Battle of the Yarmuk

Battle of Yarmouk

battle

Part of	Muslim conquest of Syria
Ein location	Yarmouk River
Located in/on physical feature	Yarmouk River
Coordinate location	32°48′51″N 35°57′17″E
Tym dem start	15 August 636
End tym	20 August 636

De Battle of the Yarmuk (dem sanso spell Yarmouk; ) be a major battle between de Byzantine Empire den de Rashidun Caliphate near de Yarmouk River insyd Byzantine Syria wey mark a crucial point insyd de Muslim conquest of Syria. De result of de battle be a decisive Arab victory wey effectively end Byzantine rule insyd Syria.

De battle consist of a series of engagements wey last for six days insyd August 636, near de Yarmouk River (dem call de Hieromykes River by de Greeks), along wat now be de borders between Syria den Jordan den Syria den Israel, southeast of de Sea of Galilee. To check de Arab advance den to recover lost territory, Emperor Heraclius send a massive expedition to de Levant insyd May 636. As de Byzantine army approach, de Arabs tactically withdraw from Syria wey dem regroup all dema forces at de Yarmuk plains close to de Arabian Peninsula, wer dem be reinforced, wey dem defeat de numerically superior Byzantine army.

Dem dey regard de Battle of de Yarmuk as one of de most decisive battles insyd military history. E sanso be Khalid ibn al-Walid ein greatest military victory wey cement ein reputation as one of de greatest tacticians den cavalry commanders insyd history. De battle mark de culmination of de first great wave of early Muslim conquests after de death of de Islamic prophet Muhammad, wich witness de rapid advance of de Rashidun Caliphate into both de Sasanian Empire den de Byzantine Empire.

Background

Insyd 610, during de Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628, Heraclius cam be de emperor of de Byzantine Empire, after overthrowing Phocas. Meanwhile, de Sasanian Empire conquer Mesopotamia den insyd 611 dem overrun Syria wey dem enter Anatolia, occupying Caesarea Mazaca (now Kayseri, Turkey). Insyd 612, Heraclius manage to expel de Persians from Anatolia buh decisively be defeated insyd 613 wen he launch a major offensive insyd Syria against de Persians. Over de following decade, de Persians be able to conquer Palestine den Egypt. Meanwhile, Heraclius prepare give a counterattack wey he rebuild ein army.

Insyd 622, Heraclius finally launch ein offensive. After ein overwhelming victories over de Persians den dema allies insyd de Caucasus den Armenia, Heraclius launch a winter offensive against de Persians insyd Mesopotamia insyd 627, wey he win a decisive victory at de Battle of Nineveh, thus threatening de Persian capital city of Ctesiphon. Discredited by de series of disasters, dem overthrow den kill Khosrow II insyd a coup wey ein son Kavad II lead, wey immediately sue for peace den agree to withdraw from all occupied territories of de Byzantine Empire. Heraclius restore de True Cross to Jerusalem plus a majestic ceremony insyd 629.

Meanwhile, na der be rapid political development insyd de Arabian Peninsula, wer Muhammad dey preach Islam den, by 630, successfully annex chaw of Arabia under a single political authority. Wen Muhammad die insyd June 632, dem choose Abu Bakr as caliph den ein political successor. Troubles emerge soon after Abu Bakr ein succession, wey several Arab tribes openly revolt against am. He declare war against de rebels. Insyd wat cam be known as de Ridda Wars of 632–633, Abu Bakr manage to defeat ein opponents wey he unite Arabia under de central authority of de caliph at Medina.

Topographical den strategic map of de Battle of Yarmouk (636 CE), wey dey depict key locations, Roman den Muslim troop positions, roads, rivers, den terrain features. Based on historical sources, wey dey include Syvänne (2019), Kaegi (1992), den GIS data.

  Rashidun Army

  Current Geographical Boundary

  Byzantine army

  Yarmuk River

Map wey dey detail de Rashidun Caliphate ein invasion of de Levant

External links

• Yarmouk in Sword of Allah at GrandeStrategy by A. I. Akram
• Battle of Yarmuk, 636