Sa'id ibn Uthman's Siege of Samarqand

حصار سمرقند في أيام سعيد بن عثمان

Sa'id ibn Uthman marched on Samarqand with the Khatun's Bukhara levies, camped at its gate, and swore not to stir until it opened and he had thrown down its qahandaz. Three days' fighting — fiercest on the third — cost him an eye and cost al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra his (or the Muhallab's eye went at Talaqan); the foe slackened, wounds telling, when a man guided Sa'id to a castle holding their kings' sons and nobles — besieged, the city feared its storm and sued: seven hundred thousand dirhams, hostages of their nobles' sons — fifteen, or forty, or eighty — and his right to enter the city and leave by the other gate. He loosed a stone at the qahandaz and it lodged in its loophole; then he withdrew, and at Tirmidh the Khatun's suit won another sulh.

Overview

Al-Baladhuri relates that Sa'id ibn Uthman raided Samarqand, and Khatun helped him with the people of Bukhara. The matter ended in a peace for seven hundred thousand dirhams. ¹

The fighting

Sa'id camped at the gate of Samarqand and swore that he would not leave until he took it and threw down its citadel. Its people fought him for three days, and the fiercest fighting was on the third day. His eye and the eye of al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra were struck. Al-Baladhuri gives another account that al-Muhallab's eye was struck at Taliqan. ¹

The peace

A man showed him a palace where the sons of their kings and their great men were, and he besieged them. The people of the city feared that the palace would be taken by force, and asked for peace. He made peace with them for seven hundred thousand dirhams and hostages from their great men's sons, and on condition that he enter the city and leave by the other gate. The number of hostages was fifteen, or it is said forty, or eighty. He threw a stone at the citadel; the stone stuck in its window, and then he departed. ¹

The date needs an additional source.

Sa'id ibn Uthman and the Bukhara Host

Mu'awiya gave Khurasan to Sa'id ibn Uthman ibn Affan — the first to cross the river with his whole army, and with him Rufay' Abu al-Aliya al-Riyahi ('Rufay' Abu al-Aliya: elevation and height'). The Khatun, hearing of his crossing, sued for peace; yet the Sughd, Turks, Kish and Nasaf — that is Nakhshab — came against him at a hundred and twenty thousand, meeting at Bukhara as the Khatun regretted her tribute and broke covenant. A slave of Sa'id's detached part of the host, the rest broke, and the Khatun gave hostages and renewed the peace — and Sa'id entered Bukhara's city.

Sa'id ibn Uthman's Siege of Samarqand

At a glance

In space

Overview

The fighting

The peace

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

Time

Sa'id ibn Uthman and the Bukhara Host