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Khalid could now sit back
and rejoice over his victories. In less than a month he had crushed
large imperial forces in four separate battles covering an operational
area whose length measured 100 miles. He had done this by exploiting
the tremendous mobility of his mounted army, by the use of audacity
and surprise, and by violent offensive action. He had accomplished
the mission given by the Caliph; there was no opposition left for
him to crush. The Persians had ventured out of the imperial capital
on hearing of Khalid's departure from Ain-ut-Tamr, but Khalid had
returned and done it again. Ctesiphon withdrew into its shell.
Several raids were launched by Khalid into
the region between the rivers. Places which had so far not felt
the heavy hand of war now echoed to the tread of Muslim cavalry
and the call of 'Allah is Great!' But the humble masses of
Iraq were left unmolested. These people considered the arrival of
the Muslims a blessing; for they brought order and stability such
as had not been known since the golden years of Anushirwan the Just.
But it was not in Khalid's nature to sit
back and take his ease. It was in his nature to be discontented
with past achievements, ever seeking fresh glory and striving towards
distant horizons. The Persian capital seemed reluctant to slake
his thirst for battle by sending more armies against him so it was
a pleasure for Khalid to be reminded that a strong Persian garrison
still existed on the Euphrates at Firaz (near present day Abu Kamal-see
Map at endpaper), which marked the frontier between the empires
of Persia and Eastern Rome. This was the only Persian garrison left
west of Ctesiphon; and since he had been instructed by the Caliph
to "fight the Persians", Khalid decided to eliminate this
force also. He marched to Firaz. On arrival here in the first week
of December 633 (end of Ramadhan, 12 Hijri), Khalid found two garrisons-a
Persian and a Roman. These garrisons, representing empires which
in the preceding two decades had fought each other in a long and
costly war, now united to battle the Muslims, and were joined in
this purpose by many local Christian Arab clans.
For more than six weeks nothing happened.
The two armies stood and glared at each other across the Euphrates,
the Muslims on the south bank and the Romans and Persians on the
north bank, neither side willing to cross the river. Then, on January
21, 634 (the 15th of Dhul Qad, 12 Hijri) Khalid was able to entice
the allies across the Euphrates onto his side; and their crossing
was hardly complete when he attacked them with his usual speed and
violence. Thousands of them were slain before the rest found safety
in flight.
This was neither a great nor a decisive
battle; nor was the enemy force a very large one, as some early
historians have stated. (No Persian strategist in his senses would
leave a powerful garrison in a peaceful frontier town like Firaz
while Central and Western Iraq was being lost and Ctesiphon itself
was threatened.) Its importance lies only in the fact that it was
the last battle in a brilliant campaign.
Khalid spent the next 10 days at Firaz,
then, on January 31 634, the army left Firaz on its way to Hira.
For this march it was formed into an advance guard, a main body
and a rear guard; and Khalid let it be known that he would travel
with the rear guard. But as the rear guard filed out of Firaz, Khalid
and a few close friends struck out on their own in a southerly direction.
They were off to Makkah, to perform the Pilgrimage which was due
in a fortnight. This was to be a peaceful adventure; almost an escapade!
The actual route taken by Khalid is not
known. All that is known is that he and his comrades traversed a
trackless waste-a difficult and inhospitable region which no guides
knew and into which even bandits feared to enter. 1
But they made it. At Makkah they performed the pilgrimage inconspicuously
to avoid being recognised. Then they rushed back to Iraq. The speed
at which Khalid and his wild, adventurous comrades travelled can
be judged by the fact that the Muslim rear guard had not yet entered
Hira when Khalid rejoined it. He rode into Hira with the rear guard
as if he had been there all the time! Only the commander of the
rear guard had known the secret; but the men did wonder why Khalid
and a few others had shaven heads! 2
Shortly after this adventure, Khalid went
out on another. Tiring of the peace and quiet which now prevailed
in Iraq, he decided to lead a raid in person in the area close to
Ctesiphon. Along with Muthanna he raided the prosperous market of
Baghdad and returned laden with spoils.
1. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 583.
2. It is traditional for Muslims to shave
the head when they perform the pilgrimage.
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