A critical engagement in the Arab conquest of Transoxiana where Umayyad forces narrowly avoided encirclement by Türgesh and Soghdian forces near Bukhara.
Key Facts
- Year
- 729 CE
- Location
- Baykand, near Bukhara, Transoxiana
- Arab commander
- Ashras ibn Abdallah al-Sulami
- Vanguard leaders
- al-Harith ibn Surayj and Qatan ibn Qutayba
- Arab objective
- Suppress Soghdian rebellion and besiege Bukhara
- Comparable prior event
- Day of Thirst (724 CE)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In 728, the subject Soghdian princes launched a large-scale rebellion against Umayyad Arab rule in Transoxiana. The Türgesh khaganate provided military support to the rebels, prompting the Arab governor of Khurasan, Ashras ibn Abdallah al-Sulami, to lead a campaign across the Oxus River to suppress the uprising.
The Arab army advanced toward Bukhara but was encircled by Türgesh forces and cut off from water, bringing the campaign to the brink of catastrophe. Through determined fighting by Arab commanders, including the vanguard under al-Harith ibn Surayj and Qatan ibn Qutayba, the encirclement was broken and the army reached Bukhara.
The Arabs successfully broke through the Türgesh encirclement and reached Bukhara, which they then besieged. Although the Arabs avoided a decisive defeat, the campaign underscored the continuing difficulty of consolidating Umayyad control over Transoxiana against coordinated Türgesh and Soghdian resistance.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ashras ibn Abdallah al-Sulami, al-Harith ibn Surayj, Qatan ibn Qutayba.
Side B
2 belligerents