Content
- 1 First Battle of Belenger (652/653 year)
- 2 Second Battle of Belenger (722)
- 3 Third Battle of Belenger (731)
- 4 See also
The First Battle of Belenger (652/653)
The battle of Belenjer was a battle that took place during the Arab-Khazar war between the armies of the Khazar Khaganate and the Arab Caliphate . Salman ibn Rabi was the Arab governor of the recently conquered Armenia . It was he who was entrusted with the conquest of lands north of Derbent . Salman invaded the North Caucasus in 652/653 (according to other sources, in 649/650). Salman and his army met Khazar forces near the city of Belenjer. The army of the Arabs was destroyed. Salman himself died in battle. Both sides in the battle used catapults throwing projectiles.
Since that time, Belenger was at the center of the Arab-Khazar confrontation. Due to its proximity to the border, Belenger was the first major city to be attacked by the Arabs when they managed to get beyond Derbent . The Arab author al-Masoudi (X century) even calls it the capital of Khazaria, which, however, is not confirmed by synchronous data, where he usually appears as a separate region with his own ruler (sahib).
Second Battle of Belenger (722)
On August 21, 722, according to the Arab historian at-Tabari , Arab soldiers (30,000 warriors), led by the governor of the province of Azarbai and Army, Jarrah ibn Abdallah al-Khakami crossed the Caucasus and attacked Belenjer. The Khazars lost the battle, the city was captured and destroyed. Residents surrounded the city with a ring of connected carts, but the Arabs managed to break the ring. Part of the population fled, prisoners were drowned in the surrounding river. Big treasures fell into the hands of the Arabs. The ruler of Belenger took refuge in Semender , but then returned (after Jarrah gave him his captured wife and children), and recognized the power of the Arabs. The Arab army captured a lot of booty, and the soldiers received large sums of money.
Third Battle of Belenger (731)
One of the last battles near Belenger between Arabs and Khazars occurred in 731. The Arab army under the command of Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik defeated the Khazar army. After that, the Arab conquerors advanced to Semender . In this battle, or soon after, the kagan's son, Bargil, was killed.
See also
- en: Battle_of_Balanjar_ (650s)
- en: Battle_of_Balanjar_ (723)
- en: Battle_of_Balanjar_ (730s)