Battle of Yarmouk - Reasons for Muslim Victory Against Byzantines

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The battle of Yarmouk is regarded as the decisive battle for the Muslim conquest of Syria. The victory of the Arab army in Yarmouk (located in today’s Jordan) was a major blow to the Byzantine Empire as it ensured the eradication of Byzantine rule in the entire Levant region.

The battle was fought in 636 AD between the invading forces of the Islamic Caliphate against the Byzantine Army, aided by their Arabian mercenaries. Byzantines outnumbered Muslim forces by a large number (around 150,000 as compared to 15,000 Muslims). Preparations for Byzantine forces were complete as they were well aware of the consequences of their defeat. On the other hand, Muslims also gathered their scattered armies for this important battle.

Importance of the Battle of Yarmouk

The reasons for such great preparations by both forces were due to the extreme significance of the Battle of Yarmouk. The importance of this battle was due to the following reasons:

  • Before this battle, the Muslims had already conquered a vast area of the Levant (almost the entire area of today’s Syria). Now, the Byzantine Empire was in a desperate situation to reverse these gains by Muslims. It tried to do so by utilizing its entire force in the Battle of Yarmouk.
  • Muslims were well aware that victory in this battle would not only consolidate their gains against the Byzantines but also allow them to easily annex the Levant and Palestine. This is why they abandoned all the captured areas in Syria and amassed their troops for the Battle of Yarmouk.
  • The Byzantine Empire was aware that after losing Syria and the Levant, it would be difficult for them to control Egypt and North Africa. The Battle of Yarmouk was their last chance to protect their Asian and African areas from invading Muslims.

The outcome of the battle was ideal for the Rashidun Caliphate and disastrous for the Byzantine Empire. The battle ended with almost destruction of the Byzantine Army. This not only established Muslim hegemony in Syria and the Levant but also made it possible for them to conquer Jerusalem and Egypt in a very short time.

Reasons for Muslim victory in the Battle of Yarmouk

There are several reasons behind the success of the Muslim Arab Army and the failure of Byzantine and its allies. Few factors played a vital role in the outcome of the battle.

Leadership Qualities

The belligerents were led by their best generals in this major battle. Khalid bin Walid had already proved his military leadership skills in the Ridda Wars, the Conquest of Mesopotamia, and initial battles against Byzantines. He is known for using different tactics according to the situation of battle. He used his infantry, cavalry, and mobile guard effectively and prevented two major attacks of the Byzantines on the 2nd and 3rd day of battle.

His plan to invade the enemy on the last day was also comprehensive. He managed to quickly defeat the already desperate enemy and also block their retreat. This resulted in the near-complete destruction of the Roman army.  

Ikrimah’s Brave Attack

During the 4th day of battle, the Byzantine attack on the Muslim left flank was extremely severe. The intense archery by Byzantine horse archers prevented the advance of the Muslim left flank. At that time, this last effort was looking to get momentum as Muslim armies were in the retreat. Many among them also lost their eyes. But at this crucial time, Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl (Khalid’s cousin and a notable military commander) took a brave step.

Instead of retreating during the large Byzantine attack, he stormed the invading army with 400 cavalrymen under his command. This resulted in the death or wounding of most of his men (Ikrimah also died of his wounds later). But this move also halted the Byzantines and prevented the collapse of the Muslim left flank. This great sacrifice and bravery by Ikrimah and his soldiers foiled the last major effort of the Byzantine army and paved the way for a successful counterattack by Muslims.

Choosing the Wrong Location

An important factor that prevented the safer retreat of Byzantine forces and their destruction at the hands of Muslims was the location they chose to fight. The Byzantine army was surrounded by rivers, streams, and hills. There was just one major escape root over the bridge that was also occupied by their adversaries the night before the last day of battle. This location made it almost impossible for them to regroup their troops after defeat. Several of their troops perished in rivers, streams, and after falling from high terrain.

Mistrust Among Byzantine Ranks

The Byzantine army was a mixture of Romans, Greeks, Slavs, Arabs, and Armenians. There was a sense of mistrust and envy among their soldiers and a struggle for power between commanders of various factions. This enmity and mistrust were further enhanced after the failure of their initial attacks.

Complete Annihilation of the Byzantine Army

An important strategy of Khalid was not to defeat the enemy but to annihilate it. This happened in the Battle of Yarmouk as well. He initially blocked all routes of retreat for the Byzantine army. Many of them were either killed by Muslims or drowned in the river.

Later after the retreat of field commander Vahan and his remaining troops, Khalid didn’t let them reorganize. He immediately attacked these remaining forces near Damascus. It resulted in the death of Vahan and almost all of his troops. This strategy worked tremendously and solidified the Muslim capture of Syria and Levant and made the victory of the battle of Yarmouk a decisive one.

Waiting for the Persian support

Despite their long-standing differences and enmity, Byzantines and Sassanid Persians were aware of the challenge by the united and religiously motivated Islamic Caliphate. It is the reason they decided to assist each other in difficult times. Byzantines supported Persians during the Battle of Firaz (the last major battle of Khalid bin Walid in Mesopotamia).

The Persians also offered their support for the Byzantines before the start of the Battle of Yarmouk. Vahan (Byzantine field commander) delayed any major advance at the initial stages of the battle while hoping for Persian support. However, the Sassanid Empire was already dealing with invading Muslim armies and was not in a position to assist Byzantine. These initially delayed tactics proved disastrous for the Byzantines. 

Dust-laden Wind on the Last Day

Byzantines remained on the offensive in the battle during the first 4 days. The major Muslim invasion came on the last 6th day of the battle. There are several reports that Muslims were aided by gusts of winds on that day. These winds (blown from the direction of Muslims to Byzantine) made it difficult for the Byzantine army to stand against the invading forces. The Byzantines were already desperate due to their failed invasions and surprise attacks by the numerically inferior Muslim army. This new problem ensured their failure and forced them to retreat.

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