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And the warriors of Khalid
agreed.
The day before the Battle of Walaja was
fought, Khalid had sent for two of his officers, Busr bin Abi Rahm
and Saeed bin Marra. 1 He made each of them
the commander of a mobile striking force of about 2,000 cavalry
and instructed them as follows:
a. They would take their horsemen
out during the night and move wide round the south of the Persian
camp.
b. On arrival on the far side of the ridge which stretched
behind the Persian camp, they would conceal their men but keep them
ready to move at short notice.
c. When battle was joined in the morning, they would keep
their men mounted behind the crest of the ridge and position observers
to watch for the signal of Khalid.
d. When Khalid gave the signal, the two striking forces would
charge the Persian army in the rear, each group echeloned a bit
to one flank.
Necessary orders were issued by Khalid to
those who had to be in the know of the plan, so that the organisation
and preparation of the striking forces could be carried out without
a hitch; but the utmost secrecy was maintained and the Muslim rank
and file knew nothing of the planned manoeuvre. In the morning,
the cavalry comprising these striking forces was nowhere to be seen;
and Khalid formed up the rest of his army, about 10,000 men in front
of the Persians.
This was the plan of the Battle of Walaja,
fought in early May 633 (third week of Safar, 12 Hijri). It was
a frontal holding attack combined with a powerful envelopment. The
operation went, down to the smallest detail, as planned by Khalid.
Only a master could have done it.
This is not the first time in history that
this brilliant manoeuvre was carried out. It had been done before.
The most famous example of this type of manoeuvre was the Battle
of Cannae in 216 BC, at which Hannibal did much the same to the
Romans. After Hannibal's battle this type of manoeuvre became known
as a Cannae.
But Khalid had never heard of Hannibal.
With Khalid this was an original conception. 2
1. Tabari: Vol. 2, p. 559.
2. There is a difference between Walaja and
Cannae in that Hannibal's cavalry moved out on both flanks, drove
off the Roman cavalry, and then, at the appropriate time, fell upon
the rear of the Romans, while Khalid's cavalry moved (as we reconstruct
the battle) round one flank. But this is a matter of pre-battle
movement. The pattern of battle was the same.
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