Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, medieval

Battle of Oxus River

Battle of Oxus River was a battle fought in AD 651 at Amu Darya, in what is now Afghanistan. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Amu Darya. It was part of the Muslim conquest of Khorasan, which ran from AD 651 to AD 654. The recorded result: Rashidun victory; Destruction of the Sasanian Empire. Recorded strength: 50,000 against 20,000.

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FoughtAD 651
WhereAmu Darya, Afghanistan37.106N, 68.306E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeRashidun victory; Destruction of the Sasanian Empire
BelligerentsSasanian Empire; Western Turkic KhaganateagainstRashidun Caliphate
Casualties and lossesUnknown; Probably heavyandLight
Part ofMuslim conquest of KhorasanAD 651 to AD 654

Where it sits in the Muslim conquest of Khorasan

Battle of Oxus River, AD 651Battle of Nishapur, AD 652Siege of Herat, AD 652Battle of Badghis, AD 654AD 651AD 654Battle of Oxus River, AD 651
4 placed engagements of the Muslim conquest of Khorasan in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateAD 651 (year precision)
PlaceAmu Darya, Afghanistan
37.106N, 68.306E
KindBattle, medieval
Territorial changeSasanian Empire annexed by the Rashidun Caliphate
Strength50,00020,000
Casualties and lossesUnknown; Probably heavyLight
Commanders
  • Yazdegerd III
  • Merv
  • Al-Ahnaf
Battle of Oxus RiverBattle of Oxus RiverSiege of EucratideiaSiege of TaliqanSiege of BalkhSiege of BalkhSiege of BactraSiege of EucratideiaSiege of TaliqanSiege of BalkhSiege of BalkhBaghlanTermizKulobKuybyshevskiyQurghonteppaDenowPol-e KhomriAybak100 km37.106N, 68.306E
Placed at Amu Darya; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in AD 651

Battle of Oxus River is one of 179 engagements of the 7th century in the atlas and one of 74 in present-day Afghanistan.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4871964, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Oxus River, revision 1371249760, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.