The Conquest of Isbahan

فتح أصبهان

Isbahan → Jayy

In al-Baladhuri: Umar sent Abdallah ibn Budayl ibn Warqa' al-Khuza'i to Isbahan in year 23 — or wrote Abu Musa ordering his dispatch — and Abdallah took Jayy by treaty after fighting: its people to pay kharaj and jizya, secured in their persons and wealth save the arms in their hands; al-Ahnaf ibn Qays of his army was sent to al-Yahudiyya, which treated on the same terms, and Ibn Budayl mastered Isbahan's land and tasasij, governing until a year of Uthman's caliphate passed, when Uthman made al-Sa'ib ibn al-Aqra' governor. Ibn Ishaq relates that Isbahan's marzban, an old man called al-Fadhusfan, was besieged and the cityfolk betrayed him; choosing thirty trusted archers he slipped out toward Kirman to join Yazdgard. Word reached Ibn Budayl who pursued with heavy horse; the Persian turned on a height: 'hold yourself — not one of you drops without an arrow; charge and we shoot; or grant us a champion and we will duel.' They duelled — a blow fell on his saddle-bow breaking it and cutting the girth-straps — then Ibn Budayl said: 'I would not love your death, for I see you wise and brave; what say you to returning with me that I treat with you for your townspeople's jizya — who stays is dhimmi, who flees is unmolested — and you surrender the city?' He returned, opened Jayy and kept his word, saying 'O people of Isbahan, I saw you slackening for days — you earned what I did to you.' Ibn Budayl traversed Isbahan's plain and mountain, mastering it, treating its kharaj as al-Ahwaz had been treated — the conquest falling in parts of years 23 and 24. Another version has Umar sending Ibn Budayl to join Abu Musa — Qumm and Qashan taken — and together raiding Isbahan, al-Ahnaf on Abu Musa's vanguard, both taking al-Yahudiyya then Jayy, mastering the land — the soundest report being Abu Musa took Qumm and Qashan and Ibn Budayl Jayy and al-Yahudiyya. Isbahan's nobles held strongholds at Jafrabadh in Greater al-Thaymara rustaq at Bahjawarsan and a fortress called Marbin; when Jayy fell they entered obedience paying kharaj, and scorning the jizya, they embraced Islam.