The Battle of al-Asnam (Arabic: معركة الأصنام) 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.
| Battle of al-Asnam | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Berber Revolt | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Umayyad Caliphate | Berber insurgents | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Handhala ibn Safwan al-Kalbi | Abd al-Wahid ibn Yazid al-Hawwari † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 10,000 men[1] | 300,000 men[1] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 180,000 killed[2] | ||||||
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.[1] 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.[1] 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.[1][4][5] Handhala reported the victory to Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, who was delighted to hear the news.[2][6][7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f al-Nuwayri, p. 33.
- ^ a b al-Nuwayri, p. 34.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Ahmad ibn Khalid an-Nasiri, al-Istiqsa li-Akhbar duwal al-Maghrib al-Aqsa Vol I, p. 169 [1]
- ^ Ibn 'Idhari, Kitāb al-bayān al-mughrib fī akhbār al-Andalus wa-al-Maghrib, Vol I, p.89 [2]
- ^ an-Nasiri, p. 170
- ^ Ibn 'Idhari, p. 90
Sources
- al-Nuwayri, Shihab al-Din. Nihāyat al-arab fī funūn al-adab (in Arabic).