The Account of Yazdajird son of Shahriyar son of Khosrow – the last king of the Persians

When Saʿd captured from him the city of Seleucia, his residence, the imperial audience-hall, the council carpet on which he sat with his advisers, and his stored treasures, Yazdajird withdrew to Hulwan. The Muslims arrived and laid siege to Hulwan, so he moved on to al-Ray. Hulwan fell to the Muslims, then al-Ray was taken; from there he fled to Isfahan. Isfahan too was conquered, whereupon he proceeded to Kirman; the Muslims marched against Kirman and opened it as well. He then shifted to Khurasan and settled there.

Throughout all of this the sacred fire he worshipped instead of Allah travelled with him from town to town; in each new place he built a shrine for it where it would be kept continually alight, according to their custom. During his night journeys he was carried on a camel fitted with a howdah in which he slept.

One night, while he lay asleep in that howdah, the caravan came to a ford. Fearing he might be startled if he awoke in mid-crossing, they decided to rouse him beforehand. When they woke him he flew into a violent rage, cursed them, and said:

“You have deprived me of knowing how long these people will remain in these lands and elsewhere. Just now, in my dream, I was conversing privately with Muhammad before Allah. He said to me, ‘Your dominion will last one hundred years.’ I said, ‘Increase it,’ so he said, ‘One hundred and ten.’ I said, ‘Increase it,’ so he said, ‘One hundred and twenty.’ I said, ‘Increase it,’ and he said, ‘It is yours.’ And now you have awakened me! Had you left me asleep I would have learned the length of this ummah’s span.”

The Muslims’ Expedition to Khurasan under al-Ahnaf ibn Qays

It was al-Ahnaf ibn Qays who advised ʿUmar that the Muslims (1) should press forward with their conquests in Persian territory and tighten the noose around Khosrow Yazdajird, for he was the one inciting the Persians and their armies to fight the Muslims. ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab accepted his counsel, appointed al-Ahnaf commander, and ordered him to campaign in Khurasan. Al-Ahnaf therefore rode out with a large force bound for Khurasan, intent on engaging Yazdajird.

Upon entering Khurasan he took Herat by assault and left Ṣuḥār b. So-and-so al-ʿAbdī in charge of it. He then advanced to Marw al-Shāhijān, where Yazdajird was. Al-Ahnaf dispatched Mutarrif b. ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Shakhkhīr ahead of him to Nishapur, and al-Hārith b. Ḥassān to Sarakhs.

When al-Ahnaf drew near Marw al-Shāhijān, Yazdajird departed it for Marw al-Rūdh (2). Al-Ahnaf captured Marw al-Shāhijān and encamped there. Once settled in Marw al-Rūdh, Yazdajird wrote to the Khāqān, king of the Turks, asking for reinforcements; to the ruler of Sogdiana (3) requesting aid; and to the emperor of China seeking assistance. Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays pursued him to Marw al-Rūdh, having left a deputy in command of Marw al-Shāhijān.