The caliphal army's rout at Daya Marj (584 AH)

The Caliph al-Nasir li-Din Allah prepared a large army under his vizier Jalal al-Din Ubayd Allah ibn Yunus, to help Qizil against the sultan Tughril. The two armies met at Diyat Marj, near Hamadhan, on 8 Rabi' al-Awwal 584 AH, and the Baghdad army was defeated. ¹

The army marched on the third of Safar until it came near Hamadhan, and Qizil did not reach them. Then Tughril came, and they fought. The Baghdad army did not hold firm and scattered. The vizier stood fast, with a Qur'an and a sword, until a man of Tughril's army captured him, and what he had of treasure, weapons and beasts was taken. ¹

Ibn al-Athir relates that he was then in Syria, in Salah al-Din's army, and that he expected the defeat when he heard the news of the march. He gave as reasons that the vizier did not know warfare, was recently in office, and was not regarded by the emirs as fit to be obeyed, and that his opponent was a brave sultan who fought in person. ¹

Some poets composed verses on this defeat, satirising the vizier. ¹

The Hijri date is as in the source, and the Gregorian date is derived by conversion.