Battle of the Bridge

Overview

The Battle of the Bridge or the Battle of al-Jisr was fought at the bank of the Euphrates between Arab Muslims, led by Abu Ubayd al-Thaqafi, and the Persian Sasanians, led by Bahman Jaduya. It is traditionally dated to the year 634 and was the only major Sasanian victory over the Rashidun Caliphate army.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of the Bridge, fought on the bank of the Euphrates between Rashidun Caliphate forces under Abu Ubayd al-Thaqafi and a Sasanian army under Bahman Jadhuyih, stands as the only major Sasanian victory over the Rashidun Caliphate during the Muslim conquest of Persia. Rashidun casualties of 6,000–7,000 from a force estimated between 6,000 and 10,000 indicate that the Caliphate army suffered devastating losses, making this engagement an exceptional reversal within a campaign that otherwise proceeded largely in the Rashidun favor. The Sasanian force of approximately 10,000 matched or exceeded the Arab strength, and the outcome demonstrated that the Sasanian Empire retained the capacity to inflict a significant defeat on its Arab opponents despite the broader trajectory of the conflict running against it.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)