The Conquest of Hamadhan

فتح همذان

In al-Baladhuri: al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba — Umar's Kufa agent after Ammar ibn Yasir (may God be pleased with him)'s dismissal — sent Jarir ibn Abdallah al-Bajali to Hamadhan in year 23; its people fought him and held him off, and his eye was struck by an arrow — 'I have counted it with God who beautified my face with it, lit what He willed for me, then took it from me in His cause.' He then took Hamadhan on Nihawand's treaty terms, late in year 23; its people fought and resisted again, and he mastered their land, taking it by force. Al-Waqidi dates Jarir's conquest of Hamadhan to year 24, six months after Umar's death; some relate that al-Mughira himself marched with Jarir on the vanguard, annexing Hamadhan to Kathir ibn Shihab al-Harithi. When Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas governed Kufa for Uthman he made al-Ala ibn Wahb ibn Abd ibn Wahban, of Banu Amir ibn Lu'ayy, governor of Mah and Hamadhan — Hamadhan's people broke faith; he fought them until they submitted to his judgment, and he made peace on their paying the land's kharaj and the heads' jizya plus a hundred thousand dirhams for the Muslims, with no trespass on wealth, honor or children.

Overview

al-Baladhuri relates that al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba sent Jarir al-Bajali to Hamadhan in 23 AH. Its people fought him, and his eye was struck by an arrow. Then he took it on terms like those of Nihawand. ¹

The date

al-Baladhuri says that this was at the end of 23 AH. al-Waqidi says that Jarir conquered Hamadhan in 24 AH, six months after the death of Umar. ¹ Some relate that al-Mughira himself marched to it, with Jarir at his vanguard.

The breach and the treaty

When Sa'd became governor of Kufa for Uthman, he appointed al-Ala' ibn Wahb over Mah and Hamadhan. The people of Hamadhan broke the covenant, and then they came down under his judgement. He made peace with them for the kharaj of their land, the jizya per head, and a hundred thousand dirhams, and then no one was to be molested in their property, their sanctity or their children. ¹

The Conquest of Isbahan

In al-Baladhuri: Umar sent Abdallah ibn Budayl ibn Warqa' al-Khuza'i to Isbahan in year 23 — or wrote Abu Musa ordering his dispatch — and Abdallah took Jayy by treaty after fighting: its people to pay kharaj and jizya, secured in their persons and wealth save the arms in their hands; al-Ahnaf ibn Qays of his army was sent to al-Yahudiyya, which treated on the same terms, and Ibn Budayl mastered Isbahan's land and tasasij, governing until a year of Uthman's caliphate passed, when Uthman made al-Sa'ib ibn al-Aqra' governor. Ibn Ishaq relates that Isbahan's marzban, an old man called al-Fadhusfan, was besieged and the cityfolk betrayed him; choosing thirty trusted archers he slipped out toward Kirman to join Yazdgard. Word reached Ibn Budayl who pursued with heavy horse; the Persian turned on a height: 'hold yourself — not one of you drops without an arrow; charge and we shoot; or grant us a champion and we will duel.' They duelled — a blow fell on his saddle-bow breaking it and cutting the girth-straps — then Ibn Budayl said: 'I would not love your death, for I see you wise and brave; what say you to returning with me that I treat with you for your townspeople's jizya — who stays is dhimmi, who flees is unmolested — and you surrender the city?' He returned, opened Jayy and kept his word, saying 'O people of Isbahan, I saw you slackening for days — you earned what I did to you.' Ibn Budayl traversed Isbahan's plain and mountain, mastering it, treating its kharaj as al-Ahwaz had been treated — the conquest falling in parts of years 23 and 24. Another version has Umar sending Ibn Budayl to join Abu Musa — Qumm and Qashan taken — and together raiding Isbahan, al-Ahnaf on Abu Musa's vanguard, both taking al-Yahudiyya then Jayy, mastering the land — the soundest report being Abu Musa took Qumm and Qashan and Ibn Budayl Jayy and al-Yahudiyya. Isbahan's nobles held strongholds at Jafrabadh in Greater al-Thaymara rustaq at Bahjawarsan and a fortress called Marbin; when Jayy fell they entered obedience paying kharaj, and scorning the jizya, they embraced Islam.

The Conquest of Hamadhan

At a glance

Overview

The date

The breach and the treaty

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

Time

The Conquest of Isbahan