The Umayyad defeat at the Day of Thirst collapsed Arab control over Transoxiana, leaving the region contested until around 740.
Key Facts
- Date
- 724 CE
- Location
- Banks of the Syr Darya, Transoxiana
- Retreat duration
- 11 days days
- Umayyad commander
- Muslim ibn Sa'id al-Kilabi
- Region contested until
- c. 740 CE
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Umayyad army under Muslim ibn Sa'id al-Kilabi was campaigning in the Ferghana Valley when it received word of an advancing Türgesh Khaganate force. Facing the threat of encirclement, the Arabs immediately abandoned their campaign and began a hasty retreat toward the Syr Darya river.
Over eleven days, the withdrawing Umayyad army was continuously harassed by Türgesh cavalry. Upon reaching the Syr Darya, the Arabs found themselves trapped between the Türgesh forces and the armies of local Transoxianian principalities. After fierce fighting, they managed to break through the encirclement and cross the river to safety at Khujand.
The battle resulted in a decisive Umayyad defeat and the collapse of Muslim administrative control over much of Transoxiana. The region became contested territory, with both the Umayyad Caliphate and the Türgesh Khaganate vying for dominance until approximately 740 CE.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Muslim ibn Sa'id al-Kilabi.
Side B
2 belligerents