Battle of Walaja

This article is about a battle during the Arab invasion of Persia. For the Palestinian village south of Jerusalem, see al-Walaja.
Battle of Walaja
Part of the Islamic conquest of Persia
Campaigns of Khalid ibn al-Walid

Map showing the region in Iraq where Battle of Walaja was fought.
DateMay 633
Location
Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)
Result Rashidun Caliphate victory[1]
Belligerents
Rashidun Caliphate Sasanian Empire,
Christian Arab allies
Commanders and leaders
Khalid ibn al-Walid Andarzaghar †
Bahman Jadhuyih
Strength
15,000[2] 15,000–30,000[3][page needed][4]
Casualties and losses
~2,000+[3][page needed] 20,000[3][page needed]

The Battle of Walaja (Arabic: معركة الولجة) was fought in Mesopotamia (Iraq) in May 633 between the Rashidun Caliphate army under Khalid ibn al-Walid and Al-Muthanna ibn Haritha against the Sassanid Empire and its Arab allies.

Khalid defeated the Sasanian forces by using a variation of the double envelopment tactical manoeuvre, similar to the manoeuvre that Hannibal had used to defeat the Roman forces at the Battle of Cannae.

  1. ^ Crawford, Peter (2013-07-16). The War of the Three Gods: Romans, Persians and the Rise of Islam. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-4738-2865-0. Perhaps only the defeat at Walaja and the fall of Hira saw to it that Yazdgerd and his generals began to take the business of the Arabs more seriously.
  2. ^ Akram 1970, p. 158.
  3. ^ a b c Akram 1970.
  4. ^ Crawford 2013, p. 104.