Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
Al-Qadisiyyah, Sasanian Empire
What happened
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas commanded the Arab Muslim army of the Rashidun Caliphate, with al-Qa'qa ibn Amr playing a key part in the fighting, against the Sasanian Persian army led by its commander-in-chief Rostam Farrokhzad. An Arab army met the army of the Sasanian Persian Empire on the west bank of a branch of the Euphrates River, in what is now Iraq. For four days the two sides fought with archers, horsemen and even elephants, and neither side could win. On the last day the Persian commander Rostam fell, and the Persian army broke and retreated.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The victory opened the way for the Arab conquest of Persia. It marked the end of the Sasanian dynasty and the beginning of Arab and Islamic rule in Persia.
What came next
The Persian capital, Ctesiphon, fell in March 637. The last Sasanian emperor, Yazdegerd III, fell in 651, and his dynasty ended.
Did you know?
In 2024, researchers found the likely site of the battle by studying old, once-secret satellite photographs.
Timeline
- 16 November 636The fighting begins near al-Qadisiyyah.
- 19 November 636On the fourth day Rostam falls and the Persian army retreats.
- March 637The Sasanian capital, Ctesiphon, falls.
- 651Yazdegerd III, the last Sasanian emperor, dies, ending the dynasty.