Year 29 AH

In this year ʿUthmān dismissed Abū Mūsā from Basra and appointed ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿĀmir ibn Kurayz in his place, placing the province of Fars under his command as well.

That same year ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿĀmir stormed Istakhr, taking it by force, killing many of its defenders and carrying off captives. ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Muʿammar ibn ʿUthmān al-Taymī—a noted nobleman—led the vanguard; both men had seen the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

A fierce battle unfolded at Istakhr, during which ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Muʿammar, one of the chief commanders, was killed. Before that he had seized Shapur and the fortress of Shiraz by force, yet he fell while still a young man. Ibn ʿĀmir swore that, should he capture the city, he would kill its defenders until blood flowed from the gate.

At that time Yazdegerd son of Shahriyar son of Kisrā was in the city. He withdrew with one hundred thousand men and encamped at Marw, leaving behind a commander and garrison to hold Istakhr. The Muslims breached the city walls unexpectedly and found themselves inside before the defenders realized it. Ibn ʿĀmir slew them extravagantly until the blood ran out of the gate. When it was said to him, “You have annihilated the people,” he ordered water to be poured over the blood so that it would flow out through the gateway, thus fulfilling his oath.

He then returned to Hulwan, captured it a second time, and killed many of its inhabitants because they had broken the treaty.

In the same year Azerbaijan rebelled, so Saʿīd ibn al-ʿĀṣ marched against them and reconquered it.

Also during this year Ibn ʿĀmir set out on another campaign; his vanguard was led by ʿAbd Allāh ibn Badīl al-Khuzāʿī, and he reached Isfahan. Some say, however, that Isfahan was taken—partly by force, partly by treaty—by Sāriyah ibn Zunaym.