Battle of al-Asnam
Part of the Berber Revolt
Date742
Location
Chlef, Algeria
Result Umayyad victory
Belligerents
Umayyad Caliphate Berber insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi Abd al-Wahid ibn Yazid al-Hawwari †
Strength
10,000 men 300,000 men
Casualties and losses
Unknown 180,000 killed

The Battle of al-Asnam was a military engagement between the Umayyad governor of Ifriqya, Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi, and the Sufrite Berber insurgents led by Abd al-Wahid ibn Yazid al-Hawwari. The Umayyads decisively defeated the Berber army, saving Kairouan and Ifriqiya from the Berbers rebels.

Background

In 742 AD, a large two-Berber army marched to attack Kairouan, one led by Oqasha ibn Ayub al-Fezari and the other by Abd al-Wahid ibn Yazid al-Hawwari. Urgent to meet Oqasha on the battlefield, Handhala dispatched an army of 40,000 cavalry led by a Lakhmite to meet Abd al-Wahid, and fought for a month before they were defeated and lost half of their army.[1] Handhala defeated Oqasha at the battle of al-Qarn and executed him, but withdrew after suffering heavy casualties and prepared for Abd al-Wahid. In Kairouan, Handhala recruited the inhabitants and armed them, and raised around 5,000 infantry and 5,000 archers.[2] Handhala also dug a trench around the city, and is said to have wanted to retreat and write to the caliph for reinforcements after seeing the size of Oqasha's army.[3]

Battle

Handhala marched to meet the Berbers in a place called al-Asnam in the Chelif River. The Berbers had a large army of around 300,000 men under Abd al-Wahid.[4] The Arab left flank was overwhelmed by the Berber right flank and was soon to break, however the Arabs defeated the Berber left and the center. It wasn't long before the Arab left flank regained its position and repulsed the Berbers, killing many of them in the battle. Abd al-Wahid's army was slaughtered.[3] 180,000 Berbers were killed, including Abd al-Wahid. Abd al-Wahid's body was found and his head was decapitated and shown to Handhala.[5][6][7] Handhala reported the victory to Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, who was delighted to hear the news.[8][9][10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Al-Nuwayri, Nihāyat al-arab fī funūn al-adab, Vol XXIV, p. 33
  2. ↑ Al-Nuwayri, p. 33
  3. 1 2 Blankinship, Khalid Yahya (1994-06-28). The End of the Jihâd State: The Reign of Hishām Ibn ʿAbd al-Malik and the Collapse of the Umayyads. State University of New York Press. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-7914-9683-1.
  4. ↑ Al-Nuwayri, p. 33
  5. ↑ Al-Nuwayri, p. 33-3
  6. ↑ Ahmad ibn Khalid an-Nasiri, al-Istiqsa li-Akhbar duwal al-Maghrib al-Aqsa Vol I, p. 169
  7. ↑ Ibn 'Idhari, Kitāb al-bayān al-mughrib fī akhbār al-Andalus wa-al-Maghrib, Vol I, p.89
  8. ↑ Al-Nuwayri, p. 34
  9. ↑ an-Nasiri, p. 170
  10. ↑ Ibn 'Idhari, p. 90
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