Iyad's Incursion toward Khilat

دخول إياد الدرب إلى خلاط

c. January 640 CE · Muharram 20 AH

In al-Baladhuri: Iyad took Amid without fighting on the like of al-Ruha's treaty, Mayyafariqin likewise, the fortress of Kafr Tuta, Nasibin after fighting on the like of al-Ruha's terms, Tur Abdin and the fortress of Mardin with Dara likewise, and Qarda and Bazabda on the like of Nasibin's terms — and the patrician of al-Zawzan came to him compounding for his land at a tribute, all in year 19 and days of Muharram year 20; then he marched to Arzan, taking it on Nasibin's terms, entered the pass to Badlis, crossed to Khilat and compounded with its patrician, reached al-Ayn al-Hamida of Armenia which he did not cross, and returning held Badlis's lord guarantor for the kharaj of Khilat, its dependencies and its patrician's lands, then withdrew to al-Raqqa and went to Hims — Umar having given it to him — where he died in year 20.

Depth

At a glance

Era: The Rashidun Caliphate
Region: Levant & Iraq
Review: Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

In time

The Prophetic Era · The Rashidun Caliphate

Overview

Al-Baladhuri lists the lands that Iyad ibn Ghanm conquered in al-Jazira and the borders of Armenia, in 19 AH and days of Muharram 20 AH. It is part of the conquest of al-Jazira. ¹

The conquests

He took Amid and Mayyafariqin without fighting, on the same terms as al-Ruha. He took Nasibin after fighting, then the Tur of Abdin, Mardin and Dara. The patrician of al-Zuzan came to him and made peace with him for a tribute. ²

Toward Khilat

He marched to Arzan and took it, entered the pass and reached Bdlis, crossed to Khilat and made peace with its patrician. Then he returned. The lord of Bdlis guaranteed the land tax of Khilat. He went back to Raqqa and then Homs, and died there in 20 AH. ¹

Connections

Explore the connections

Part of: The Conquest of the Jazira
Had participant: Iyad ibn Ghanm al-Fihri

People and things also explored

The Conquest of Harran· The Conquest of al-Raqqa· The Conquest of Edessa (al-Ruha)· The Conquest of the Jazira· Iyad ibn Ghanm al-Fihri· The Conquest of Antioch· The Conquest of Hit and the Euphrates Forts· The Taking and Settling of Mar'ash

Sources

Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition) , p.242
Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition) , p.241

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Iyad's Incursion toward Khilat”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/iyad-incursion-into-armenia/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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The Conquest of Harran

In al-Baladhuri: Iyad marched on Harran, halting at Ajda and sending his vanguard ahead — its people shut the gates against them, and when he invested it the Harranian faction among them sent word that they held part of the city and asked him to make for al-Ruha so they could compound with him secretly and leave him and the Christians apart; the Christians heard, consented to what the Harranians offered and outbid it, so he went to al-Ruha whose people had gathered, shot at the Muslims a while, sent out their fighters whom the Muslims routed back into the city, and soon sued for peace and aman; another report has Iyad finding Harran empty — its people removed to al-Ruha — so when al-Ruha fell they compounded for their city from within it on the like of its treaty; he compounded with Harran on the like of al-Ruha's terms, they opened its gates, he set a man over it and went on to Sumaysat where Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal and Habib ibn Maslama held villages and forts, its people compounding likewise — Sumaysat later apostatised and he returned and besieged it till he took it — and he came to Saruj, Ra's Kayfa and the White Land, mastering its land and compounding with its fort-dwellers on al-Ruha's terms.