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For the assault he selected
a point where the moat was, narrowest, near the main gate of the
fort. He placed his archers in a position from which they could
shoot at enemy archers on that part of the wall which overlooked
the crossing site, and gave them the task of preventing the enemy
archers from shooting at the moat.
Khalid then ordered the collection of all
the old and weak camels of the army. These jaded animals were led
forward to the edge of the moat and under the covering fire provided
by the Muslim archers, were slaughtered in twos and threes and thrown
into the moat. Rapidly the pile of carcasses rose until it formed
a firm though uneven bridge above the level of the water. Then a
group of Khalid's warriors, on receiving his command, rushed on
to the bridge of flesh and bone and crossed over to the far side
of the moat.
As these warriors prepared to scale the
wall, the gate of the fort opened and a body of Persians sallied
out to drive the Muslims into the moat. There was some vicious fighting
between the two groups, but the Muslims succeeded in repulsing this
counterattack; and the Persians, fearing that the Muslims might
get into the fort by the gate, withdrew hastily and closed the gate
behind them. All this while the Muslim archers kept shooting at
the Persian and Arab archers on the wall, making it impossible for
them to interfere with the bridge-building and the crossing operation.
Khalid was about to order the scaling of the wall when an emissary
of Sheerzad appeared on the gate and delivered another offer from
the governor: he would surrender the fort if the Muslims would let
him and the Persians depart in safety. Khalid took another look
at the wall. He could see that it's scaling and the subsequent fighting
inside the fort would not be easy. So he told the envoy that he
would agree to the terms provided the Persians left all their possessions
behind.
Sheerzad was only too glad to be allowed
to get away, and accepted Khalid's terms with relief. The next day
the Persian soldiers and their families departed for Ctesiphon and
the Muslims entered the fort. The Christian Arabs laid down their
arms and agreed to pay the Jizya. This happened in the second week
of July 633 (end of Rabi-ul-Akhir, 12 Hijri). Over the next few
days, Khalid received the submission of all the clans living in
the neighbourhood of Anbar.
Sheerzad journeyed with the Persian garrison
to Ctesiphon, where he was severely rebuked by Bahman. Like any
ineffective commander, Sheerzad blamed his troops-in this case the
Christian Arabs. "I was among a people who have no sense,"
he lamented, "and whose roots are among the Arabs."
1
Khalid appointed an administrator over Anbar,
and then once again set out with the army. He recrossed the Euphrates
and marched south. As he neared Ain-ut-Tamr, he found a purely Arab
army deployed across his path in battle array.
Ain-ut-Tamr was a large town surrounded
by date plantations, and is believed to have been named after its
dates: Ain-ut-Tamr means Spring of Dates. 2
Garrisoned by Persian soldiers and Arab auxiliaries, this town was
in a much stronger position than Anbar to oppose the advance of
Khalid. The Persian commander of Ain-ut-Tamr was Mahran bin Bahram
Jabeen who was not only an able general but also a wily politician.
The Persian garrison of Ain-ut-Tamr was larger, and the Arabs here
belonged to the proud, fierce tribe of Namr which considered itself
second to none. And there were Christian Arab clans which joined
the Namr to put up a united front against the Muslims. The commander
of all the Arabs was a renowned chief, Aqqa bin Abi Aqqa.
When Arab scouts brought word of the Muslims
marching from Anbar in the direction of Ain-ut-Tamr, Aqqa went to
the Persian commander. "Arabs know best how to fight Arabs."
he said. "Let me deal with Khalid."
Mahran nodded agreement. "True",
he observed wisely. "You know better how to fight Arabs.
And when it comes to fighting non-Arabs you are like us." 3
1. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 575.
2. Ain-ut-Tamr, of which nothing remains
but a spring, was located 10 miles west-north-west of the present
Shisasa. Shisasa is also called Ain-ut-Tamr these days, but the
original Spring of Dates was situated as indicated above.
3. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 576.
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