Key Facts
- Duration of siege
- 11 months (Aug/Sep 749 – Jun/Jul 750)
- Umayyad commander
- Yazid ibn Umar ibn Hubayra
- Abbasid commanders
- Al-Hasan ibn Qahtaba and al-Mansur
- Outcome for Yazid
- Surrendered under pardon, then executed by al-Saffah
- Trigger for collapse
- News of Umayyad defeat at the Battle of the Zab
Strategic Narrative Overview
The siege lasted eleven months and was characterized by frequent Umayyad sallies and counterattacks. Over time, garrison morale deteriorated and deep tribal tensions between Qays and Yaman factions surfaced within the defending force. News of the Umayyad caliph Marwan II's decisive defeat at the Battle of the Zab and the subsequent Abbasid conquest of Syria accelerated defections, fatally weakening the garrison's capacity to resist.
01 / The Origins
Following the outbreak of the Abbasid Revolution, Umayyad authority in Iraq rapidly crumbled. Yazid ibn Umar ibn Hubayra, the last Umayyad governor of Iraq, was driven from Kufa by a pro-Abbasid uprising and retreated to the fortified city of Wasit. The Abbasid army, riding the momentum of a broad insurrection against Umayyad rule, pursued him and encircled the city in August or September 749.
03 / The Outcome
Yazid surrendered in June or July 750 after receiving a formal pardon from the newly proclaimed Abbasid caliph al-Saffah for himself and his followers. Despite this guarantee, al-Saffah ordered the execution of Yazid and his senior officers shortly after the capitulation. The fall of Wasit extinguished the last significant Umayyad military presence in Iraq and secured Abbasid control over the former Umayyad heartland.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Al-Hasan ibn Qahtaba, Al-Mansur (future Abbasid caliph).
Side B
1 belligerent
Yazid ibn Umar ibn Hubayra.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.