THE GREAT CONQUESTS 17of human history. He would be instrumental in two of the world’s most
decisive campaigns. Even more remarkably, these campaigns were con-
ducted almost simultaneously against two stronger powers.
Khalid marched south and east with perhaps 4,000 warriors and at the
Battle of Buzakha defeated the combined tribes of rebels and apostates.
This was in the fall of 632, and when coupled with the later Battle of
Aqraba, marked the end of serious opposition to the Caliph Abu Bekr. A
good story about one of the chiefs of the apostates—Tulaiha—illustrates
the ready humor of the nomadic Arabs of the day. Tulaiha had claimed
prophetic inspiration and revelation such that he would rival and replace
Muhammad. At the Battle of Buzakha his forces were scattered, and later
Tulaiha repented, became faithful and went on pilgrimage to Mecca. When
chided for his murder of the faithful Muslim Ukkasha during his revolt,
he is reported to have said, “Why, was it not better that by my hand
Ukkasha should ascend into heaven, rather than that I should by his de-
scend into hellfire?” And, when asked what had become of his prophetic
gift, the old rebel answered, “It was but a puff or two, as if with a bellows.”
Humor of this sort shows the rough but hardy character of the desert
warrior. It would not have been out of place coming from a Viking at the
opposite extreme of the Eurasian continent. Just as the seafaring raiders
would batter the centers of European power, so would the desert raiders
crash into the great Middle Eastern nations.
As Khalid subdued the rebelling tribes and brought the entire Arabian
Peninsula under control, the caliph in Mecca recalled most of his fighting
men to reinforce the Syrian expedition against the Byzantines. The re-
doubtable warrior, with probably fewer than 1,000 men, pushed on to the
northeast toward modern-day Iraq, arriving in the lands of the Beni Bekr
tribe in early spring of 633. This tribe of Arabic nomads had not professed
Islam during Muhammad’s life, and Khalid had no particular argument
with them. He was, in fact, well greeted by Muthanna ibn Haritha, a
subclan chief. Muthanna and most of his tribesmen were willing to be-
come Muslims and allies, because this would give them weight to raid
into Persian territory. This union was the beginning of the destruction of
the fabled Persian Empire at the hands of an insignificant band of nomads.
The Sassanid Persian Empire had been established 400 years earlier in
A.D. 226, and by the seventh century had very much recovered the gran-
deur of the fabled Achaemenid Empire that had so troubled Greece in the
classic era. In the early years of the seventh century King Chosroes II
fought a generation-long war with the Byzantines. This epic war came to
an end in February 628 when Byzantine Emperor Heraclius decisively
defeated the main Persian host at Nineveh. Chosroes was assassinated by