ich had been concentrated at
Cadesia (Kadisiyeh), where it rested upon a fortified town, was sought
out and challenged to the combat. The Caliph Omar had by great efforts
contrived to raise his troops in the Sawad to the number of 30,000, and
had entrusted the command of them to Sa'ad, the son of Wakas, since Al
Mothanna had died of his wound. Sa'ad stood wholly on the defensive. His
camp was pitched outside the walls of Cadesia, in a position protected
on either side by a canal, or branch stream, derived from the Euphrates,
and flowing to the south-east out of the Sea of Nedjef. He himself,
prevented by boils from sitting on his horse, looked down on his troops,
and sent them directions from the Oadesian citadel. Rustam, in order
to come to blows, was obliged to fill up the more eastern of the branch
streams (El Atik), with reeds and earth, and in this way to cross the
channel. The Arabs made no attempt to hinder the operation; and the
Persian general, having brought his vast army directly opposite to
the enemy, proceeded to array his troops as he thought most expedient.
Dividing his army into a centre and two wings, he took himself the
position of honor in, the mid-line with nineteen elephants and three
fifths of his forces, while he gave the command of the right wing to
Jalenus, and of the left to Bendsuwan; each of whom we may suppose to
have had 24,000 troops and seven elephants. The Arabs, on their side,
made no such division. Kaled, son of Orfuta, was the sole leader in the
fight, though Sa'ad from his watch-tower observed the battle and gave
his orders. The engagement began at mid-day and continued till sunset.
At the signal of _Allah akbar_, "God is great," shouted by Sa'ad from
his tower, the Arabs rushed to the attack. Their cavalry charged; but
the Persians advanced against them their line of elephants, repeating
with excellent effect the tactics of the famous "Battle of the Bridge."
The Arab horse fled; the foot alone remained firm; victory seemed
inclining to the Persians, who were especially successful on either
wing; Toleicha, with his "lions" failed to re-establish the balance; and
all would have been lost, had not Assem, at the command of Sa'ad, sent a
body of archers and other footmen to close with the elephants, gall them
with missiles, cut their girths, and so precipitate their riders to the
ground. Relieved from this danger, the Arab horse succeeded in repulsing
the Persians, who as evening approache