The Decisive Battles of World History

Lecture 8: 636 Yarmouk & al-Qadisiyyah—Islam Triumphs

The Opponents

x The Byzantines and Sassanids fought a series of wars over the

vital crossroads territories of Armenia and Syria. At the beginning

of the 7th century, the Sassanian king won substantial territories,

only to lose most of them to a counterattack by the Byzantine

emperor, Heraclius.

x During the next decade, a new power, within the span of a single

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Byzantines, then on the Sassanids.

x This new force was Islam, and within a century, Muslim armies

would achieve one of the most impressive conquests of all time.

More important, it would be one whose effects were among the

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The Battle of Yarmouk

x The Battle of Yarmouk was the culmination of several years’ clashes

between Rashidun and Byzantine forces along the Mediterranean

coastline. The Muslims had won most of these battles, and Heraclius

realized that they were a serious threat.

x Deciding to wipe out the invaders, Heraclius assembled an army of

30,000 to 80,000 men under the overall command of an experienced

Armenian general named Vahan. This army encamped in a strong

position on a rocky plateau surrounded by steep but shallow gullies

near the Yarmouk River.

x The Rashidun had been seeking a decisive battle; thus, their various

small armies gathered into a force estimated at 15,000 to 30,000

men—no more than half the size of the Byzantine army.

x Tactical command of the Rashidun went to Khalid Ibn al Walid, an

excellent tactician, who often used light cavalry to make dramatic

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