the conquest of Khurasan (30 AH)

Name: the conquest of Khurasan (30 AH)
Start: 0650

فتح خراسان

650 CE · 30 AH

Khurasan under 'Abdallah ibn 'Amir with al-Ahnaf ibn Qays in the van: the Tabasayn — Khurasan's gates — and Quhistan bought peace at 600,000 dirhams; al-Aswad ibn Kulthum the ascetic died at Bayhaq's breach and was left unburied by his own wish («raise me from the bellies of beast and bird«); Nishapur was let in at night through a quarter-master's treachery, its grand marzban ransoming all at a million dirhams; Herat a million, Marw 2,200,000. At Tukharistan al-Ahnaf made peace on condition a Muslim enter the fortress, give the adhan there and stay till he marched out — then wrenched the lance from the king of Sughaniyan's hand as he charged ¹.

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In time

The Rashidun Caliphate

Overview

Khurasan was conquered under 'Abd Allah b. 'Amir: when its people repudiated the treaty after 'Umar's death, he marched with al-Ahnaf b. Qays in the vanguard. The two Tabas — gates of Khurasan and Quhistan — surrendered for six hundred thousand dirhams; Zam, Bakharz and Juwayn fell. Nishapur held out months until one quarter's holder sought terms and let them in by night; its marzban capitulated for a million dirhams and Qays b. al-Haytham took the governorship. Herat's marzban settled for a million, Marw's for two million two hundred thousand. Al-Ahnaf pushed to Tukharistan and besieged Rustaq Suwanjar until they surrendered on condition a Muslim caller give the adhan in the palace and stay until the army withdrew ².

Connections

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Occurred at: Mihrajan (Khurasan)
Had participant: Abd Allah ibn Amir· al-Ahnaf ibn Qays

People and things also explored

Ibn Amir's Opening of Khurasan· Balkh's Sulh and al-Ahnaf's Khwarizm March· al-Ahnaf's Petition to Umar for Basra· al-Ahnaf's Sulh at Qasr al-Ahnaf and Marw al-Rudh· al-Ahnaf's Battle in Tukharistan· al-Aqra' ibn Habis Takes Juzjan· The Conquest of Isbahan· Conquest of Jur

Sources

al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir , p. 493-495
al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “the conquest of Khurasan (30 AH)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/conquest-of-khurasan/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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Ibn Amir's Opening of Khurasan

Ibn Amir invaded Khurasan in 30h — Ziyad over Basra, al-Ahnaf ibn Qays (or Ibn Khazim) on the van — confirmed the Tabasayn sulh, routed the Hayatila at Quhistan and took it by force, or reduced them to their fort and truced at six hundred thousand; Mu'ammar says the marcher was Umair ibn al-Ahmar, and it is Sukar ibn Wa'il's land. Yazid al-Jarrashi took Zam, Bakharz and Juwayn with captives; the ascetic al-Aswad ibn Kulthum — Adi al-Ribab — broke into Bayhaq through a wall-breach and fell with his band when the foe held it, Adham ibn Kathum then winning the town; al-Aswad, who had prayed to rise from the bellies of beasts and birds, was left unburied by his brother while his companions were buried. Ibn Amir took Basht, Ashband, Rukh, Zawa, Khuwaf, Asbara'in and Arghiyan.