The Day of Mihran, Being the Day of al-Buwayb

يوم مهران وهو يوم البويب

c. 14 AH

al-Buwayb

In al-Baladhuri: the Muslims gathered at Dayr Hind in year 14, Shirawayh having perished and Buran daughter of Kisra ruling till Yazdgard ibn Shahriyar should come of age; she sent Mihran ibn Mihrbandadh al-Hamadhani against them in twelve thousand, and the Muslims gave him leave till he crossed the bridge to Dayr al-A'war's side. Sayf relates Mihran went on crossing to a place called al-Buwayb — where he was killed; al-Buwayb's flanks are said to have filled with bones till dust covered them in the civil-war time, and the stretch between al-Sakun and Banu Sulaym was the Euphrates' outflow into al-Jawf in the Khasraws' day. The Muslims camped at al-Nukhayla, Jarir ibn Abdallah over Bajila by some accounts and al-Muthanna over Rabi'a by others — or each over his own people. The armies met: Shurahbil ibn al-Simt al-Kindi fought well that day; Mas'ud ibn Haritha, al-Muthanna's brother, was killed, and al-Muthanna said 'let not my brother's fall dismay you — the falls of your best are such'; they charged as one man, steadfast, till God killed Mihran and routed the unbelievers, the Muslims pursuing with few escaping; Qurt ibn Jammakh al-Abdi fenced till his sword bent. Night fell and they crept back to camp, in year 14. Killing Mihran was claimed by Jarir ibn Abdallah and al-Mundhir ibn Hassan ibn Sirar al-Dabbi — each saying 'I killed him' — in a sharp dispute: al-Mundhir took his belt, Jarir the rest of his spoil; it is also said al-Husayn ibn Ma'bad ibn Zurara ibn Udas al-Tamimi was among his killers. Mihran and al-Qadisiyya are said to be eighteen months apart.