Battle of Ullais - The Decisive Rashidun Battle to Capture Persian Iraq

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The battle of Ullais was an important battle during the Muslim conquest of Persia. The battle was fought in Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq) near the Euphrates River. This is one of the bloodiest battles of the Muslim conquest of Persia. Almost the entire Persian army and its Arab-Christian supporters perished during the battle. The color of the river became red with the blood of Persian troops and their Arab allies. It is the reason that the battle is also known as “The Battle of Blood River.”

Background

Battle of Ullais was the last of the 4 battles that were fought in the first two months (April and May 633) of the Muslim campaign against Persia. Muslims remained victorious in all previous battles: Battle of Chains (April 633), Battle of River (April 633), and Battle of Walaja. The purpose of this initial engagement was to capture Hirah, the Persian provincial capital of Iraq.

Like previous campaigns, Arab Christian tribes were assisting Sassanians in this battle. These tribes managed to regroup after defeat in all previous battles. Persian Empire sent a large number of troops to halt Muslim advances after their initial defeat in 3 previous engagements. The Arab Christian tribesmen gathered at Ullais, located between the Euphrates and River Khaseef (a tributary of the Euphrates River). Here at this place, Persian forces joined them.

Battle

Legendary Muslim general Khalid bin Walid was commanding the Muslim army in this battle. He initially tried to defeat Arab Christians before the arrival of the Persian imperial army. But he failed to do so. Later, Khalid started the battle soon after approaching Ullais to prevent Persians from the organization of their troops and devising a war strategy. According to sources, the number of the Muslim army was 18,000 while their adversaries were anywhere between 35,000 and 70,000.

The battle started with a duel where Khalid killed Arab Christian commander Abdul Aswad. Later, both armies engaged in a bloody fight that continued the whole day. Persians tried their best to overcome their opponents. They fought bravely till the end and it is also recognized by Muslim historians. A statement from Khalid bin Walid also testifies that it was one of the most difficult battles he ever fought.

But despite all these efforts, numerical superiority, and bravery, Persians failed to subdue Muslim forces. Towards the end of the day, the panic became visible in the Persian flanks and they tried to retreat. At this moment, the Arab Muslim army invaded the retreating Persians with full force, which resulted in the annihilation of almost the entire Persian army and their allied Arab tribes.

Reasons for Muslim victory

Despite being heavily outnumbered by Persians and their Arab allies, Muslims achieved a decisive victory in the Battle of Ullais. It was an important and somewhat decisive battle for control of the Sassanid provincial capital of Al Hira. It is the reason that both armies fought vigorously but it ended with Muslim victory.

The following are important reasons that made this battle a memorable Muslim victory during their campaign against Persia.

  1. Muslim commander Khalid bin Walid had already proved his military leadership skills during his previous encounters with the Persians. He had defeated them in three battles in less than two months. The Persians and their Arab allies were already nervous and afraid of Khalid bin Walid.
  2. Persian emperor sent his military general Jadyua to fight against Muslim forces in this all-important battle. But he returned to Ctesiphon while the emperor was ill and sent a relatively inexperienced commander, Jaban, for the battle. The absence of a more experienced commander and his replacement with an inexperienced one made it easier for a commander like Khalid bin Walid to tackle the numerically superior army rather easily.
  3. Khalid initially tried to start the battle against Arab Christian tribes before they could get support from Persians. After failing in this purpose, he successfully prevented Persians from organizing their troops. He made a battle plan by starting the battle soon after their arrival. According to reports, Persians were preparing for a meal when they had to go to battle. That was very much a shock and surprising move that played its role in the defeat of Persian forces.
  4. Muslims gained a psychological advantage when Khalid killed the Arab Christian leader in a duel. Losing their commander even before the start of the main battle was very disappointing, especially for Arab Christians.
  5. Persian army fought bravely but could not defeat a well-organized and battle-hardened Muslim army. By the end of the day, they were disappointed and tried to retreat towards their capital Hira. In the process, they were chased and hunted down by Muslims. Almost the whole military lost their lives.

Importance of the Battle of Ullais

The Battle of Ullais proved to be the decisive battle for the first campaign of the Arab Muslim army to capture Al-Hirah, the capital of the Persian province of Iraq. After losing this battle, Persians were quick to surrender the city of Hirah without much bloodshed during the “Battle of Hira” (May 633). This war effectively ended the rule of Sassanid Persians from their province of Iraq and it came under the sovereignty of the Rashidun Caliphate.

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