HAZRAT KHALID BIN WALEED

RESTRICTEDHAZRAT KHALID BIN WALEED AND THE BATTLE OF YARMUK

INTRODUCTION

GM allow me to take you back in time when the fire in the two camps burnt merrily the whole night long and could be seen for miles like twinkling stars descended to earth. But, there was no merriment in the hearts of those who sat in the light of those fires. The thought of ordeal that awaited them had driven all joy from their mind. They were great men of valor, the soldiers who awaited the morrow. These Romans and Arabs, these Europeans and Asians, these Christians and Muslims, they were all lions, eagles and wolves. But they were also human being and thought of their wives and children to whom they will bid fare well in a few hours perhaps for the last time.GM in another sight from the rise in the ground emerged a dark line of horsemen whom none may resist and survive to tell the tale. This thundering squad is led by a leader who gallops ahead, a large broad shouldered, powerfully built man, he is mounted on a magnificent Arab stallion and rides it as if he were a part of it. The loose end of his turban and cloak fluttered behind with his large full beard pressed against his chest by the wind. His fierce eyes shine with excitement, with a promise of battle and blood and glory -- the glory of victory, the glory of martyrdom. GM that was the eve of. Yarmuk the titanic battle between the crescent and cross. And this is the commander of Muslims never to born again Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed. Today we shall give you the detailed account of the link between the two in the presentation HAZRAT KHALID BIN WALEED& THE BATTLE OF YARMUK. which is divided into four parts. First part being the biography shall be covered by SL Khanzada in the sequence as shown. Part 2 The commander will be covered by SL Sohail describing the concepts of Khalid and background of Yarmuk. In part-3 the war a sketch of the battle by SL Nasir will be followed by the final part of analysis by myself in the sequence as shown. GM after the conclusion we would be glad to answer your questions. Now I will request SQN LDR KHANZADA to come and tell us about the life of Hazrat Khalid.

PART 1BIOGRAPHY

Gentlemen while covering the Biography of Hazrat Khalid, I shall briefly touch upon the aspects as shown on the view foil.

Family Background

1.No woman will ever afterwards mother a child as brave as Khalid said Hazrat Abu Bakr the first caliph of Islam about Hazrat Khalid who was born in 586 A.D to Al Waleed the chief of Bani Makhzum, a noble clan of Qureish. In the family ladder of Hazrat Khalid, the history tracks the names of prophets like Ismail, Abraham, Noah and Idrees till Adam. Soon after his birth, Khalid was sent to a Bedouin tribe in the desert as per the custom among the better families of Qureish, where a foster mother nursed him and brought him up. The clear, dry and unpolluted air of desert laid the foundation of tremendous strength and robust health that Khalid was to enjoy throughout his life. The desert suited him and he came to love it and feel at home. When he was six years of age, he returned to his parents in Mecca. Khalid had four brothers named Waleed, Hisham, Ummara, Abd Shams and two sisters Fakhta and Fatima. After the birth of his sons he was commonly known as Abu Suleiman after the eldest and his other son Abdur Rehman later became a commander in Syria.

Military schooling

2.As a boy Khalid came to realize with a thrill of pride that he was son of a Chief of the clan. Khalids father did his best to instill into Khalid the virtues of Arab manhood courage, fighting skills, toughness and generosity. While still a child he was taught to ride as per the demand of his clan and soon acquired mastery over the art of horsemanship. Along with riding, Khalid learned the skill of combat, to use weapons the spear, the lance, the bow and the sword. He learnt to fight on horseback and on foot. He was naturally gifted for his skills in use of lance while charging on horseback, and the sword, for mounted and dismounted dueling

Personality Traits

3. Khalid had a height over six feet, wide shoulders, expanded chest and hard muscles on his lean and athletic body. He soon became popular for his consummate skills and enormous strength. Khalids best friends included Amr bin Al Aas and Ikrama who later became well known commanders. Khalid got his first lesson in the art of warfare from his father Al Waheed. Khalid learnt how to move fast across the desert, how to approach a hostile settlement, how to attack it, how to catch the enemy unaware and attacking them at an unexpected moment. Khalid by nature was a moderate in religious sense not paying much attention to the idols before Islam and concentrating more on battles afterwards. He was ruthless like a warrior and composed like an administrator. He preferred a lavish and rich way of life like a chief.

Quest for Military Skills 4.His quest for fighting skills was natural because the great tribes of Qureish that inhabited Mecca had evolved a clear cut division of privilege and responsibility among its three major clans. The Three leading clans of Qureish were the Bani Hashim, Bani Abdudar and Bani Makhzum. The Bani Makhzum was responsible for the matters of war. This clan bred and trained the horses on which the Qureish rode to war; frequently it provided officers to lead Qureish groups into battles. This Role of Bani Makhzum set the atmosphere in which Khalid was to grow up and clash.

Obsession to fight

5.On reaching maturity, Khalids main interests became war and this soon reached the proportions of an obsession. Khalids thoughts were thoughts of battle; his ambitions were ambitions of victory. His urges were violent and his entire psychological make-up was military. He would dream of fighting great battles and wining great victories, himself always the champion-admired and cheered by all. He promised himself battle and he pronounced himself victory. And he promised himself lots and lots of blood. Unknown to him, destiny had much the same ideas about Khalid.

Conquests as Khalid

6.Battle of Uhud. (22 March 625) Jubilant Muslims at the base of Uhud were in pursuit of the retreating enemy and war spoils along with the reserves unaware of the rear inspite of Holy Prophets instructions - not to leave the positions till allowed. Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed and Ikrama appeared from nowhere as the wrath of Allah to teach the Muslims a lesson of life for disobeying the prophet which became Khalids trick to change a complete victory of Muslims into a near defeat.

7.Battle of Ditch. (24 Feb 627)Khalids second major battle against Muslims was siege of Mecca during this long and tormenting period, the inner instinct of Khalid to engage made him to cross the ditch and kill one Muslim followed by withdrawal. Finally the infidels had to retreat with Khalid cavalry providing the rear guard.

Conversion of Khalid

8.For some time a change had been taking place in mind of Khalid. At first he thought mainly of military matters and military objectives. Conscious of his own ability and military prowess, he felt that he was truly deserving of victory, but somehow victory always eluded him. He admired the Prophets dispositions and the way the prophet had forced battles Uhad and Ditch on the Qureish with the odds. In the expedition of Hudeibiya, when Khalid had tried to intercept the Muslims, the Holy prophet had neatly outmaneuvered him. Khalid could not help admiring Muhammad (MPBUH) his generalship, his personality qualities, which he could find in no one else. Above all Khalid wanted the clash of battle and the glory of victory and with the Qureish there was only misadventure. On the other hand, there was plenty of military activity at Madina. Between the battle of Uhad and the Pilgrimage spaning over a period of four years, 28 expeditions were taken out by the Muslim which ended in complete success. 9.Khalid would think wistfully of the fun that Muslims were having. After the prophets pilgrimage serious doubt entered Khalids mind regarding his religious beliefs and suddenly it flashed across his mind that Islam was the true faith. Khalid took his armor, his weapons and his horse, and set out for Madina to embrace Islam. At 43, he was glad to be at Madina, where there was activity, anticipation, enthusiasm, optimism and this atmosphere entered the heart of Khalid. He breathed the clear air of the new faith and was happy. Conquest as Saifullah

10.Battle of Mauta.The battle took place in September, 629 AD Khalid had to take over command of the Muslim forces after three designated commanders were martyred. Khalid broke nine swords and averted a close defeat. On his return, the Prophet said Khalid is the sword of Allah. He then became known as Saifullah.11.Afterwards Hazrat Khalid played dominant role in a number of battles, most important to mention are shown on this view foil. Battle of Hunein, Jan Feb, 630. Seige of Taif, 5 Feb, 630. The Campaign of the Apostasy. The Battle of Vatrama, Dec, 632. The Battle of Chains, April, 633. The Battle of the River. The Battle of Walaja May, 633. The Battle of Firaz, Jan, 634. The Battle of Fahl, Jan Feb, 635. The Battle of Marj ur Rum, Mar, 635. The Battle of Yarmuk, August 636.

Demise

12.It was 642 AD, Hazrat Khalid was taken ill but the nature of illness was not known and it took the strength out of Khalid. On the same death bed he asked his friend I have sought martyrdom in a hundred battles why could I not die in battle. His friend replied If you had been killed by a non believer it would have meant that Allahs sword had been broken and that could never be. And the man for whom Hazrat Amr Bin Aas said A master of war and a friend of death died in the same year.Gentlemen! Let us see how the commander led the Muslim army against the enemies.

PART-2

MILITARY CONCEPTS

1. Gentlemen! It is well evident from the conquests of Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed which span from the day he was able to carry a sword to the day of his farewell to arms. It is no ordinary feat by any standards when miles were days and months. From the battle of Uhud up to the time of his dismissal over a period of 15 years, Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed fought 41 battles.

2. Khalid was most versatile soldier history has ever known - a true military genius. He had the strategic vision of Genghis Khan and Napoleon, the tactical brilliance of Taimur and Fredrick the great, and the individual strength and prowess of the legendary Rustam of Persia. In no other case in history we see such diverse military virtues combined in a single soul

Ideas of war3. His idea :- *His idea about a battle was to fight and vanquish mighty foes, to attack, and to conquer. * His idea of retreat was to employ a surprise in the disguise of defense.*His idea of offence was a total wipe out of the enemy with no room to escape.*His idea of victory was not contentment but obsession for fresh glory and strive towards distant horizon. *His idea about tactics was not a customary principle of war but most dynamic step to ever changing situation of battle.

Strategy

4.Khalid always planned his battles, though offensive but always measured. His over all strategy was to take the enemy by surprise and charge offensively to crush him before he realized. Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed could rejoice his victory of crushing large imperial forces like Romans by the strategy of exploiting the tremendous mobility and traveling on trackless new routes along his mounted army with audacity, surprise and violet offensive action.5.He employed the reserves as a rapid deployment force on weaker fronts, to strengthens a counter offensive move and inflict surprise attacks from the flanks.6.Psychological warfare was his favorite strategic move in every battle to demoralize the enemy and add vigor to his own soldiers. He always led the duel with victory. 7. Development of effective intelligence network was a very important aspect of his strategy in order to plan his tactical shifts. Tactics

8.Khalid had the capability to use variation in his tactics which was evident; During the battle of Mauta, as the event began one after the other, Muslims lost all their appointed commanders and ALAM came to Khalid. The situation facing Khalid was a grim one he was left with three choices. The first to withdraw and save the Muslims from destruction, second was to stay on the defensive and continue fighting, and the third was to attack and throw the enemy off-balance. He chose the last being closer to his nature. Here we again see the quick and clear thought of Khalid in a classic application of his favorite Offensive with flexibility of decision.

9.In the Battle of Walaja, the Muslims in a tormented situation were looking miracle as they fought with the suicidal desperation. The next moment over the crest of the ridge appeared two dark lines of mounted warriors - one from the Persians left rear and the other from right rear. With the cries of Allah-o-Akber Andarzaghars army was sandwiched.10.Gentlemen! This tactical maneuver of frontal holding attack combined with powerful envelopment was his original conception.

11.And finally GM in the Battle of Yarmuk, Hazrat Khalid Bin Waleed conducted tactical manoeuvre which seldom practiced in history, and most difficult to control and coordinate even now a days. It was a simultaneous converging attack from three directions made at night which only a highly efficient military machine could carry out under the able guidance of a visionary leader.

12.Gentlemen! All these tactical moves are not mere stroke of luck or one time actions but a part of well orchestrated strategy from the thoughts of first Muslim commander who laid down the beginning of Muslim conquests in the foreign lands.

Back ground of battle of Yarmuk

13.GM the zenith of Khalids generalship was displayed in the battle of Yarmuk which was fought between the Muslims and the Christians Byzantine Empire, in 636 AD. Under his command the Muslims inflicted a crushing defeat to the great Roman imperial army and opened the gateway for the Muslims to spread the massage of Islam to Africa and Europe.

Historical Background

14.The conquest of Arab lands under the rule of Persians and the Romans was started by Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (RAA) in a pre-planned campaign to spread Islam to other parts of the world. Khalid in a series of battles reached Hira and made it, the headquarters of Islamic forces. Invasion of Syria was planned with distribution of forces into four sectors under the command as shown on the view foil. Abu Ubeida Bin-Al-Jarrah----Emessa Yazeed Bin Sufiyan -----------Damascus. Shurahbeel Bin Hassana-------Jordan. Amr Bin Al-Aas-----------------Palestine

Events Leading to the Battle

4. Roman Plan. Heraclius, the emperor of Rome under whose command was Syria, perceiving the grave threat of Muslim invasion began brisk preparations for a great maneuver to finally crush the Muslim forces. He planned to raise a big force of 150,000 men consisting of Russian, Slaves, Franks Greeks, Georgians, Armenians and Christian Arabs. Being, a seasoned strategist he found the Muslims highly imbalance and widely spread in time and space presenting an easy prey. This plan was revealed to the Muslims during interrogation of some prisoners in Sheizer by Hazrat Khalid. According to Heracliuss strategy Caesarea. was to be reinforced by sea and strengthened to 40,000 men so as to isolate the corps of Yazeed. Army of Qanateer to approach Damascus from the west along the coastal route and cut off Hazrat Abu Ubeida from south. The three Armies of Jabla, Deirjan and Gregory to attack Emessa from north, west and northeast simultaneously. Mahan was to act as reserve behind the Christian Arabs.

Muslim Defensive Measures 13. Khalid with unerring sense of strategy asked Abu Ubeida to pull the troops back. Abu Ubeida accepted the proposal and ordered an immediate withdrawal of all Muslim forces to Jabiya The war Council on the advice of Khalid chose a plain area with tactical importance close to river Yarmuk, which provided a perfect place for the charge of cavalry within close proximity of desert where Roman lines of communication would be extended whereas Muslims could be reinforced from the desert. The stream of Wadi-ur- Raqqad ran from east to southwest for 11 miles through 1000 feet deep ravine with only one main crossing site at a ford. In the south of the battlefield ran the canyon of the Yarmuk River The only dominating tactical feature was the hill of Jamaa, which was 300 feet high overlooking the area. GM this was how the situation developed and the forces ended up at Yarmuk.

Description of the Armies8.Gentlemen! Before narrating the events of the battle it would be pertinent to know the composition and numerical strength of both the armies.

Roman Army

9.The commander in chief of the Roman imperial army was Mahan the king of Armenia. His force was organized into five armies each of about 30,000 soldiers led by Mahan, Qanateer, Deirjan, Gregory,and Jabla king of the Ghassan Arabs.Muslim Army10.The Muslim army was led by Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed. This force was organized in to four corps and a mobile guard of 4000 horseman. The corps were led by Abu Ubeida, Yazeed, Shurahbeel, Amr bin Aas and Khalid himself led the mobile guards.Relative Strength of Both the Armies is depicted by the table shown on the view foil.11.The strength of infantry and cavalry regiments of both armies were as follows. The roman infantry consisted of 80,000 men with a cavalry of 70,000. Thus the total strength of Roman army was 150,000. The Muslim infantry on the other hand consisted of only 30,000 men and a cavalry of 10,000. Total strength amounting to 40,000. The Roman army thus enjoyed a numerical advantage of almost 4:1 against the Muslim army.

Final Deployment of WarOrder of the Battle

12.Gentlemen with the two armies settled in the plain of Yarmuk, let us now see what the order of the battle was. Both armies were deployed facing each other on a 12 mile long front on east west axis after the arrival of Roman forces from North West forcing the Muslim army to change its position as envisaged by Hazrat Khalid. The four armies of the Romans were placed laterally with:- The army of chains under Gregory on the right flank. The Romans under Dierjan on the right center. The Armenians formed the Left Center, commanded by Qanateer. The Slavs formed the left flank also under Qanateer. Mahan with his cavalry positioned himself at the rear. Ahead of the front line, across the entire 12-mile front, Mahan deployed the Christian Arab army of Jabla. The Romans stood 30 ranks deep.

13.Khalid organized the force into four corps each with nine infantry regiments facing the Romans. The right flank was covered by Amr bin Aas The center was formed by Abu Ubaida on the left with Shurahbeel on the right. While the left flank was covered by Yazeed Bin Abu Sufiyan The cavalry regiments behind the infantry. The most critical element the Mobile Guards was commanded by Khalid himself to act as a reserve attack force placed at rear. The Muslims Army formed a thin line of 3 ranks with no gaps.

PART-3THE WAR

Gentlemen!1.The battle was fought in August 636 AD and lasted for six days. Hazrat Khalid planned to cause maximum attrition to the Romans through an offensive action and as the Roman offensive lost its impetus, he would destroy the enemy through a counter offensive, pushing them against the Wadi-ur-Raqqad. MAHANS plan was based on his superior numbers. He planned to attack on a broader front and localize a week point for exploitation.

2.First Day. The day started with duels, followed by the general battle. Romans attempted a limited offensive, using only ten forward ranks. Their assault was not a determined one; fight remained unevenly distributed along the broad front. On the whole the action of the day can be described as steady and moderately hard. Casualties were few though higher among the Romans. By sunset both the armies separated and returned to their camps.

3.Second Day. Romans launched a surprise attack while the Muslims were at prayers. As the battle of the central corps continued steadily, where the Romans had planned fixation effect, the flanking Muslim corps, received heaviest blows .In the north; the army of Qanateer attacked the corps of Amr. Twice the Muslims put up stubborn resistance but the Muslims broke and fell back to their camp when Qanateer attacked persistently for the third time with fresh force. Amr launched his cavalry, which with great dash checked the Roman advances for a while, but could not sustain under the immense pressure. The retreating Muslims received curses from their women, who pelted them with stones and hit them with tent poles as instructed by Hazrat Abu Ubaida. The warriors could not take this and once again turned back to fight. 4.The situation on south was equally serious. Here too the Romans broke through the corps of Yazeed in a second attack. Yazeed used his cavalry regiment to counter-attack but soon his warriors fell back.

5.Khalid was watching these actions from his position. He decided to launch his Mobile Guards to assist them, when situation severely deteriorated. He first turned to the north with his Mobile Guards and one cavalry regiment, struck the flank of the army of Qanateer, and Amr counter-attacked from the front. As Amr regained his ground, Khalid dashed to south where Yazeed had begun a major counter-attack. He detached one cavalry regiment under Zarrar and ordered him to attack the front of the army of Deirjan, in order to create a diversion. Khalid with his mobile reserves attacked the Roman army of chains on the left flank. Valiant Zarrar broke through the army of Deirjan and killed him. By evening the original positions were restored and the days fighting ended with the Muslims winning the bout on points and killing enemys esteemed general, Deirjan.

6.Third Day. The army of chains in the south made no move on this day. Army of Qureen, Deirjans replacement, made a limited diversionary effort on the front of Abu Ubeida. Qanateer attacked the Muslims right flank at the junction point of Shurahbeel and Amrs corps. By mid-day, he broke through at several places. Both the Muslim corps were pushed back. At this stage Khalid intervened, but the Romans proved much stronger than previous day. However, by dusk the Romans were pushed back to their own positions. Results of this day were same as yesterday.7.Fourth Day. This day, Mahan planned to attack the right half of the Muslims followed by a decisive blow on left. With this plan, two armies of Qanateer were set in motion. 8.Amr was forced to push back but in Shurahbeels sector the Armenians broke through and pushed the Muslims back to their camp. 9. When Khalid saw this situation he took a calculated risk and ordered Abu Ubeida and Yazeed to attack on their respective fronts in order to forestall Roman attack. This was to be a spoiling attack assuring Khalid safety of this sector in the absence of mobile guards.10.Khalid feeling more assured, divided the Mobile guards in two equal groups and launched a three pronged thrust on the Armenians with Qeis from left, he himself from right and Shurahbeel from the front. After several hours of struggle the Armenians pulled back. The Slavs also retired under renewed pressure from Amr. Meanwhile in a more fierce battle on the left side the Muslims with initial success were subjected to a barrage of archery, in which 700 Muslims lost their eyes. The day was thus known as the DAY OF LOST EYES.

11. Romans exploited their success and pushed the corps of Ubeida and Yazeed, but Ikrama along with his 400 dedicated men refused to retreat and fell upon the Romans like hungry wolves and embraced Shahadat. At this phase of the battle the Muslim women also joined their men. Muslims, with their morale boosted, hurled on the Romans and made the original lines good by dusk. This was undoubtedly the worst day of the battle for both, Muslims and the Romans. The Muslims had suffered more than the previous day but Khalid knew that the tide had turned.

12.Fifth Day. Mahan sent a proposal for truce, which Abu Ubeida nearly accepted but was restrained by Khalid. He knew the time had come to go for second part of the plan with dismayed Romans.13.Sixth Day. The sixth day of the battle commenced with a duel, in which Abu Ubeida killed Gregory. On return of Abu Ubeida Khalid gave the signal for the planned offensive to hold Roman center and right, at the same time cutting off enemys cavalry. This operation was completed in six distinct phases: -

(a)Phase-I. The entire Muslim Army moved forward with determination. Center and left did not press the attack to remain fresh for the last phase. Hazrat Khalid made an envelopment maneuver in which he attacked the Roman left flank splitting his cavalry in two groups, one to hold the Roman cavalry and the other to attack the Slavs from left coupled with Amrs frontal attack. As a result the Slavs fell back into Armenians.

(b).Phase-II.As the Slavs pushed back, Amr swung his army to attack the Armenians from the left flank. Meanwhile Khalid joined his second half of cavalry group and attacked the left cavalry regiment of the Romans. This regiment could not sustain Khalids offensive and fled to the north.

(c).Phase III.Before Mahan could concentrate his forces for a counter-attack, he was assailed by Khalids light and fast moving cavalry thus forcing heavier Romans to flee northward, leaving their infantry at the mercy of Muslims.

(d).Phase-IV. As the Roman cavalry fled, Khalid charged Armenians from rear, while Amr and Shurahbeel attacking from flank and front. Armenians could not face this three-pronged attack and fled to the southwest. Under pressure of Abu Ubeida and Yazeed, with their left flank exposed, armies of Qureen and Gregory also started fleeing west, towards the ford, thinking it to be the safe route and not realizing that, this was what Khalid had planned.

(e)Phase-V. By mid-day the Romans were in full retreat. Khalid with his cavalry blocked the route towards north, thus forcing Romans to the ford of Wadi-ur-Raqqad. A mad rush started to cross the narrow ford for safety from Muslims infantry pursuit. When leading Romans reached the top of western bank of ravine, they found Zarrar and his men waiting with their swords drawn. Khalid had sent him with a force of 500 horsemen during the previous night to block the ford. The Romans who reached the top were slaughtered and those who stopped on the eastern web were pushed into the ravine.

(f)Last Phase. Gentlemen! The Muslim infantry and the cavalry now encircled the Romans. Making them to fall in the ravine, or cut by the swords. It was almost dark when the last roman ceased to exist.

14.Early next morning while the rest of the army gathered the war spoils and buried the martyrs, Khalid set off to Damascus with his best guards to catch Mahan. Khalid overtook the Romans a few miles off Damascus, charged and killed Mahan, the Commander-in-Chief of the imperial army.15.Gentlemen! Roman casualties during this war are estimated to be 70,000 dead whereas about 4,000 Muslims were martyred. A vast and heroic battle had been fought; the Muslims had achieved a stupendous and remarkable victory.

16.A victory that is still being harped upon and analyzed for better application in todays warfare. The following analysis may enable you to draw your own conclusion.

PART 4 THE ANALYSIS

1.GM after having a fair idea and knowledge of this historical event it is mandatory that a critical analysis be done keeping all aspects of leadership, command, events of battle and a glance into its impacts. The course that I will follow covers strategy, tactical moves and operational aspects. For ease of understanding I have divided the analysis into four parts as shown;(a) The commanders vision and over all grand strategy.(b) Role of commander in the theatre of operation(c) Conformity with established P.O.W and brief comparison of Napoleon, Alexander and Hannibal.(d) Not forgetting the silhouette of these events in modern warfare. Calculated Judgment2.The experience of civil wars that made Khalid realise the strength of his fellows the grain the making and Virtuous conduct of the emerging nation. He was convinced that the drive and striking potential of Neo-Arabs, galvanized by the spirit of Islam could easily defeat the corrupt nations of the civilized world. The area envisaged for this purpose spanned through Iraq and Plains of Euphrates and the Tigris in northeast with Syria and Palestine in northwest.

Skirmishes to Battles3.Hazrat Khalid adopted the policy of giving experience to the forces from smaller events to bigger ventures. This indirectly proved fruitful in(a) Getting the message across the enemy (b) It gave chance to the Muslims to check the strength of enemy and (c) Psychologically pressurizing the enemy of the power of ex-nomads.Re Grouping 4.The strategy of Hiraculias the Roman Emperor was to crush the Muslims while they were split but Hazrat Khalid was quick enough to judge and concentrate all forces at one place which action shows that he had close coordination and belief in:-(a)A well knit intelligence system.(b)He ensured enough time for planning and concentrating forces.(c)The imbalanced Muslim forces regained their strength and concentrated at Yarmuk. (d)Choice of Yarmuk suited the tactics and plans of the commander to tackle a big army by squeezing it in a smaller place, while keeping emergency exits for Muslims open.

Assuming Tactical Command5.Khalid is the man for this! By the son of Waleed with the help of the Lord shall the mechanizations of Satan and of the Greek be overthrown said the caliph and surely the command was assumed by Khalid. GM Khalid after measuring, the strength of Romans and commanding qualities of Hazrat Abu Ubaida very wisely took the initiative to offer his services for tactical command, which was appreciated by the corps commanders and the general army. This shows there confidence and his ambition to win.

Re-Organization of Forces6.GM the new commander organized the army in such a way that each corps comprised of an infantry and cavalry with mobile guard according to tribes and clans. This provided an Independent setup within the force with quick re-enforcement. Whereas the clans and tribes being together made a cohesive and united force to offer maximum resistance to enemy.

Deployment Plan7.The Roman army of more than 150,000 men was deployed horizontally in an area of 12 miles which was a tactical advantage. Khalid deployed smaller Muslim army in an area of 11 miles, thinly placed but without gaps to match the enemy in span of action. He also deployed scouts for observation on Jamaa hill and intelligence network for real time update, which enabled him to take quick and timely decisions.

Importance of Area of Ops and Topography 8.GM Hazrat Khalid as always kept the topography observation on top of planning agenda for which he actually selected the Yarmuk. This decision shows the battle to be:-

Very well planned Arresting the initiative from the enemy He made sure that only one flank stays exposed to cater for lesser Muslim numbers. Desert was intentionally kept at the back for re-enforcement and ease of defensive retreat. While providing lesser maneuvering space to massive Roman army his own mobile guard unit could move freely on the plains of Yarmuk to keep a close command and control.

Game Plan9.GM owing to the inferior strength of Muslims initially defensive posture was planned till the right time when the Roman army is wears out. At this right moment a forceful offensive shall be launched initially separating the Roman infantry and cavalry followed by a final push into the narrow Wadi-ur-Raqqad. This plan was a classic example of flexibility, and maintenance of aim to rout the enemy.

Tactical Maneuvers 10.GM during the six day battle all possible maneuvers to achieve tactical advantage in different situations were efficiently performed. These maneuvers included:- 1.Frontal clash2.Frontal penetration3. Counter attack and repulse4.Flank attack5Rear attack 6 Out flanking maneuvers

Gentlemen!11. The unbelievable victory of the Muslims against the gigantic army of Romans could have been won only by strict compliance to military rules known as principles of war for which;

12.While maintaining the aim Khalids objective was destruction of the Romans, which he made sure by refusing the peace offer, killing most of the Romans through planned escape route and sealing the fate of Mahan after a long chase on 7th tiring day to end the Roman occupation.

13.Offensive Action.Although, Muslims were in a defensive posture, yet they continued to launch counter-attacks during this phase, along with mobile guards. Khalid who always thought offensively was famous for the dash of a lion and patience of a cat. Finally the Muslims went on an all out offensive to defeat the Romans.

14.Concentration of Force.Before the main battle, Khalid concentrated the widely spread Muslim forces into one strong force. Having concentrated the Muslims were able to put in a solid defense for four days to wear out the enemy and launch an offensive in the end.

15.The mobility helped Muslims to out flank the Romans at numerous occasions during the battle.The Romans who were heavily armed could not move freely and got stagnated by Arabs who were very light and Mobile, in fact this was the foundation and the key element of Khalids plans, of which formation of Mobile guards was a true demonstration of this principle.

16.The effective Muslim intelligence system was able to penetrate the Roman army and a valuable source of information to monitor their activities. This helped flexibility of operation under changing situations.17. Khalid achieved complete surprise on the Romans by blocking the only ford available at Wadi- ur -Raqqad and catching up on Mahan short of Damascus for a shot.18.The morale of the Muslims was deeply embedded in their faith in Allah and the abilities of their commanders. Khalid further boosted the morale by addressing them before each days commencement. Silhouette on Modern Warfare

A reflection of Khalids tactical action can be found in most modern events to the level of air power, which is the best form of mobility to deter any aggression in peace time and destroy the enemy by quick response in war time. Hazrat Khalid was well aware of the fastest means of mobility and its importance to be there before the opponent. He knew no hindrances or physical obstacles like deserts and rivers in the way of his goals.Todays land forces carry out maneuvers like single and double envelopments, after sound practice and war gaming even then success is to be a dream of any commander .For Khalid these moves were mere exercises of experience and ambitions to defeat the enemy.Khalids Cavalry was used to charge offensively to give decisive blow and create havoc and terror in the columns of infantry, its speed in the role of mobile guards is a perfect example of flexibility which is seen in armor mechanized infantry, self propelled Howitzer and air lift capabilities of modern days are all dreams of a modern commander.Reserves to re-enforce the weakening areas like Yarmuk was Khalids number one priority which is also a very important aspect of todays scenarios.Mobility, security, deception and hitting the centre of gravity are all traits of Khalids generalship which were heavily demonstrated during the gulf war and Iraqi invasion.

GM Famous historian Phillip Hitti in his book the history of Arabs writes the tactics of Khalid were like those of napoleon; Hannibal and Alexander .Lets see the salient features of their resemblance.

NapoleonThe strategy of Bonaparte was to keep the conflict simple and to the point with means to end, the shortest and sharpest. In pursuance of same he preferred rapidity as predominant factor, which amounts to speed and mobility, followed by hard offensive for which he said Make war offensively .His ideal combination was well reasoned and circumspect defense followed by a rapid and audacious attack. This is exactly what Khalid did in most of the battles much before this time.AlexanderAlexander in 370 BC aimed at winning wars with minimum bloodshed. His favorite tactics like, surprise, mobility and concentration of forces matched Khalids ways to the extent of winning hearts of people like in Shezier when Muslim retreated and paid back the protection money to the people.HannibalHannibal commonly regarded as father of strategy of his time was ruthless to enemies, he had the boldness with caution, and resolute in adversity. He was a commander who knew how to deploy his forces in best possible way. Khalid like him was equally ferocious for his opponents that is why he always planned to block all the escape routes to smash the adversaries .He gave a classical example of troops deployment in the battle of Yarmuk to stay one step ahead of Hannibal.

CONCLUSION

GM the analysis and overall conduct of the battle provides valuable strategic and tactical lessons even today in the era of modern warfare. The victory indeed a military feat was an out come of superior generalship of Hazrat Khalid. It is not conceivable in the present day scenario how Khalid could apply such diverse exact tactics in the battles without formal training and education. His training ground was the desert and he was trained to lead and win by the fate approved by the title Sword of ALLAH. Khalids role in Yarmuk is the finest example of combat leadership, efficient resource management and unfathomable courage. Khalid was essentially a soldier a soldier of Islam as he said I am the pillar of Islam I am the companion of the prophet I am the noble warrior. In the end, this could not have been possible without the divine blessings and help of ALMIGHTY ALLAH. May Allah give us the same faith and courage?Thank you.

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