put in charge by the others, but they were defeated
65 Abii Yiisuf, Khariij, p. 226; Tabari, Ta'rzkh, I, 2063-64.
66 Tabari, Ta'rtkh, I, 2060.
67 Ibid., I, 2068-70.
68 BaladhurI, Futu~, p. 340.
69 TabarI, Ta'rzkh, I, 2168-69:
70 Baladhuri, Futu~, p. 254.
71 Tabari, Ta'rzkh, I, 2341.