The Death of al-Jarrah at Ardabil

استشهاد الجرّاح بأردبيل

c. 730 CE · c. 112 AH

In al-Baladhuri: al-Jarrah compounded with the people of Hamzin to transfer them to Khizan, giving them two of its villages, fell upon the people of Ghumik taking captives, returned to Shakki and wintered his army at Bardha'a and al-Baylaqan; the Khazars then surged across the Rass, and he gave them battle in the Warthan desert, whence they fell back toward Ardabil — he engaged them four farsakhs from Armenia's edge, they fought three days, and he was martyred with those with him; that river was named Nahr al-Jarrah, and a bridge upon it was likewise ascribed to him.

Overview

al-Baladhuri relates that al-Jarrah, governor of Armenia, fought the Khazars for three days near Ardabil, and he and his companions were killed. ¹

The account

al-Jarrah made peace with the people of Hamzin, on condition that they be moved to Khayzan, and he attacked the people of Ghumik, took captives from them, and then dispersed his army at Barda'a and al-Baylaqan. The Khazars surged up, crossed the Ras, and then withdrew toward Ardabil. He met them four parasangs away on the side toward Armenia, and they fought for three days. The river was named the River of al-Jarrah, and a bridge was named after it. ¹

Dating

The event took place in al-Jarrah's governorship, perhaps around 112 AH, and the Gregorian conversion is derived. The date needs an additional source.

The Taking of Qaliqala and the Opening of Armenia

In al-Baladhuri: when Uthman ibn Affan acceded he wrote to Mu'awiya — his governor over Syria, the Jazira and their frontier — ordering him to send Habib ibn Maslama al-Fihri to Armenia, Habib having a fine record in Syria's conquests and the Roman wars known to Umar then Uthman and after — or, it is said, and it is the sounder, Uthman wrote to Habib directly ordering the raid — so he marched with six thousand, or eight, of the Syrians and Jazirans to Qaliqala, camped on it, fought its sallying people and drove them into the city, whereupon they sought aman on evacuation and jizya, many departing for Roman lands; Habib stayed months with those with him until word came that the patrikios of the Armeniakoi had gathered a great host joined by auxiliaries of the Alan, the Abkhaz and Samandar of the Khazars, so he wrote Uthman asking him to send men of Syria and the Jazira desiring jihad and spoils, and Mu'awiya sent two thousand men whom he settled in Qaliqala with land-grants as its garrison; the Romans and their allies had come and camped on al-Fudhat — the reinforcements slow to Habib — so the Muslims struck them by night, overran them and killed their great man; Umm Abdallah bint Yazid al-Kalbiyya, Habib's wife, that night asked him 'where is your tryst?' — he answered 'the tyrant's pavilion or Paradise', and when he reached the pavilion he found her there; in al-Waqidi's chain — from Abd al-Hamid ibn Ja'far from his father — Habib besieged Dabil's people, sat on it, and the Roman Maurian met him, night-attacked and killed him and spoiled his camp, whereupon Salman came up — the sounder version with them being that he met him at Qaliqala; and after Qaliqala Habib marched to Mariyala where the patrikios of Khilat came to him bearing Iyad ibn Ghanm's writ — Iyad having given him aman on himself, his wealth and his lands for a tribute — and Habib conveyed it to him.

The Death of al-Jarrah at Ardabil

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Overview

The account

Dating

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Time

The Taking of Qaliqala and the Opening of Armenia