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Battle of the Yarmuk

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The Battle of Yamruk
Datearound 15–20 August 636
Location
In the Golan Heights region, just southeast of the Jordanian Hauran plain.
Result Triumph of the Rashidun forces.
Strength

24,000–40,000
(primary Arab sources)[e]

100,000–200,000
(primary Arab sources)[c]
Casualties and losses
4,000 killed[1] 40,000
(modern estimates)[2]
70,000–120,000 killed
(primary Arab sources)[f]

The Battle of Yarmuk was a significant conflict between the Byzantine Empire[3] and the Arab Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. It took place over six days in August 636, close to the Yarmouk River, near present-day Syria-Jordan and Syria-Israel borders. The outcome was a clear victory for the Muslims, leading to the end of Byzantine control in Syria. This battle is highly regarded for its impact on military history and as the initial major success in early Muslim conquests after the passing of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[4][5]

To counter the advancing Arab forces and reclaim lost territories, Emperor Heraclius organized a significant expedition to the Levant in May 636. As the Byzantine army drew near, the Arab troops tactically withdrew from Syria and regrouped on the Yarmuk plains near the Arabian Peninsula. There, they received reinforcements and effectively defeated the larger Byzantine army. This battle stands as a remarkable achievement for the astute general Khalid ibn al-Walid, showcasing his strategic prowess and leadership of the cavalry. It firmly established his reputation as a prominent historical figure in these capacities.[5]

Strength

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Long ago, records from Arab sources suggest there were about 36,000 to 40,000 Muslim soldiers. If we had Roman accounts, they might say the Byzantine troops were around 60,000 to 70,000. These estimates consider things like how the Roman Empire worked, which wasn't as strong after 628.

For today's experts, they don't all agree. Some think the Byzantine group might have been really big, with maybe 80,000 to even 150,000 soldiers. Others say maybe 15,000 to 20,000[6]. The Muslim Rashidun forces could have been somewhere between 25,000 and 40,000. Arab stories often talk about the Byzantine side having more soldiers, maybe twice as many. But the only early Byzantine source, Theophanes, wrote a long time after. People who study this have different ideas about how long the battle lasted—some say just one day, while others say it could have been longer.

Further Reading

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References

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  1. ^ Akram 2004, p. 425
  2. ^ Britannica (2007): "Losses: Byzantine allied, 40,000"
  3. ^ "Byzantine Empire", Wikipedia, 2023-08-14, retrieved 2023-08-15
  4. ^ "George Nafziger", Wikipedia, 2023-04-28, retrieved 2023-08-15
  5. ^ a b "David Nicolle", Wikipedia, 2023-08-10, retrieved 2023-08-15
  6. ^ Kaegi, Walter Emil (2003-03-27). Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81459-1.